With the recent release of Monster Hunter: World, interest in the previously niche monster hunting genre has exploded. Monster Hunter is nothing new and has inspired dozens of imitations for well over a decade. Yet with all the comparisons to relatively unrelated games and the introduction and refinement of obtuse or complicated gameplay aspects, Monster Hunter: World can be a daunting and incredibly heavy experience for the casual player. Diving head-first into the world of Monster Hunter may leave you a little disoriented - but fret not! This entry to the series is by far the most beginner-friendly, and with patience, you'll get hooked in no time.
If you're a fan of rewarding, challenging albeit fair gameplay with near-infinite replayability and breath-taking scenery, then the world of Monster Hunter is for you. But if you're anxious about cannonballing into a potentially thousand-hour gaming journey, this will be your guide to dipping your toes into the MH whirlpool. So first: a little bit of history.
In the Age of Hack & Slash
Monster Hunter was conceptualized, developed and released by Capcom in 2004, at a time when the company wanted an array of games to focus on the Playstation 2's network functionality.
To prioritize multiplayer, much of the original Monster Hunter game had content that was primarily accessible online, geared towards being completed with 2-4 players in total. One of Monster Hunter's (2004) difficult final bosses, a medieval-style Elder Dragon named Fatalis, was in fact only available by connecting to the Internet for a special quest.
Yet long before players had the skill or equipment to tackle the mighty Fatalis, Monster Hunter established early on what it would be about: hunting and wearing monsters. Unique in its mastery of animation, the appeal behind Monster Hunter is its gameplay - simple in theory, yet masterful in execution. If you take away the contrivances of the era - including low graphics, terrible hitboxes, and obtuse crafting mechanics - then what is left is a game that presents satisfying combat, dissimilar to another popular Capcom series (Devil May Cry). Monster Hunter specializes in using animation cues to teach the player to look for openings between attacks, time their movements, and be patient in approaching a monster.
Every attack, both for the player and the monster, has a start-up animation, and an eventual recovery. Attacks that land create a certain amount of hitlag - a slowdown in the attacking animation's frames depending on the amount of damage produced by the attack. This hitlag creates the feeling of a "heavier" and more effective attack while hitting a more defensive part of the monster results in near zero hitlag, or even a bounce off its tough hide, teaching players where to hit and where not to hit without the inclusion of damage numbers or other intrusive features. In lieu of this, all monsters in the game must be fought without the customary HP bar, so that the only indication of how close a monster is to death is their behavior and scarred bodyparts.
The recovery in every attack teaches players to watch the monster's behavior and rewards patience over recklessness. A Rathalos rearing its head and leaning back is preparing to charge forward, while a Rathian will twist its body slightly before lashing out with its poisonous tail. A Deviljho will raise its leg up high before stomping down. A Rajang will jump to its feet and turn before unleashing a barrage of lighting from its maw. After each attack, the monster must take time to recover, shaking off the impact of a slam or returning to a neutral position after a bite. These openings give players enough time to land an attack or two and get out of the way before getting hit. At first, monsters may seem deceptively fast and aggressive, giving no apparent room for openings. But hunt after hunt, the player learns more about how the monster moves, learning to dance around it without fear of getting hit.
It sounds tedious, but the simplicity and fairness of the combat quickly overshadow the initial learning curve and makes Monster Hunter a game that evokes equal amounts of rage and passionate excitement. Each monster presents a unique challenge to the player, forcing them to react, read the movements of their prey, and learn how to dodge the many tricks the monster may have up its sleeve, lest they lose.
Faster weapons deal less damage and have less recovery time, while slower weapons are more powerful, but a missed attack can be costly to the player's efforts. This creates a balance between the game's many choices in weaponry, ranging from swift daggers to a larger-than-life Greatsword. Yet these awesome weapons and matching armors are not given for free - they stem from the series' primary gameplay loop, the addictive cycle that makes Monster Hunter what it is.
