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By: Ellalaine Sagarin
By: Ellalaine Sagarin
There are many video game series that almost everyone will know. If you mention Mario, Assassin’s Creed, or Minecraft, most people will understand what you are talking about, even if they don’t know the specifics. These paragons of gaming are foundations, instrumental in both their own brand-recognition as well as their effects on other games. After playing some of the series, it is my firm recommendation that Monster Hunter become the next of these great titles- a ‘household name’ for video games as a whole.
Monster Hunter is a franchise of games that mainly feature the player hunting the titular beasts. These “Monsters” are one of the most interesting parts of the game thanks to their impressive variety and exciting abilities. They can be as simple as a giant, raging bull or as unique as a jester-like owl with the ability to put opponents to sleep. Each beast is different from the others, with their own attacks, weaknesses, abilities, and ecology. This is another highlight of the series: the world is made to feel vividly real and interesting. These monsters have reasons they appear the way they do that allows them to thrive in the different ecosystems you travel through as each game progresses. Endemic life, non-hostile beasts, plants, and mining outcrops also fill up the varied places you visit, allowing for resource collection while you hunt down your target. In some of the later games, interactions between the monsters and the environment became even more important, as you can sometimes use sticky mud pits or giant falling rocks to your advantage in tough battles.
The monsters of the game are one of it’s most endearing aspects, but that is only half of these titles: you as the player star as the Hunter, and it’s your duty to help the ecosystem by keeping these powerful beasts in check. These games are light on story and characterization, so you can imagine the hunter as pretty much anyone. There are 14 different weapons or ‘classes’ to pick and craft, ranging from an oversized Greatsword to the evasive Light Bowgun. After you hunt a monster, you can gather it’s materials such as fins, feathers, or pelts, along with ores and other natural materials to forge new, more powerful armor sets and weapons.
This is the game’s core gameplay loop: hunt, craft, and hunt again, stronger and more prepared than before. Quests in the game are varied, ranging from just hunting a beast or capturing it to gathering specific parts, finding certain places, or delivering items. The difficulty is challenging but well-balanced, with the tougher monsters scaling naturally as you upgrade your items. Inventory management does take its toll, but crafting and collecting is simple enough so that it never seems tedious.
The monsters of the game are one of it’s most endearing aspects, but that is only half of these titles: you as the player star as the Hunter, and it’s your duty to help the ecosystem by keeping these powerful beasts in check. These games are light on story and characterization, so you can imagine the hunter as pretty much anyone. There are 14 different weapons or ‘classes’ to pick and craft, ranging from an oversized Greatsword to the evasive Light Bowgun. After you hunt a monster, you can gather it’s materials such as fins, feathers, or pelts, along with ores and other natural materials to forge new, more powerful armor sets and weapons. This is the game’s core gameplay loop: hunt, craft, and hunt again, stronger and more prepared than before. Quests in the game are varied, ranging from just hunting a beast or capturing it to gathering specific parts, finding certain places, or delivering items. The difficulty is challenging but well-balanced, with the tougher monsters scaling naturally as you upgrade your items. Inventory management does take its toll, but crafting and collecting is simple enough so that it never seems tedious.
The game series has been going on since 2004, and new releases are still on the table coming soon. The most recent title, Monster Hunter World, was widely acclaimed for being much more beginner-friendly and brought a lot of quality of life changes to the previously convoluted series. It also had a massive DLC expansion, Iceborn, which brought in even more content- including new and exciting beasts. This game is available on Steam for computers, Playstation, and Xbox, however, it’s graphics are somewhat demanding and may require some processing power. Sadly, Nintendo fans, this iteration never came to Switch, however, the previous installment, Monster Hunter Generations, did. This game is not as graphically polished and does contain some of the old-school complications, but is still a worthy title and worth a play.
The next game in this long-running series is Monster Hunter Rise, which is coming March 26th of next year1. This edition will be coming to Switch and features several new gameplay mechanics, such as the ‘Wirebug’, which allows for advanced traversal options. Some of the updates introduced in the World will also make a comeback, such as fully-connected areas without loading zones between them. Another new feature is a new ally to bring on hunts, the Palamute. In previous titles, the Palico, an intelligent cat-like creature, has assisted you, but now the dog-like Palamutes will also be able to help. Many of the new monsters already revealed are inspired by certain Japanese spirits called Yokai, such as the ferocious crane Aknosom or the Kappa-inspired Tetranadon.
All in all, this game, no matter what version, is an absolute must-play for any fans of combat or just interesting monster design. It is one of my personal favorites, and it would be a joy to see more people around the school and the city playing these games, as they don’t get enough love. The series might not work for everyone, though, so don’t take this recommendation as a cure-all for people wanting something new to play.
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