Monster Hunter World (PC, PS4, Xbox One) was playable for the first time at Gamescom. Our author Leya seized the opportunity and set out to track down the Anjanath to slay the beast. As a veteran of the Monster Hunter series, she was thrilled by the seamless maps and the innovations like the Scout Flies. Read here her first impressions.
Monster Hunter World is an action RPG where players take on the role of a monster hunter and slay beasts in epic battles. The titles can be played alone or cooperatively with up to 4 players.
At the core are a skill-based leveling and a deep crafting system for armor, weapons, and traps. To become the ultimate hunter, players embark on quests, where they must fight through different regions and a realistic ecosystem.
The franchise is incredibly popular in Japan and is mainly played on handheld consoles. Although the series has sold over 40 million copies worldwide, the success of Monster Hunter has primarily been limited to Asia.
That is about to change. Capcom is bringing Monster Hunter World to the West and releasing the title here on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
At Gamescom, I played Monster Hunter World on the PS4 and I am simply blown away. I have fallen in love with the franchise all over again and am excited about the innovations.
Monster Hunter captivates with epic battles and a deep crafting system
I played Monster Hunter earlier on the handheld console and simply enjoyed the series. My last title was Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, which was released in 2015 on the 3DS in Europe.
Monster Hunter captivated me from the very first hour. I liked the epic, long battles with the creatures, which strongly resemble MMORPG boss fights. Collectors and looters like me will be fully satisfied here. Because Monster Hunter has a deep crafting system which requires various materials from the environment and from the monsters.
The franchise does not focus on a deep story and concentrates on pure gameplay and crafting. This will remain the case in World.
In a quiet chamber, Monster Hunter World was waiting for me – I had been excited for days to finally test the new part of the action RPG. Now it was tangible on the PS4 and a large TV in 4K before me.
Monster Hunter World feels “livelier” due to new features than its predecessors
I could choose whether to start a beginner quest or one for veterans. I felt confident in the saddle and started the difficult one. It took me directly to the mission where you have to slay the Anjanath. This is the quest that Capcom introduced us to in its first gameplay video of Monster Hunter World.
With the classic and cumbersome “Great Sword”, I set out to slay the Anjanath.
Monster Hunter World brings some crucial changes compared to its predecessors:
- Scout Flies that track monsters for the hunter.
- Action-based weapons such as guns and grappling hooks
- Direct rewards in gameplay such as the stealth cloak
- The environment is dynamic and can be used
- Seamless maps, the areas are no longer interrupted by a loading screen
Many veterans of the franchise feared that Monster Hunter would be “dumbed down” for the West due to these new features.
Except for the action-based weapons, I was able to experience and feel all these changes. I noticed nothing of a dumbing down of the game. The new features have merely added more dynamism to Monster Hunter and made the gameplay even more exciting.
The feeling of a living and breathing ecosystem in which I move as a player is supported by the innovations. The world feels much freer and more open than that of its predecessors, which indeed gives a sense of “open world”.
I was not pulled out of the gameplay flow by any annoying loading screens and could interact with the world around me. There are little plants or creatures everywhere that you can use for your benefit. Frogs that explode and stun, or explosive plants that blind can cause troubles for the monsters.
Scout Flies track the Anjanath for me – It has never been easier to track a monster
The Scout Flies are probably the biggest change of the franchise alongside the seamless maps. The little green insects buzz around the world and find my monster. As a hunter, I have to analyze footprints or, in the case of the Anjanath, the slime trails it leaves everywhere.
As soon as I find and analyze a footprint, the flies gain experience points and can even level up. To obtain particularly strong Scout Flies, I must examine as many trails as possible. This way, the flies learn and find the creatures faster and easier.
The flies lead me from one trail to another and I can simply follow them. I have never tracked a creature in any Monster Hunter so relaxed. In the older installments, you had to mark the monsters with color bombs and faced a lengthy and tedious process. The monster could escape to any area and the color would fade after a while.
This change feels strange as a veteran at first, and I wondered: “Is this too easy for a Monster Hunter title?” However, after a while of reflecting on this way of tracking, I found my enjoyment in the flies.
They lead me through different areas, gave me focus, and how much I deviate from their trail and explore on my own is ultimately up to me.
Tracking the monsters is more relaxed through the flies and takes less time during the hunt. I actually liked that.
The battle with the Anjanath felt real due to the seamless maps
I followed my flies for a while and eventually arrived in a cave where I found a sleeping creature before me: the Anjanath.
Here I could have chosen different strategies to tackle the fight. For instance, I could have thrown a net on it to restrain it.
But since I had my big, clumsy sword with me, I decided on the following: surprise the Anjanath in its sleep and just hit it! This made the beast quite angry, and it grabbed me directly in its large mouth and tossed me to the ground.
As an iron hunter, however, I was not deterred and continued to hit the monster with various weapon combos. At some point, the Anjanath had probably had enough and walked away. Because in Monster Hunter, the creatures behave realistically and run away when they are more severely injured.
The Scout Flies buzzed again to show me the way to the Anjanath. I ran after it through tight tunnels and grass. Tried to catch it again and hit it.
Meanwhile, the controls felt clumsy and static, as you would expect from Monster Hunter. However, thanks to the seamless maps, the chase was super exciting and faster than I was used to from the older titles.
It felt real.
Monster Hunter World will excite many hunters in the West – both veterans and beginners
Unfortunately, my time with Monster Hunter World was limited at Gamescom. I had not even had the opportunity to test the 14 weapon types and the sophisticated crafting system.
Nonetheless, I am convinced that Monster Hunter World will be the strongest title of the franchise so far. All the changes tailored for the West support the feeling of a breathing ecosystem, and the hunts feel as real as never before. Even if the Scout Flies seemed too simple to me at first, they fit into the overall concept.
I have only seen a small part and cannot judge whether tracking the monsters throughout the game is associated with other – new – challenges.
These changes could indeed help beginners ease into the game but do not take away from the depth of the game.
Because the battles remain highly complex, the monsters act differently, and you must learn their weaknesses. The environment is much livelier and gives you new opportunities to engage your brain. Because through the interactive plants and animals, completely new strategies arise.
I am excited after the trial and look forward even more to the release. Monster Hunter World will be released before the end of March 2018 on PS4 and Xbox. The PC version will be a bit later.
What about you? Are you looking forward to Monster Hunter World, or does the hunt leave you cold?