The Reward Loop
Eat, hunt, craft, repeat. Monster Hunter has changed plenty over the years, adding new mechanics and weapons, but the core gameplay has always remained the same. Players are introduced into the world of Monster Hunter as new hunters, pitted against increasingly threatening monsters, eventually facing one or two apex predators, and in turn becoming more accomplished both in-game and among real-life friends. Hunting one monster successfully leads to unlocking an assortment of weapons and armor craftable through monster drops.
A full set or an upgraded weapon may take a while to craft, as rare drops often force the player to grind the same monster a few times. Yet this almost never becomes tedious, as every hunt can lead to new and exciting things. And in turn, the copious hunting teaches the player more about their weapon of choice and gives them the opportunity to learn more about the monster.
As your gear improves, you face harder monsters. Their difficulty does not only come in the form of greater HP pools and stronger damage numbers but through trickier animations, unique fighting patterns, longer movelists, and other aggressive behavior. The game always remains the same: you hunt monsters, craft gear from their parts, and use it to hunt harder monsters. Yet beyond this core reward loop lies the true formula to Monster Hunter's success - the authenticity and variability of its monsters, and the complexity of the weapons you use to face them.
The game's sheer content is bolstered by a ranking system that has players facing the same monsters, yet with updated movesets and more ferocious behavior. All hunters start in Low Rank, gaining Hunter Ranks for facing certain monsters, until graduating into High Rank, and in some games, achieving the prestigious G-Rank. Early High Rank and G-Rank have many of the same monsters as early Low Rank, yet they become increasingly difficult, evolving with each rank-up.
There are no level-up screens, no stat allocations, no special moves gained through more hunting. While your gear improves to match the health and damage output of your opposing monsters, the main thing you're upgrading is your own skill as a player - and more specifically, your skill with your chosen weapon.
14 Weapons, Countless Monsters
Monster Hunter can be classified as an Action RPG, yet it lacks any system of stats, attributes or classes. It does, however, have armor skills, items, and weapons. You can choose to wear any combination of armor and pick any weapon with a singular character, and there is no need to specialize in a single weapon -- yet for newcomers, sticking to one weapon after trying them all can help you focus on learning the monster instead of struggling with the differences in movesets from weapon to weapon.
Monster Hunter's weapons are about as complex as fighting game characters, each with their own specializations, pros, and cons, yet all geared towards offense in one way or another. The PS2 original only came with seven weapons in total, and the series eventually added to the original roster, reaching today's count of 14.
All melee weapons must deal with a mechanic called sharpness, which modifies the damage output of the weapon and its ability to cut through heavily-armored monster parts. Higher sharpness means you're less likely to bounce and you do more damage -- but maintaining your sharpness means applying a whetstone to your weapon multiple times throughout a hunt.
Ranged weapons, on the other hand, rely on ammunition and arrow coatings to deal maximum damage. Ranged weapons play entirely different to melee weapons, and require a better understanding of monster hitzones (the distribution of hidden defense stats on each bodypart), critical distance (a ranged damage modifier based on the distance between the hunter and the monster), and ammo types to use effectively, making them quite complicated and difficult to use for beginners, while providing a different perspective for more experienced players. Among melee weapons, some are simpler and easier to begin with (such as the Greatsword, Dual Blades , and the Hammer), while others come with a more complex movepool and secondary features that require micro-management (like the Charge Blade, Gunlance, and Hunting Horn). Visit the Training Room of Monster Hunter: World to learn a little bit about each weapon, and figure out what suits you best.
You don't have to limit yourself to any one weapon or use them all to get your fill of the Monster Hunter experience. Play with the ones you like, get better at the ones you love, and find a playstyle to match your own personal taste and pace. Although some weapons are "beginner friendly", each weapon takes countless hours to "master" and use with maximum proficiency. An expert Greatsword user must spend as much time becoming perfectly accustomed to each monster as an expert Charge Blade or Heavy Bowgun user.
