When Capcom announced that the massive DLC expansion Monster Hunter World: Iceborne was getting a beta this weekend for PlayStation Plus subscribers, I was stoked. I am a massive fan of the base game, with nearly 200 hours clocked in so far. With Iceborne being one of my most anticipated launches of the year, I was very excited at the prospect of being able to fight new monsters with some of the new, more user-friendly features that Iceborne brings to the table.

Iceborne’s beta is an exclusive for PlayStation Plus users until June 24th. It will open up to all players on June 28th and end on July 1st. The beta brings in a host of new features for you to sink your teeth into, including three monsters to fight, all with their own difficulty modes. The beasts include the Great Jagras (Beginner level), Banbaro (Intermediate level) a newcomer to the Monster Hunter franchise, and a returning monster known as the Tigrex (Expert level). Along with these monsters, Iceborne also brings the new Slinger upgrade called the “Clutch Claw,” a look at new armor sets, and even new rideable mounts.

I put around three hours into Iceborne’s beta and fought both solo and in the multiplayer mode. Everything ran smoothly and there were no connection issues, but that’s to be expected. The base game, Monster Hunter World, has some extremely solid servers with little to no connection or lag issues (at least in my experience). Being a fan of the base game, I have already found my main weapon, so I didn’t feel the need to try out the other 13 weapons that the game offers with this expansion.

A new and honestly a very welcomed feature that Iceborne is bringing, is the ability to use your Slinger with your weapon drawn. In Monster Hunter World, Slingers are a hunter tool that allows you to shoot different forms of ammunition that have different effects; depending on which ammo you pick up. Having to put away your weapon, load and use the Slinger, then draw your weapon again like in the base game, could take up precious time and put you at a slight disadvantage in a fight.

Another very welcomed change to the Slinger is an upgrade called the “Clutch Claw.” This upgrade makes it so that your Slinger is essentially a hook shot that allows you to grapple onto the head or tail of a monster, or clutch on the tail. This will make serving it much easier and will make tail carving a much easier process than before. If you clutch on the head, you can change the direction of the monster and ram it into the wall to stun it. All of these features add an extra layer to combat that will make fights deeper and more strategic than before.

Now Monster Hunter has always been known for not only its big fights but also its charm; and with the new mounts Iceborne gives us, it adds even more charm somehow. Tailraiders are animal companions that will assist you out in the world and very soon we will be able to ride the sweet creatures. While riding the animals you can still harvest materials and consume items, this is just a faster way to get around the world and make exploring a bit more stylish.

All of these features have gotten me so excited, but they wouldn’t mean much without the monster fights. Each fight felt different and got my adrenaline pumping. Newcomer Banbaro will charge you with its horns and pick up balls filled with ice, rocks, and snow. This attack will give you mere seconds to dodge out of the way to safety. Tigrex was the hardest monster and took me a few tries to beat, just so I could study its fast-moving attack patterns.

All three missions are playable in multiplayer; there are few things better in gaming then the feeling of teaming up with three other people, to take down a massive beast. Having played all the missions solo, replaying them again in multiplayer was always fun and exhilarating. It never felt bland or monotonous.

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is on my list of most anticipated games of 2019 and come September 6th I will be neck-deep in all the new weapons, armor sets, monster fights, and most importantly of all, the new Master rank difficulty. With all the new features and monsters to fight, I can see players spending hundreds of more hours in the world of Astera.

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