If simplicity pervades the felling of fantastic creatures and the aimless swinging of gargantuan weaponry, then Capcom’s Monster Hunter: World would triumph merely in showmanship. In Monster Hunter: World, you hunt monsters. You hunt those with venom dripping from their mandibles and those with wingspans large enough to blot out the sun. You track their movements, locate their lair and pummel them into the ground, all for a chance to carve at their bones. The recurrent structure of the hunt is imperative, and in that, the core experience of the game is particularly straightforward. But blossoming from such a simple concept is an overwhelming level of complexity that slowly begins to make sense the more time that you spend with the game. And its through such extreme parallels that Monster Hunter: World does strive for mass appeal, aiming to bridge the gap between several different generations of hunter.
Central to everything is the act of pursuing a monster within the bounds of a hunt, a process that doesn’t typically change even as many lesser creatures become superseded by the unfathomably colossal. Alone with your pet Palico in tow or with up to three other players, hunting follows a very set rhythm that eventually becomes second nature. Tracking by way of analysing footprints grooved into the dirt and mucus clinging to the tree bark helps you locate the monster, which is then painted onto your radar and the map within your hunter’s journal. The benefit of experience is knowing the locations that specific monsters tend to lurk, and building up your research levels so that you when to deliver their death knell. The hunt may end when the killing blow has been struck, but the pursuit of riches isn’t limited to just a single fight.
In being overtly accessible, the sense of gratification that accompanies a successful hunt isn’t something that remains exclusive to the more veteran players. Every hunter has to start somewhere, and guiding those both old and new is a light narrative that helps contextualise the New World and its local inhabitants. More importantly, the story of Monster Hunter: World introduces players to the rhythm of a typical hunt, instructing them in the necessities of tracking, luring and exploiting monster weaknesses. The frustration of being bested by a monster that quickly becomes as insignificant as the birds nesting in the canopies is something that stays with you. Next to the hoarding highly coveted materials, you’re in the business of self-improvement, and self-improvement isn’t achievable without becoming more proficient at your craft.
Understanding the complexities of every monster lends itself to many aspects of preparation and preparedness. In order to eke out more damage, you can bring along a pot of Demon Drug and a vial of Demon Powder, while also altering the balance of your preferred pre-hunt meal. And if a monster is tearing you apart with ease, then defence bolstering Adamant Pills, Hardshell Powder and a little swig from a flask of Mega Nutrients will help increase survivability.
THE LEAP TO HIGH RANK IS TREACHEROUS – A REMINDER OF THE GAME’S CHALLENGING NATURE
Long before ever venturing out into the beautifully vivid Coral Highlands or the jagged canyons of the Wildspire Waste, the depth of the interconnected mechanics that support hunting are each their own particular beast. Crafting those aforementioned potions requires seeds and herbs found in the wilds, all of which can be cultivated individually within the gardens of the resident botanist. In order to acquire materials in addition to the ones you earn from hunting, then the seafaring captain of The Argosy sets down his anchor in port intermittently, and it’s with a similar recurrence that squads of feline Tailraiders can be dispatched in order to procure items from specific locations.
It’s tremendously satisfying to know that every flower plucked and tuft of monster fur gathered advances another parallel system. Rewards are doled out in abundance, yet even some of the most otherwise useless items have the potential to be melded into something coveted or sold for currency to fund the improvement of existing equipment. In a game where an adequate summation of personal progress may be taken from the traditional experience-based hunting rank, personal feats and goals become all the more worthwhile.
Taking down a monster at a pace never before achieved is but one of several barometers with which to gauge the versatility of your ever-growing skillset. And alongside the fashioning of stronger weapons, tougher sets of armour and a more suited array of abilities to compliment your play-style, the gameplay loop of Monster Hunter: World doesn’t lose its momentum. In giving players the freedom to explore content in their own way while never feeling shortchanged for doing so, there are no hunts devoid of purpose, and no sense that time spent doing something different is time wasted.
When it comes to adjusting your method of attack, be it out of necessity or variety, there are a wealth of weapons to choose from. Vying for your attention are 14 different weapon archetypes, all of which can be upgraded, augmented and modified with powerful gemstones. And there’s equal opportunity for all of them to shine within the throws of combat. Blunt weapons exhaust and daze the enemy, bladed ones slice and carve at appendages, and ranged weapons sustain a consistent assault denying the targeted monster any chance to recuperate.
INFORMATION GATHERED IS COPIED TO THE HUNTER’S NOTES – YOUR BIBLE OF STATS, RECORDS & FEATS
No weapon in Monster Hunter: World is impractical or insignificant, with even some of the most unexpected combinations remaining complimentary of one another. Choice is left entirely to personal preference, with a cohesive design across all weapons rebuffing any preconceived notions that one selection in particular may be better suited to the task than any other. Instead, appreciation for a weapon comes naturally as you learn how to perfectly execute all of the unique attacks that give it its identity, becoming more proficient with every stroke and swing.
Though as Monster Hunter: World seems built for the purpose of consolidating its audience, encouraging new players just as much as it fosters series veterans, certain design choices seem counterintuitive to the experience. The absence of more engaging tutorials confines every weapon to just a base description, its larger dynamic only hinted at in shorthand. Wielding a weapon within the training area teaches a few standard attack combinations, but outside of a small codex tucked away behind the options menu, the extent of their potential is expanded upon predominantly in community-driven content. And that same disconnect extends to the game’s social functions, too. In order to play a story mission cooperatively, each individual player must first view the intended cutscene with their own character at the forefront. It’s only after fumbling through the pause menu and hitting the return prompt that you can then proceed to hunt as a team, a process that hampers sequential hunts and only builds frustration.
In its ambitiousness, Monster Hunter: World does allow itself to succumb to a few notable pitfalls. And yet, its evolution never feels anything other than naturally progressive. This is a game with a broader scale and deeper substance than any in the series, but a similar level of complexity that can, at times, feel a little overbearing. Stripping away everything else but the climactic clashing of swords and scales, Monster Hunter: World is a spectacular adventure in survival. And as satisfying as it is to simply outlast a monster as hunts readily devolve into wars of attrition, so is it to engage them with a more calculated offence – the product of hours spent honing your abilities. Finally executing that perfect attack which singes the floor with lightning and severs a monster’s horn is just as enjoyable the first time as it is the hundredth. And as creativity and cooperation come to the fore, the potential for personal improvement remains a tantalising prospect, emboldening everything from the plants you grow to the armour you wear. Conquering the New World is going to be difficult. Sometimes, a little light botany is all it takes to give you the edge against a fire spewing behemoth.