Day 16 – Monster Hunter.
Yesterday I talked about Lost Planet, a saga that in many ways was similar to the other Capcom franchise, Monster Hunter. So it was logical and normal that today I would talk about this saga to compare it and talk about its qualities. In Monster Hunter we control a monster hunter, who works for a village and embarks on multiple jobs and adventures to kill or catch gigantic creatures, to get food, or to create better armor and weapons for the next hunt.
The game places you on various maps based on different ecosystems where you have to do a mission, usually related to killing or defeating some monster. These maps are divided into sub-zones, where in addition to the monster you may be hunting, you can also meet other creatures native to the area, which can be peaceful, or as in most cases, they can try to mess with your life.
When you find the monster, you can fight it using a large number and variety of weapons and armor. Armors mostly have a passive effect, increasing defense and protecting the player from side effects like poisoning. Instead, all weapons are divided into several classes, all of which have very different styles. To give some examples, we have the sword and the shield, the most balanced and balanced option, we have the spears to attack from a more distant area, the hammers to hit hard in exchange for speed… And I have only mentioned a few. In that sense, the game gives you many possibilities.
And let’s talk about the monsters, the dinosaurs, dragons and other creatures that we face… They are great. Almost all of them have great designs, full of impressive and unique things. Some of them feel somewhat similar for beginners, but for people who have already spent a couple of hours playing the game, then they will easily differentiate between each winged beast. And they all have very different ways of attacking, of course they all attack with their claws or they will tackle you, but in general, you will have to adapt to the different patterns that each beast has. You’re definitely going to fight differently against a Zinogre than against a Diablos…
And God, we put that together with the excellent soundtrack that the saga has. Full of orchestrated themes, but with strength and emotion. It feels like every note has a weight, it fills you with adrenaline, it’s something that would fit perfectly in a fantasy adventure movie… Even if I’m exaggerating it a bit, even in The Lord of the Rings. And the graphics, yes, they are not the best, but they always make the most of the capabilities that each system has, which is something that I respect a lot. It is a philosophy that other companies should also follow.
So considering all these positive features that I love and make me happy whenever I think about them… why don’t I like Monster Hunter? Surely, more than one of you have already sharpened your swords (Clean them a bit, I can still see that they are a bit rusty) and try to find the place where I live, but please listen to me a bit… Later if you want I will let you continue with the slaughter.
I consider Monster Hunter as a great saga. Directly right now I recommend everyone to try it at least once or to buy one of the games, because I’m sure almost everyone will love it. That said, what is it that makes me dislike this franchise? Personally, it is due to two main factors. The first, the combat does not seem the best. For me it is somewhat rough and rigid, I do not get used to it much. I also find it a bit repetitive, it doesn’t have as much depth as I’d like, and on a few occasions, the depth comes from external objects you can use, not the weapons themselves.
And then there’s the fact that it seems to me that monsters take too long to kill. Each hunt lasts about twenty minutes, or at least that’s how long they lasted for me. For me, an enemy that takes this long should be a final boss, not what you kill throughout the game. I know they can’t make monsters weak, because it doesn’t make much sense for such a big beast to die so easily, but personally, these kinds of things… just don’t quite add up to me for some unknown reason.
So please, if you are wondering whether or not to get the game, close this article immediately, because I am sure that I am a very small minority and that most of you, this franchise will be wonderful. Monster Hunter is overflowing with great elements, spurting imagination, people directly love this saga, for many it is the best of Capcom. Just because I’m one of the four cats he personally doesn’t like doesn’t mean he can’t see the full impact he’s made, and it’s an impact the size of a meteor crater. And it’s not that people like it… non-veterans, so to speak, as it happens with COD, Monster Hunter really has a real success among all kinds of people, by God, that two of my friends who are not gamers they have and love it.
And speaking of friends, how is the multiplayer mode of Monster Hunter? It’s definitely the mode I had the most fun with. Playing with friends and cooperating to take down a monster can be a joy and greatly reduces the time you spend taking down your target. If you are going to catch Monster Hunter, having online on the 3DS (which is usually something taken for granted, but just in case) is something necessary if you want to get the most out of the saga. Playing with friends or complete strangers will always put more than one smile on your face.
And what do you want me to tell you… Monster Hunter is that great saga that I would love to adore day and night, but for some reason, I was born with the curse that its gameplay doesn’t convince me. There are SO MANY elements that I love, that it makes me very angry that I can’t get to enjoy them first hand, that I have to do it from a distance. We all have this game, everyone. For some it might be Mario because it’s so simple, for others it might be Final Fantasy because they don’t like the turn-based combat system… For me, unfortunately, it’s Monster Hunter.
And well, after apologizing and whining a bit (I hope you have already discovered my house), what do I think will be the fate of the franchise? Well, without a doubt, it is one of the most lively of the entire company. Not only is a new installment planned for a western release soon, but Monster Hunter in general is a sales magnet, it’s a killer app. That is, we will see Monster Hunter for many years.
Where should I be? Personally, I think it works better on laptops. Not only does it have the bonus that you can take it everywhere, but for local multiplayer, it’s better. In general, it works very well since Monster Hunter can be played in more or less short sessions, achieving a little progress. What would benefit in graphics and power consoles? Yeah, but really, I think this game doesn’t really need those things at all. Everyone loves Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate for its new additions to the mechanics, not really for its spectacular graphics… Although I’m not ruling out a next-gen installment. In short, buy Monster Hunter, I don’t like it, but I know you do.
