Here we are, on the final beta of Monster Hunter World and the second part of my Novice Hunter’s Journal. I’m going to be square with you guys; these games have never clicked with me. I own the original Monster Hunter for PS2. Tried it, sucked at it, didn’t give it a second thought. I was much younger at the time, and did not have the patience required for the game, honestly. I tried Monster Hunter Tri (no pun intended). I loved the graphical improvements, but hated the control scheme. Eventually , Monster Hunter 4 U would release stateside, with a wealth of downloadable content and the promise of online multiplayer. I spent a good 30 hours on it, and really enjoyed what I played. Eventually, I would run into an obstacle; one with a steel trap for a jaw. I tried to take down the Tetsucabra about 14 times, to no avail. I found myself running out of time, or being killed very quickly. Ultimately, I sold the game while the value was still very high. I simply did not want to spend time grinding equipment staring at a small 3DS screen.
EVERYTHING CHANGED when Capcom announced Monster Hunter World for PS4 and PC. Finally, a return to Playstation controllers, televisions, and high fidelity graphics! Now that I’m several years older and wiser, and a billion times more patient, I can appreciate the deliberate, thoughtful pace that Monster Hunter expects you to fight with. The beta does an excellent job of showing you the ropes as you go, so I don’t anticipate an excruciatingly long “beginner island.” The inclusion of scoutflies simplifies my least favorite part of the game: tracking monsters. If one of your squad members has already located the target, your scoutflies will simply blaze a trail right to the battlefield. If not, your scoutflies will lead you to clues like footprints and droppings that allow you to efficiently track the beast while reducing guesswork. Following monsters has never been less of a chore either do to the effective removal of zones. Now, your party can roam the entire quest map without running into a loading screen, which is pretty impressive considering the fact that a lot of the environment is destructible.
Quality of life improvements are plentiful. You can still cycle through your items by pressing a button, but now you can open an item wheel as well and choose your items much more quickly with an analog stick. The revamped HUD includes an unobtrusive list of weapon-specific moves to reference, and the list updates in real-time as you move through your combo ladder, so even novice Hunters like myself can learn combos with high damage potential without having to do too much outside research. Speaking of weapons, I only tested the Dual Blades, Long Sword and Insect Glaive. All of these weapons were fun to play with and felt pretty balanced. One thing I noticed during my online sessions was the prevalence of the Charge Blade. I’m not sure if it’s just a fan favorite, or the most powerful weapon in game…we’ll find out when I give the beta one last go around before it shuts down.
All-in-all, the beta was a tremendously positive experience and has sold me completely. To anyone that has ever had even the slightest bit of curiosity in the Monster Hunter series, now is the time to give it a shot because it has become more accessible than ever. The beta remains open until 9 PM EST for PS4 only, and the game releases worldwide this week, touching down in the U.S. on the 26th.
天国の気味HEAVEN'S FEEL 