With nearly endless content, MH:W will eat you and your time alive
I had to live with Monster Hunter: World for almost a year to really grasp just how crazy this game is. Let’s get a few things clear: I’m not big on Sega games post Genesis era, Japanese style games annoy me, and I avoid online games like they have cooties. So, I was apprehensive when I decided to see what all the fuss was about.
My apprehensions were crushed beneath the feet of a towering, fire-breathing Anjanath, a Super Saiyan T-Rex!
I wasn’t sure what to make of Monster Hunter: World at first—a vast fleet of hunters with their cat gremlins are marooned by a mountainous magma Kaiju on the way to a mysterious continent full of wacky wildlife; it’s like Jurassic Park but with psychedelics.
The character design is over-the-top Japanese cosplay fodder that blurs the lines of cuteness and badassery. The world is magical and a joy to explore right down to the weird insects crawling on trees. Sega has designed what feels like a living ecosystem from exotic jungles, windswept deserts, and ethereal coral forest complete with glowing aerial jellyfish. Visually it’s gorgeous; there is a lot to look at even at the main hub, which looks like something out of Peter Pan’s nightmares.
Then there are the monsters. The entire reason this game exists. These massive creatures are practically levels in and of themselves. Beautiful blue-scaled Ice Dragons, weird puffy bat things, ferocious iguanas with dreadlocks, and tar monsters who armor themselves with monster bones. That’s just the start; after a near thirty-or-more-hour campaign there will be a good chance you haven’t seen or slain everything.
Each big monster requires a different strategy and gear loadout in order to be faced effectively. Some are susceptible to poison while other are immune to fire and poisons. Mastering the bestiary and pre-hunt loadouts is paramount to MH:W. Also, being front seat to epic monster fights in the heat of your own hunt is thrilling. Watching a massive creature being carried off by a larger one to vanish over a tree line is a surreal spectacle to behold.
As amazing as this game looks, it does have a steep learning curve for gameplay. It’s not exactly an RPG, but a gear-intensive action game. Which means the way you play is determined by which weapon system and battle dress you choose. With fourteen weapon systems to choose from, it can be daunting to figure out which one works the best. Each system has a branching craft tree that offers boons and grievances that balance them out.
Thankfully, these are available at the start, so you can play around and build up your mastery over time. Believe me, knowing your weapon’s flaws and strengths can make or break your experience.
The weapons are some of the most fantastic, appearing to be ripped from over-the-top anime. The menacing Gunlance was my first go-to. It’s a six-foot-long, bladed lance and shield that offers maximum armor at the cost of maneuverability and speed, but it also fires explosive shells from an attached bore and cylinder. Then it’s complete with a powerful explosive suppository specifically designed to be rammed up a monster’s backside with devastating effect.
Eventually I would fall in love with the Insect Glaive (a staff and telepathically linked bug creature) because it offers maximum maneuverability by allowing for vault jumps and sweet acrobatics. Plus, having a wild looking Mothra-thing perched on my hunter’s arm looks amazing.
Let me be clear that—neat design and gameplay mechanic aside—MH:W is a grinder of epic proportions. There is an endless list of things to do pre and post campaign, there is an endless list of monsters to slay or trap, and with the ability for online co-op with three other hunters, this is a near-endless game.
The grindy aspects can be daunting because specific monsters require specific buffs and perks from specific gear load outs. If you have the patience and the time, the feeling of getting everything together to beat down that epic flying spikey monster and build that sexy suit of armor is pure bliss.
MH:W is a game that never ends and with the Iceborne expansion releasing on September 6th with updated weapons, new areas to explore, and new massive monsters to hunt, it’s sure to be more of the breathtaking lunacy of videogame entertainment. If you can get past the grind and learning curves, MHW can provide some of the most frustrating fun paired with unrivalled longevity.
When not vaporizing zombies or leading space marines as a mousepad Mattis, Brandon Watson is making gourmet pancakes and promoting local artists.