Monster Hunter Now
The release of Monster Hunter: World marks a new age in the monster hunting genre in the West, and shows that the series has reached the tipping point in popularity necessary for Capcom to push for a major (and risky) home console release. New features, voice acting, high graphical fidelity and an overhaul of many complicated or obtuse aspects, including the beginner-unfriendly armor skill system of older Monster Hunter games, sets World apart from the rest of the series.
While the move from home consoles to handhelds did not hurt the series' popularity in Japan, where handheld gaming reigns supreme and Monster Hunter enjoys a massive nationwide fandom, it did hurt the series' growth in the West. Yet the reception of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate and Monster Hunter Generations showed Capcom that the demand for quality Monster Hunter games was alive and growing, enough to warrant a major push.
Only time will tell whether this risk will lead to more Monster Hunter in the future, or whether the gameplay loop and end-game difficulty will be too off-putting to casual audiences, relegating Monster Hunter back to being a niche game in the West.
Monster Hunter: World was released on PS4 and Xbox One on January 26, 2018, and is slated for a PC release later in the year. Get MHW today!
Note: I've got two major posts for new players looking for a guide to the weapons of Monster Hunter: World! Check them out here and here.
I bow to the well that is your knowledge. - consider me impressed.
Thank you! I do try.
amazing best post for gamer @jamthewriter
Thank you! Expect more content soon :)
lovely gaming collection @jamthewriter
Hey! Are you back to Steemit? Back as in to blog regularly? The depth of your review is amazing! I have not seen a better one yet. I want to read you everyday.
I am! I'm planning to write up a post on the melee weapon types tomorrow, and focus on ranged weapons next. Then I'll go into a few mechanics, first rehashing the old ones, then going into new ones! I'm going to play it by ear after that, but I'd love to help people get a solid overview of just how deep this game can get, and the amount of love put into it.
That sounds like exciting times ahead. I am all buckled up, pop corn in hand. Yay... I am stalking your blog already. Keep it coming, buddy.
This is the most addicting game I've played in a while. Great article btw.
great post:)
Thank you! :)
Well presented and very well written.
Thank you for the kind words! I plan to keep up the quality if possible :)
Great summary! I can't wait for it to release on the PC though. I am not much of a Console gamer.
The PC release will be amazing, no doubt. Last I checked, Capcom stated they were utilizing a special team to ensure the port would do the game justice, which is why it'll take so long. I generally have more friends on PC than on consoles, so when it does release, I'll be nabbing another copy - I do recommend giving it a try on the controller though. Can't quite imagine Monster Hunter on keyboard and mouse.
I do own a controller, steam and Rumble. Thanks for the Tip. I wil certainly give it a try.
Also, I hope I can play it with steam Link. That way I can relax on the couch! :D
Great
Good post, and I'll echo the points made elsewhere. Too many posts around at the moment that are just microblogging. No depth at all. Good to see a gamer who wants to go deep on a topic.
Thanks for your review, I can not wait to spend countless hours grinding with friends and not look at crypto every second of the day :)
Sure thing! I'll have some more content coming for newcomers. Be sure to check by or ask me something in the comments if you need a tip!
https://steemit.com/game/@vimaltri/this-is-what-super-mario-looks-at-380000-frames-per-seconds
NEED this for PC!!
Very nice and informative post
Thanks! More coming soon, and I'll try and keep it applicable for older MH games too :)
https://steemit.com/game/@vimaltri/this-is-what-super-mario-looks-at-380000-frames-per-seconds
Good post buddy :)
I watch this game on YouTube and i like 😉
Hello, Jam. I proposed your post for a community curation project: @curie. That largely accounts for the huge reward. To take it a notch further, I would love to see this featured in the weekly Author Showcase post that Curie puts together. If you approve of this, please comment that approval as a reply to this comment, so I can go ahead and nominate it. Looking to hear from you.
You can check out @curie blog to get an insight into the community and what it does.
Cheers,
Akpan
Hey Akpan!
Wow, that's amazing! A lot of the content on @curie looks great, I'd be absolutely honored to be nominated. Thank you for the opportunity!
