Monster Hunter World will soon receive its new expansion Iceborne. Our author Leya was able to test the DLC for 5 hours in full version, before the release. She played in Master Rank, the new and hardest difficulty level. This is her impression.
This is what I often read since the release: Monster Hunter World is too easy and thus destroys the series.
Monsters show damage numbers, which allows me to quickly figure out their weaknesses. Likewise, the beasts are displayed on the map by the Spähkäfer, making them easier to find. Such features weren’t available in the past. Capcom even wanted to make the endgame in Iceborne harder, based on fan feedback (via ign.com).
Before Monster Hunter World, the action RPG led a niche existence in the West and was only a hit in Japan. Monster Hunter World is the first part of the series that conquered the entire world. Some comfort adjustments tailored for the West definitely contributed to the success.
This is my experience with the comfort adjustments: I played some older titles of the Monster Hunter series before World was released. I like the comfort adjustments, as they make the gaming experience feel smoother for me.
The fact that there is no loading screen when switching areas within the map is a huge improvement for me. When I picked up an older title from the series again, the familiar clumsiness frustrated me a little.
The Master Rank should now bring the ultimate challenge
This is the Master Rank: In Monster Hunter World, the difficulty of the quests is determined by the Hunter Rank, which players increase gradually. The final and hardest stage is the Master Rank, formerly known as G-Rank. Here, the monsters are faster, stronger, have new attacks, and possess more health.
The challenging Master Rank is now introduced with the Iceborne DLC. It is the great hope of veteran hunters who have felt underwhelmed so far. But it should also represent a significant increase in difficulty for the newly acquired “casual player.”
This is how I experienced the Master Rank: Capcom invited various media representatives to an event where we could play the full version for five hours. Here I played a few quests in Master Rank, for which we were provided with high-quality equipment and a fully packed item box.
This was my first hunt in Master Rank against Beotodus
On my first quest, I encountered a Beotodus, a completely new monster. It lives in the new area, the Raureif expanse, and moves almost undetected through the winter landscape. The wyvern “swims” under the snow cover and attacks from ambush.
The Beotodus had one thing above all: health! Even though I significantly increased my attack with items, I had to beat on the monster for quite a long time until it was finally down. Dodging its attacks is learned quickly, as they also resemble those of the already known Jyuratodus, which attacks from the mud.
After I had slain the Beotodus after almost an hour, it was on to the Banbaro, a monster that resembles a Canadian moose. It has some funny moves when it picks up rocks with its antlers and hurls them at you. Here, the knee-deep snow can also be a real problem, as you cannot run away as nimbly.
New tools, new ease?
This is the new Clutch Claw: The tool is an extension of the slinger, allowing hunters to pull themselves directly to monsters. It can even target the monster’s weak points and hit them hard.
While it is already possible in the base game to jump onto monsters, this requires quite a bit of practice with most weapons.
This is why these tools could be seen as “too easy”: Targeting with the Clutch Claw requires some skill, as you need to properly judge distance and speed. But once you get the hang of it, you can pull yourself to the monster easily. The beast can be targeted much more effectively if the weak point is, for example, the leg.
Additionally, there is also the “Recoil Shot,” which can be used to keep monsters at a distance. This gives you the time to sip a healing potion or sharpen your weapon.
Yes, this sparked the thought in me that complaints would arise saying that the Master Rank would be too easy. I find these new mechanics to be a relief, but a welcome one.
This is why I like the new Clutch Claw so much: The tool simply brings something refreshingly new to Monster Hunter World. I had a lot of fun hooking into the body parts of monsters, riding on them, and working them from the side, above, and below.
The Clutch Claw adds more dynamism to the otherwise rather static game. There are weapons that made it easy to jump on monsters before, especially the Insect Glaive. But now anyone can jump on monsters with any weapon, and that brings me a lot of joy in the game.
Challenger Viper Tobi Kadachi enters the ring
This monster raises the difficulty: The first time I realized that I was in Master Rank was with the Viper Tobi Kadachi. This monster is a subspecies of the known Tobi and attacks with poison instead of electricity.
If the Viper Tobi caught me with its poisonous tail, my health went away quickly. The other monsters before required time but didn’t really make me sweat.
Unfortunately, my five hours with Iceborne were up before I could take down the Viper Tobi. I was really looking forward to getting a few hits in until I got the hang of dealing with the agile monster.
The question of ease surrounding Iceborne
Why do I actually ask myself this question? The difficulty of Monster Hunter World has been much discussed in the community – also in my own hunting circles. I believe this is simply a question that interests many.
On the one hand, players who have long been familiar with the franchise need to be catered to. On the other hand, there is a large mass of players who have come to know and love the franchise with Monster Hunter World. You do not want to scare anyone away with gameplay that is too easy or too hard.
Iceborne is supposed to represent the new Master Rank hurdle. I am just sure that this discussion about ease will flare up again. I am aware that after five hours of playtime, I cannot answer this question. Too many monsters are still unexplored for me.
This is how I assess the matter now: I consider myself to be among the moderately skilled players. I am the casual player who is fully engaged in professional life and only has limited time to play.
I prefer everything that brings variety, like this new Clutch Claw, to a monster that is overly challenging.
From my first impression, the difficulty seems just right for my type of player. However, I can imagine that the veteran player may still find it too easy. But this is a common problem that many gamers face.
Iceborne is a winter fairy tale
This was my highlight: Away from the discussion about mechanics and difficulty, Iceborne is definitely stunningly beautiful. The snowy landscape is simply a winter fairy tale. It’s no wonder that fans of the series longed for a winter map.
I am particularly impressed by the reflections in the scales of the monsters that sparkle like ice crystals above the snow. The winter map is mirrored in the monsters. Visually, it is simply breathtaking.
The new monsters from Iceborne in the video
Our colleagues from GameStar and GamePro were also on-site and created a video from the new material. Here you can see the newly shown subspecies like the Coral Pukei Pukei in action:
When is the release of Monster Hunter World: Iceborne? The expansion will be released on September 6, 2019, for PS4 and Xbox One. All further information, including price and content, can be found in our extensive Iceborne overview.
