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Monster Hunter World certainly wasn’t Capcom’s (or my) first foray into the idea of fighting big monsters with equally big weapons. However, it was Capcom’s first venture of fighting big monsters with big weapons but, this time, in a big wide open world. Veterans of previous Monster Hunter titles would know that those earlier games had very small areas consisting of little arenas all interconnected by loading screens. In Monster Hunter World, Capcom decided that bigger is in fact better and created the largest and most in-depth entry into this franchise.
A living, breathing world
From the moment you begin the first assignment, you can clearly see the care and attention to detail that has been lovingly given to each environment. You start off in the Ancient Forest and, unlike what its name suggests, the trees and the brush are teeming with life. From insects to dinosaurs and lizards, every inch of this vast shrubbery is inhabited one way or another. Birds fly above while squirrels and toads scrabble around your feet. Not only are the animals and plants just there, but they also interact with you and each other. A roaming pack of carnivores will stalk, attack, kill and eat their prey right in front of you- like straight out of a nature documentary. That very same prey could attempt to run away or form a defensive circle upon seeing that they’re in danger.
Each environment (of which there are 5, excluding any extra content), bristles with life in this way while all remaining unique and distinct. The Wildspire Wastes is strewn with cacti and vulture-like carrion in a way a real desert would be. You can see the adaptations of even the smallest living creature in this world and everything has a place that has been carefully designed.
The environments or Worlds, as Capcom put it themselves, are simply beautiful. Being designed for consoles like the PS4 also really benefits the overall performance of Monster Hunter World as well as allowing for each of the multi-layered and complex ecosystems to be breathtakingly realised with no loading screens to separate the different areas within the worlds. And the best part is, you can always jump into any of these worlds on an ‘Expedition’. Expeditions allow you to do whatever you want within these worlds: pick flowers, take pictures of the local wildlife or fight what is available all without the threat of a timer countdown like the regular quests. New monsters will arrive as older ones either leave or are hunted, ensuring the world never becomes stagnant or empty as you go about your hunting duty.
The bigger they are…
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Monster Hunter game without a vibrant and lengthy roster of huge dinosaurs, dragons and the ever-strange oversized chickens. In World itself, there are 31 unique, named ‘Large Monsters’ (the “bosses” if you will) for you to hunt. The cast includes some returning faces (older players will recognise poster-boy Rathalos, the horned Diablos and the notorious Deviljho) as well many first-timers, including the spiked elder dragons predator Nergigante and the colossal Zorah Magdaros. The main quests (and the main focus of the game itself) will have you facing off against these creatures nearly always back-to-back. It could be summarised as “There’s always a bigger fish” as each quest will have you hunting something bigger and more intimidating than the last.
The monsters themselves are all memorable- as they should be. I had a worry going into this game that the monsters would be mostly forgettable to make way for the big stars of the cast but no, I still remember my first Great Jagras as a humble new hunter as clearly as I remember struggling against the returning Rathian.
However, while the monsters are all special in their own right, I do feel slightly disappointed in the limited monster types. Capcom have always classed what their monsters are based on a rough skeletal structure (or model frame). You have flying, fanged, brute, bird and piscine wyverns. These can be explained as: dragons, dinosaurs on four legs, dinosaurs on two legs, dinosaurs of two legs with feathers and fish. All of the large monsters fall into one of these categories and it sounds simple because in reality it is. After playing the game for multiple hours, you will begin to notice the similarities of the monsters in these categories. These similarities vary from sharing the same posture to egregious reskins. There are no ape-like monsters such as the Kecha Wacha from Monster Hunter 4 or insects of any kind. While I appreciate the push for accessibility Capcom strived for (and in reality succeeded at), I do wish for slightly more because I know Capcom excel at creating huge and varied critters of all shapes and sizes and a more inspired cast would really help Monster Hunter World go just that one step further.
A right to bear arms
It’s all well and good to have a good game design, but how well does that translate into a game itself? The answer for Monster Hunter World is: pretty well. The core gameplay mechanics remain similar to past titles while innovating just enough to make combat and weapons fresh without becoming overwhelming. The weapons themself are the same as ever, which I believe is ultimately a good thing. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it, and Capcom have decided to leave well enough alone. Every weapon, of which there are 14 ranging from a basic bow to a chargeable energy sword, accommodates a different playstyle and skill level. The insect glaive, for example, is great for high mobility action and mounting monsters to try and bring them to their knees. On the other hand is the hammer which is the best for concussing monsters for easy combos and high damage numbers. No matter how you wish to play, there will be a weapon choice for you.
In classic Monster Hunter fashion, every weapon has a huge tech tree full of different upgrades and variations that do different things like status effects or sheer damage bonuses. On top of this is the armour you equip also provides its own separate buffs. On top of that, the armour and weapons you equip have gem slots which you can fill to gain even more bonuses. It sounds daunting but it is implemented in a natural way which doesn’t feel intrusive or forced and it allows for a real variety of builds. For example, I had a hammer with a 60% critical hit chance through the gems I had unlocked through naturally playing the game. You could have a switch axe with a focus on putting a monster to sleep, or a lance that temporarily paralysed whatever you are hunting.
The monsters themselves have their own weaknesses which you can research in-game (or cheat and Google). It may turn out that you need to swap your equipment to be more specialised for your next target or you could brute force it, Capcom always leaves the choice up to you. It is masterful the way Monster Hunter World offers choice upon choice upon choice without ever becoming too much or too complicated and how much you engage with the different layers of RPG present is down to you as a player.
Finally, the story. There isn’t much of one in all honesty. The overarching plot is that research is wanted on why Elder Dragons migrate to the “New World” and following the journey of the Zorah Magdaros. Most characters are simple caricatures of the role they play- so much so they are simply named as such. The Handler gives you quests, the Commander commands, the Provisions Manager… you get the idea. The justification for hunting each monster is usually either glided over or summarised as “It’s dangerous”. But, these games were never really about the story, and the plot isn’t bad by any stretch so it suffices as an excuse to hunt monsters alone or with other players (connection and internet speeds allowing).
Verdict
Overall, Monster Hunter World is a great blend of old reliable meets new and fresh. It sets out to be a game where you fight a diverse array of monsters with a diverse array of weapons and it achieves this with flying colours, all while innovating with new combat moves, monsters and all the first fully-open areas with new loading screens in between. The Worlds themselves are fantastically ambitious and wonderfully imagined. However for returning fans of the series the lack of variety in the monster types may disappoint but for new players there is no better Monster Hunter to dive into.