Hi @jamthewriter, the Author Showcase post is up :)
https://steemit.com/curation/@curie/curie-author-showcase-february-1st-2018
I appreciate this so much. Thank you for the feature :D All of the featured authors have awesome content, I'm glad to make the cut!
This is exactly the post i was looking for as i prepared to pick up the game- thanks very much!
Great review! I am pretty stoked to play this on PC later this year, not only for the new MH but because some of my friends are looking to try it out with me as well. I have always loved the MH games and this one looks exceptionally good.
I'm so happy about this game, I got my copy on PS4. I heard there was a lot of bugs on the Xbox one version. I hope that doesn't ruin the game for some newer players.
Thanks for the review, seems cool! I noticed that ps4 is investing a lot in advertising for this title, in the past month the instagram channel has been focused a lot on it!
That is quite an impressive and detailed look at the series. As a free alternative, I recommend Dauntless, which is also about slaying behemoths in co-op, although it has a more cartoonish look.
This was an awesome read. As a vet I can’t wait to play this on my ps4.
It's an awesome game so far. I wonder what they have planned for the eventual G-rank addition. How long have you been playing MH?
This game looks like it could be one those games you play for hours on in. I can definitely seem myself getting hooked on it lol
Definitely! I have about a thousand hours in the series, if you put together the MH games I've played so far.
Thank you so much for this post about the game. I'm still debating whether I should pick it up now or wait until it's on discount. I think I'll do the latter.
I do like the fact it's not really for casual gamers and there's some learning curve. You covered pretty much everything!
@azure-infinity I'm a long time monster hunter fan. So i picked up the game the day it came out.
It really is not a game for beginners and you can be overwhelmed easily when you start out.
But once you figured out how it works and what everything is for. The game becomes amazing.
I'm currently doing a Monster hunter weapons series about each weapon, just some information about each of them and their strengths/weaknesses. You can read about them here.
If you ever do pick up the game I'd like to suggest Adopt A Hunter. The Monster hunter community created adopt a hunter, Where they match up a new player with a veteran player. So the veteran player can take the new player on a hunt and show them the ropes and teach them about the game.
There's no rush! The community is extremely welcoming from what I've experienced (although you'll run into a little elitism here and there, not as bad as in some communities though). Perhaps we might meet in-game, someday!
Monster Hunter is a game that watching is much more enjoyable then playing. I found it to be very difficult to start with. After couple first attempts on big boss i was like "this monster is unkillable, im slashing throwing bombs etc, and that dosnt do anything!" But it mite be just solo mode, in multiplayer with freands it looks much better, cause monster dosn't focus only on you.. and getting down him is much more easyer and less able to go nuts for you at the end :P Conclusion.. play it with freands, unless your korean.. then you will handle it with one hand.
@kealn i think the game is fun both watching and playing(solo or multiplayer). I do completely agree with you that the game is very harsh on beginners. When I started i was getting my ass handed to me left and right.
My friend actually had to take me on runs to teach me how to fight against monsters, let me learn the ins and outs of my weapon so that i know how to fight with it. Eventually i did figure out more of the game on my own and the game became so much more fun and challenging.(VERY challenging)
I'm currently doing a Monster hunter weapons series about each weapon, just some information about each of them and their strengths/weaknesses. You can read about them here.
If you ever decide to give the game another shot, may I suggest Adopt A Hunter. The Monster hunter community created adopt a hunter, Where they match up a new player with a veteran player. So the veteran player can take the new player on a hunt and show them the ropes and teach them about the game.
It's not for everyone, that's true! Some of my friends hate playing solo, while I enjoy the game both ways. I find it thrilling to face a monster alone and master it! It's definitely tough on beginners, and the first time I picked up MH I actually gave up on it! I tried it again a few months later and took it slow, focused on getting better, and after a while, it hooked me and never let go. I agree with @mrhasuu's suggestion, the Adopt A Hunter program has an active Discord community and they'll help you get used to the game if you want to.
