Monster Hunter is a long-running franchise that first made its appearance in 2004 on the PlayStation 2. Since then, it has made a name for itself in Japan. Interestingly enough, the series never got much recognition in the west until it came to the current generation of consoles back in 2018. Since then I have played over 130 hours and with the newest DLC expansion Iceborne now available, there’s no better time to hop on the hunting train than right now.

I first heard of Monster Hunter right when Monster Hunter 4 was being released. I heard all about the hunting and grinding and always thought “Oh hey this could be a fun experience”  but there was one thing that deterred me; and it was such a small and petty reason that I wouldn’t pick the game up. Due to me being fairly particular at the time about what I wanted and didn’t want in a product, I didn’t want to play Monster Hunter because the enemies did not have health bars.

Yes, I know how bad this statement sounds, and I have since gotten over this “Issue”. Now flash forward five years and we see the release of Monster Hunter: World. At that time I was looking for a game that would show my hard work and dedication off to other players in the world. It just so happens that Monster Hunter would supply me with just what I was looking for.

Monster Hunter: World has blown up over the last year and has since become Capcom’s best selling game to date, and for good reason. Monster Hunter: World has some of the most satisfying gameplay loops I have ever encountered in any game.

A quick rundown for all those who aren’t familiar with the Monster Hunter series. The games normally centers around your hunter and your trusty cat sidekick known as a Palico. You are tasked with tracking and hunting monsters to build weapons and armor, then you hunt more monsters to upgrade your gear to take down even tougher and bigger monsters. Of course, Monster Hunter gets much more complicated when charms, armor skills, and layered armor sets come into play, but by then you should have the basics down and be ready to take on the end game.

Now, it should be said that Monster Hunter puts an emphasis on cooperative play with three other players, however, that does not mean that the developers over at Capcom have neglected the single-player experience. I myself soloed the majority of the main story and if I had any difficulty I would just shoot up an SOS flare that would summon other players to my aid, rather than try and find three friends to try and play with. The SOS flare makes some of Monster Hunters’ biggest challenges and monsters a little more digestible for newcomers and veterans alike.

Gameplay, as I mentioned before, is centered around mastering one of the 14 weapon types. Each and every one offers players a different way to play and requires different strategies depending on what monster you are fighting and which weapon you are using. I mainly played with the bow so taking down flying enemies posed no problem for me, though if you play as let’s say a hammer user you may have a bit more difficulty taking down those winged foes. That is where the slinger comes into play.

Every hunter is equipped with a slinger. The slinger allows players to load it with different ammunition that will help ground monsters or even stun them. In the Iceborne expansion, the slinger has a whole other use that makes mounting and taking down monsters a tad bit easier. You can now use a grappling feature that when used properly can help soften up parts like tails to slice and even help stun the biggest of threats.

Monster Hunter is a deep RPG that allows players to customize hundreds of armor sets with a myriad of skills that are all upgrade-able and can be mixed and matched. For example, my build currently is using two different armor sets that not only allows a chance at restoring health with every hit, but also has a chance to not waste an arrow coating when I shoot. This is just a starter build as I have just scratched the surface of the technical complexities that are armor and weapon builds.

Almost everything in Monster Hunter is polished to a T and I have experienced little to no lag, lobby dropping, crashes or any real big bug or glitch; so on a technical aspect, I would say that Monster Hunter: World has no problems in this area.

My biggest complaint would have to be the story. The story here is pretty bland and forgettable though the cinematic cut scenes introducing new monsters can be jaw-dropping at times. I found myself skipping much of the story dialogue and I find that the same issues persist in Iceborne as well.

Now that Iceborne has been released, you can go over to your local EB Games (Gamestop) and for $60 you can pick up a dual pack of Monster Hunter: World that includes the $50 Iceborne expansion. Now a word of warning for newcomers, If you do plan on playing Monster Hunter and pick up this dual pack please be advised that you can only start the DLC content after you finish the main story. Iceborne starts you off in Master Rank which is a step above High rank and you will need everything you have learned about the game so far.

Monster Hunter: World and its expansion Iceborne are a great experience for any hardcore RPG fan. If you find yourself looking for a game that will keep you occupied for hundreds of hours, a game where you play in between Destiny 2 or Fortnite or if you want a game that will challenge you and reward you for your efforts; Monster Hunter: World shouldn’t be missed.

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