Monster Hunter World Review

If you’ve played a Monster Hunter game before prepare to be pleased. This Monster Hunter World review is going to be glowing.

If you have never played a Monster Hunter game prepared to be pleased…eventually.

Monster Hunter World was just what I wanted and needed. I’d been playing a lot of the same old stuff over and over again.

I craved something new and different.

In Monster Hunter World you step into the shoes of an ‘A’ class hunter and adventure to a scarcely populated continent referred to as the new world. Accompanied by your palico, a feline creature and a handler, you have set out with the fifth fleet tasked with discovering and investigating the new world and its inhabitants.

After receiving a fairly unfriendly welcome, you meet the members of the first four fleets before you. The commander asks you to investigate a phenomenon known as the Elder Crossing.

Monster Hunter World Review – The Learning Curve

If there’s one thing I can say about Monster Hunter World that hasn’t changed, it’s the learning curve. Veterans should fall right back into the old familiar rhythm. That’s not to say it’s easy, just that it will feel very familiar. For newcomers, there is a lot to take in but believe me, it’s worth it.

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You’ll get plenty of in your face tutorial windows of information. There is also a training area to help you learn and test the weapons. Not to mention you have access to a base version of all weapon types pretty much from the start. The key early on is finding one that suits you and your play style.

You should definitely experiment with different types.

Once you finally do get out into the world and get to explore and hunt, the real fun begins. The world feels so alive and dense even when there’s not a lot around. The map areas have been made considerably larger than before too.

Each one is teaming with life, whether it be insects, birds, fish or larger docile creatures. Of course, it’s never short of hostile creatures either and some at an unbelievable size. The monsters vary in size and type to give you plenty to be in awe of.

Monster Hunter World Review – Monsters Galore

There are massive T-Rex like monsters, gigantic flying wyverns and even sleek deadly looking creatures. The visuals are something that really impressed me too. The transition from handhelds to console was a great choice by Capcom. The monster design has always been excellent in previous titles. Now that that great design is matched with higher end graphics and texturing, the monsters look incredible.

There’s certainly some commitment required for this game though. You’ll need to commit to a fairly hefty grind to even finish the story. Once you think you’re done an even bigger part of the game opens up.

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But don’t fret too much, you can pick Monster Hunter World back up and it doesn’t really matter where you were.

The grind is mostly centred around your gear and weapons. The only way to get better gear is to hunt bigger, stronger monsters. You’ll get to a certain point where the only way forward is to go find bigger, badder ones again.

Also, don’t be afraid of experimenting with crafting and make sure to pick up collectables. You will discover quite a few handy items and consumables as you progress. These can give you the much-needed edge later in the game to down these epic monsters.

Monster Hunter World Review – The Grind

What’s enjoyable and kept me interested was the variety in which you can hunt the monsters. When approaching the hunter board or your handler, your main missions will appear under the assigned tab. These missions will unlock new areas and progress the story.

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Investigations are unlocked as you increase your knowledge of all the creatures. The more you know, the more high-level investigations open up. There are also the optional quests which will progress with your hunter rank.

You can also just simply go and explore the areas and hunt whatever comes your way. When going about any of these modes be sure to have all your bounty slots filled. These will help you with your grind and feel a lot less menial when you do them as you just go about hunting.

Monster Hunter World Review – Let’s Play Together

Multiplayer connectivity is also a feature I quickly became fond of using. You can have squads (groups of friends) that can be set up. When you log in or go you the hunter board you can join your squad session.

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This means that you will be in session with friends instead of random players. When you see ‘so and so has posted a job’ you’re more likely to join and help out. I played a large portion of the game early on completely solo and that’s fine, you can do that.

But Monster Hunter World is much more enjoyable with friends and a highly recommended way to play if you’re new to Monster Hunter.  Don’t be afraid of using the SOS flare either, as after a while you’ll be looking for them when wanting to hunt specific monsters.

The battle/fighting system is still very familiar with what I’d experienced before. Some new changes have been made like the slide attacks, which can give you a good lead into a battle.

Monster Hunter World Review – Pick Your Weapons!

Each fighting style is based on your weapon type and there is plenty of variety. Some are simple and easy to grasp and others are highly technical. Practice makes perfect and if you do want to experiment take advantage of the training area. Learn combos and abilities as they make your choice more effective if you master them.

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You should also be cautious when hunting a new monster. Learn its moves and get a feel for its patterns. I have watched all too many hunters run in swinging a giant sword blindly to only be flung away.

It’s entertaining but gets old after a while when you just want the job done. The monsters you’re hunting vary in size, shape and type. This means that you’ll need to adapt very often to the flow of the battle.

To make matters worse, their attitude comes into play as well. Cut a Rathian’s tail off and it just might get angry. You wouldn’t like him when he’s angry.

Admittedly this game is not for everyone but it is worth a look. It’s pretty, it’s fun and it’s challenging if you want it to be.

For the fans of the Monster Hunter series, you will be pleased. It’s got a massive list of improvements that speak for themselves.

For newcomers be patient, because once you crack through and get a handle on it it becomes a fantastic game.

For me, it was a much-needed game and will occupy my time until my next anticipated release.

Monster Hunter World was reviewed on PlayStation 4 using promotional copies provided to PowerUp! by Capcom.