Many gamers in this country only became aware of the franchise with the announcement of Monster Hunter World . The action RPG has a passionate and loyal fanbase and is particularly successful in Japan. What fascinates fans so much about monster hunting?
Monster Hunter is an action RPG by Capcom, in which you take on the role of a hunter who conquers dangerous creatures. The first title in the franchise was released in 2004 on the PlayStation 2 in Japan.
Since then, over 40 million copies have been sold worldwide – nearly 80% of sales occurred in Japan. There, Monster Hunter is considered one of the most successful series of all time, while it remained a niche game for many in the West.
Experts cite the steep learning curve and the fact that most “Monster Hunter” titles have been released almost exclusively on handheld consoles as reasons for this. These were never as popular in the West as home consoles or PCs.
This could change with Monster Hunter World, as the title is being released on mainstream consoles and PCs for the first time since 2004. Monster Hunter World will be released worldwide on January 26 for the PS4 and Xbox One. The PC version will follow later.
Monster Hunter Explained – How the Action RPG Works
With the upcoming release on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, interest in Monster Hunter World is currently high even in the West.
This is how Monster Hunter works at a glance:
- You take on the role of a monster hunter who protects people from dangerous creatures.
- The goal is to become the best hunter and continuously improve.
- You complete quests with different objectives, such as collecting items, combining objects, hunting or capturing monsters.
- You undertake quests alone or in a group of up to 4 players .
- A quest usually must be completed within 50 minutes, or it is considered failed.
- In quests, you receive materials, such as bones, hides, teeth, scales, or ores. You use these to craft weapons and armor or to upgrade them.
- The cost of crafting weapons and equipment increases continuously and materials become rarer.
- Those who successfully complete a quest receive rewards. The value of the reward takes into account how difficult the task was and how successfully you completed it. If you faint or take too much time, the rewards are reduced. A reward can consist of money (Zenny), hunter rank points, or items.
- You have time to prepare before each quest and can take appropriate weapons, traps, or healing potions.
- In addition to weapons and equipment, crafting potions or similar items is also an important component.
Monster Hunter World Gameplay – Epic Battles in a Realistic Ecosystem
The gameplay of Monster Hunter seems quite simple at first, and it essentially is. You go on one quest after another, defeating dangerous monsters or collecting items.
But it’s not that easy: every battle in Monster Hunter can be regarded as an epic boss battle in an MMORPG. The creatures have phases and specific behavior patterns.
Monster Hunter conveys a realistic sense of hunting. The monsters do not have health bars. Instead, they flee when they are badly injured. In Monster Hunter World, there will also be no health bars. However, you can tell if you’re dealing significant or minor damage through an indicator.
As a hunter, you need to learn the behavior patterns of the various monsters. You must know:
- How the individual creatures attack and move
- What their weaknesses are – these can be body parts or elemental weaknesses
- What signs of exhaustion are. If the monsters start to pant or drool, you’re on the right track.
A clear sign that a monster is near its end is limping. If the creature is struggling to move away from you, it’s time for the final blow.
The further you progress, the more strategic you must be
At the beginning of the game, it is enough to grab a weapon and hit the monster. You start with smaller creatures that you can defeat without tools.
The further you progress in Monster Hunter, the larger, more dangerous, and trickier the monsters become. You will need to use all means at your disposal to have a chance against the monsters. You can use things like:
- Traps
- Flash bombs
- Bombs
- Poison
- Elemental damage
- Your environment (exploding frogs, vines, secret caves, etc.)
- Tranquilizers
Sometimes it’s a smarter strategy to leave a monster alive and just stun it. This way, you can often receive a higher or specific reward.
There are plenty of ways to take down a monster. Which strategy you choose is entirely up to you. There is no right or wrong way.
14 weapon classes allow different play styles – have their own skill tree
There are a total of 14 different weapon classes that will also appear in Monster Hunter World.
The weapons can be upgraded and equipped with effects such as fire, water, thunder, sleep, or poison. They can also deal higher attack damage or trigger better defense through enhancements. The same applies to armor.
The weapon classes are balanced so that you can freely choose which type you want to hunt with. No weapon class is “the best” or particularly weak. You can adjust your strategy as it feels best for you. Some might be better with the heavy hammer, while others prefer the swift dual blades.
All weapon classes have their own skill tree, which you can develop according to your preferences.
Monster Hunter has a deep crafting system for weapons, armor & items
With each new monster you slay, you receive materials from which you can forge weapons and armor. The stronger the monsters, the stronger the equipment. If you want to have complete sets, you need to farm specific monsters repeatedly.
An important role is also played by the long list of items that need to be crafted. Especially against stronger monsters, it is impossible to do without items. To do this, you need to collect various materials such as mushrooms, stones, berries, or fish on the map.
What you can take on the hunt is shown in this item extract:
- Healing potions
- Poisoned meat
- Stun meat
- Antidote
- Herbal medicine
- Dung bomb
- Smoke bomb
- Demon flute
To craft these items, you must first know the recipes. You can learn them randomly by mixing things until something comes out. However, some can also be purchased or received as rewards.
Those who play Monster Hunter are drawn to the combat system & crafting
Monster Hunter is referred to as an action RPG, but for an RPG, it has very little story. Epic monster battles and the gameplay itself have always been at the forefront.
Most players are drawn to the elaborate combat system in a realistic environment. The constant grind for better equipment and the discovery of new combat strategies is what makes it appealing.
If you’re expecting a deep RPG with Monster Hunter World, you’re definitely in the wrong place. Capcom has announced that there will be more lore in Monster Hunter World than in previous installments. However, they aim to keep the focus on the combat system.
The detailed world and the intelligent monsters are intended to support the gameplay and convey a realistic hunting experience.
Are you a “Monster Hunter” veteran? Then tell us in the comments what the franchise means to you.