Will you be streaming on dlive playing MHO?
Not sure about MHO, I'll have to see if I can get that working on my PC and jump through the hoops to play it. But I can look into getting set up to stream World, perhaps!
Wow, I actually didn’t know about the sharpness and using whetstone no wonder I kept bouncing off lmao
Yep! Although, sharpness is only part of the equation for bouncing. Sometimes, monsters will have extremely tough parts that simply can't be struck even at max sharpness. Some weapons, like the hammer, ignore this. You can also use special moves, like the Charge Blade's charged sword which gives it a similar effect. In the older games, there used to be an armor skill called Mind's Eye, which completely negates all bouncing. Haven't seen it yet in World, but if you avoid the parts that make you bounce you should still be able to slice at a monster's ankles or belly!
Appreciate the advice! I think also charging to the max negates bouncing because I noticed if I half charge I’ll still bounce on certain parts but if I attack the same part with a max charge with the two handed sword I’ll end up hitting even breaking a part
EDs, AEDs and SAEDs have natural Mind's Eye, they never bounce! Those are the elemental swings with the axe.
Nice review, i haven't tried a monster hunter game yet, but hopefully i'll be able to play this one on PC.
It's definitely worth the wait in my opinion.
Thank you for the insight on this amazing game! I recently posted a game play video and it is a very enjoyable game. When I can afford it I am planning on buying it.
It's definitely worth it! No rush, I'm sure the community will stay active for a good while.
It should, and even if it doesn't I would still buy it and play it. Just like I want to get fortnite, because I keep hearing a lot about it.
UpVote for the Gods!!! Love this post!! I'm on Monster world Hunter now on Ps4!!! The hammer is my weapon of choice!! if anybody wants to party up, follow me on twitter! We putting in 8 hours a day! Haha
Awesome! Hammer is top tier this time around hahaha, at least feels like it. I'm still maining Charge Blade back from 4U, but the ultra-spam isn't always super fun so I'll probably do more gunning.
As a brand new member of the Steemit community, I would appreciate a follow :) I will start posting every day, and the posts will primarily consist of CRYPTOCURRENCY NEWS, MEMES and GRAPHS.
The best thing about this game is catching some wildlife animals with the net and letting them decorate your personal room. Thats love of details.
Definitely an appreciated addition. World has a ton of new little details - the old games had the same love, but you could feel that the limitations of the 3DS/PSP were holding them back a little. I personally am a huge fan of the new cooking animations and monster-on-monster fighting hahaha.
Great post mate. Will defo try it out when it hits PCs later this year. :)
Even Japanese people will not be able to write in detail so far. Monster Hunter is interesting!
Good post, I am a photographer, it passes for my blog and sees my content, I hope that it should be of your taste, you have my vote :D greetings
Awesome intro into the world of Monster Hunter bud! Glad to see more hunters on here and I'm stoked to see you might be up for streaming it. Hope to see more posts like this from you!
I just hope PC version could be released earlier. But then again when I think about it, I feel like it's a good thing that they are taking their time to make it fully optimized.
How is this game? The graphics look glorious!
Great post I’m new to Steemit and am going to be uploading some mhw content soon as well as plenty of other game follow if your into that
I can feel you bro! Monster hunter player here! But sadly I just played Monster hunter freedom unite on psp with ranking of HR6. I hope someday i can grab a PS4 then crash and smash those awesome monsters of MH WORLD! Followed and voted you up.
@sahail Thank you! That means quite a lot, it's nice to see someone appreciate the effort that goes into writing an article, rather than a paragraph or two.
@siaratv cool! Be sure to check out Arekkz, CantaPerMe, AkantoreX and Rainy. Some of my favorite Monster Hunter content comes from them, very informative and skilled gameplay!
@rave1086 looking forward to seeing you in-game someday! I hope MH:W marks the start of a series of bigger and better MH games.
@andreicristian90 Thank you! Yeah the PC release is gonna be awesome for the community, lots and lots of growth; can't wait for it either!
@nobuosick that's a very big compliment. Thank you!
@techlogix Thank you very much!
@financerebellion Definitely looking forward to streaming soon! Thanks for the kind words and the support :)
@gamingtube indeed, I much prefer this to a rushed release with dozens of bugs. Capcom doesn't have the best track record for stable Steam releases, but maybe this time they'll do a better job. The fact that the team took the time to get the console release out of the way before focusing on the PC port gives me hope. I think they really want it to succeed! The demand is there, for sure.
@cbjarz it's an amazing game! You don't have to take my word for it, there are plenty of reviews out already. And the graphics are just a small part of what makes it good! The gameplay isn't necessarily for everyone, though, so have a look at some videos and see if it might be your thing.
I am an Xbox support and i have received a lot of queries about the game because a lot of gamers have pre-ordered it. With the knowledge that you have @jamthewriter you can definitely take my job now. I am darned impressed with the knowledge that you have. Definitely upvoting and following you now :) Way to go @jamthewriter
That's huge! Hahaha, thanks for the compliment! I just really enjoy Monster Hunter :)
Very in-dept and knowledgeable post bro! You really know your stuff! Great job! 😀
I've been absolutely loving the game! I think something that cannot be understated is how incredible the monster animations are! They blow my mind!
The craziest part is that they've always been this ahead of other games! Even the PSP and 3DS games, with their low resolution, have astounding monster animations. It makes the game a lot more forgiving - reading monsters becomes second nature, and then the whole thing is like an addictive dance of death.
Great read mate! Very well written!
How is the replayability? I played monster Hunter forever ago, I don't even remember when and I just didn't get that in to it. Everyone around me is all in to this new one, but I watched some gameplay and it seems like a lot of grinding. Am I wrong?
Every hunt is different honestly, it's grindy in the sense that you hunt monsters and little else, but the challenge makes it really addictive IMO. Of course, if it isn't for you, then it isn't for you. I personally hate grinding, and I hate turn-based RPGs, but Monster Hunter is my favorite game and it's got both grinding and turn-based combat (in the sense that if you don't follow the rhythm of the monster, you'll get your ass handed to you).
Watching gameplay is a little flawed since it's very much about the feel of the game, the weapons, the hunt itself. If you can, give it a try at a friend's place or something, or get the demo if it's still up. I've only played 4U and Generations (outside of World), and have around a thousand hours (about 600 in 4U), not just because there's a ton of content, but because you just get so caught up with farming gear and completing challenges and attempting speedruns and trying new weapons. Each weapon is an entirely new playstyle, too, so it's hard to get bored of the combat.
World is thinner content-wise than previous games, but they've stated they'll be beefing it up with additional content down the road, and there's more than enough to sink your teeth into at the moment.
Interesting. I'll check out the demo if it's up. "Rhythm of the monster" is a nice way to say it, makes a lot of sense after seeing some of the gameplay. Thanks for the reply!
good read.. people around me always mention this game, and I always wanted to try it, but never got around to it. reading this just made pumped me up over the game even more. I recently got into RPGs I feel like they give me more bang for my buck. Grinding for XP is tedious but I come to love it
No XP in this game! No levels, but you do grind monsters to get materials for armors and weapons.
Even better I'm lookin forward to trying this
Uh, I've never been a fan of that game when I saw it as a PSP game. Back then I preferred to play FFVII Crisis Core.
This looks interesting though. Maybe I'll check it out again.
It's mostly just like it was back as a PSP game, only much more accessible due to better controls and quality of life changes, as well as a greater variety of weapons (i.e. playstyles). It depends on what you didn't like - if the combat turned you off previously, it's still the same at its core. World is easier than most of the other games though, since G-rank is inaccessible at the moment, and it's much easier to get into than something like MHFU.
Yeah I guess it's the combat style. I just didn't like it overall maybe? Didn't really think about which part or aspect I didn't like. 😂 Thanks for the added info! 😁