Fighting a monster is probably one of the most basic and simple things we've done in plenty of other games and imagined doing as kids. Here though, that simplistic idea comes to life in the fullest extent. There is a plethora of monsters ranging from the timid herbivore to a very agile electric squirrel the size of a pickup truck and then you have these towering beasts that radiate malice and death with their presence alone. Let's hop aboard the nearest ship setting sail for the New World as we find out if MH:W hides in the shadows out of fear, or if it stands proudly with a triumphant roar.
MH: World begins with creating your hunter as well as your palico, which is your cat buddy that comes along with you. After that's completed, our character is sailing to a new continent known as, the New World where strange events are occurring and the Hunter's Guild wants this latest fleet filled with hunters and researchers to get some answers. Things kick off pretty quickly as the ship rocks and shifts unnaturally and our hunter and a woman known as, the Handler tumble out of the ship and discover they've landed atop a monster the size of small island. The pair quickly make their way off the mountainous beast and manage to safely reach the New World but there are dangers they must navigate through before safety is reached in, Astera.
Upon reaching civilization, we're quickly introduced to all the different people and places we'll be interacting with. A smithy to forge new weapons and armor, a small plot where a farm can be utilized to gain materials, and an eatery where a muscular palico and his team effortlessly work away to cook delicious and helpful meals. Our own palico is reunited with us and the Handler and our hunter forge a partnership where she'll gather useful information about the monsters out in the field, while we do what our title implies... we hunt.
Just before we talk about the hunts and the monsters, I feel like we should take a quick moment to discuss the tools we'll be using. Your primary tool will of course be your weapon and World hosts 14 weapon types you can use at your leisure. Each weapon has something to offer; the greatsword may be cumbersome and slow at first but it hits like nothing else, the insect glaive meanwhile offers amazing mobility along with the use of an insect capable of gathering buffs for you, the heavy bowgun allows you to attack the monsters from a distance with a wide variety of ammo types to apply a swath of status ailments. Frankly I could write an essay about each weapon and their pros and cons but I think it's far better if you experiment yourself and find a weapon or two that feel right, that feel good to use, a weapon you'd like to grow with.
Some additional tools we can use to help with our hunts is our slinger, a wrist-mounted launcher that can utilize various things like stones or flashpods. The slinger can be used to create new opportunities like dropping hanging rocks atop a monster, using the flashpods to blind the beast, or chucking some poo in a monsters face if you'd like it to just leave. We also have traps we can set to either stop the monster for a moment or to offer us a chance to capture the target, but there are some monsters that can't be captured, and some that won't be hampered by such trivial mechanisms. Perhaps the most useful tool we have is our journal which can offer us more information about the monsters we hunt like; where they reside, the weak spots and what ailments they're most affected by, even how we can obtain specific parts from the monsters.
Now, let's talk about the absolute stars of World, the monsters themselves. We begin our hunter's journey by hunting some of the simpler and less dangerous beasts like the Great Jagras, a giant iguana that travels with smaller jagras and a Pukei-Pukei, a monster capable of flight and inflicting poison. While these monsters are weaker, they are still excellent aides in teaching us how to begin in watching and learning a monster's movements and understanding they can hurt us in ways that aren't just simply with brute force. Pretty quickly, we're allowed to move about the rest of the continent as we come to understand our hunting grounds aren't just in the jungle, they stretch to a sandy desert with rocky caverns below, a beautiful and mystifying coral landscape where water once reigned, a dark and unwelcoming underground area where monsters large and small go to die.
Each area we visit provides us with more and more species of monsters to get introduced to. The desert introduces us to the reigning king of these lands, a dual horned burrowing monster known as, Diablos. Bewitched by the coral's beauty and spectacle gives way to a blue-winged beast that gracefully flies from area to area, Legiana. Then there's the awful death filled caverns where a beast with dark red skin and dozens of razor-sharp claws and teeth lie in wait, Odogaron. These are just some examples of what you'll find and there's plenty more, some are less threatening than others, while other monsters are far more dangerous than you know. Nearly every fight is enjoyable as each monster has it's own unique way of fighting and techniques it can use to thwart you. I say nearly because there will likely be one or two monsters you probably just don't like to fight and that's okay as it's different for everyone and not every monster fight is going to be perfect.
While those monsters already mentioned are formidable in their own right, soon you may be looking for a greater challenge and very soon you'll have it. As you've been roaming across the continent, you've been doing it in hopes of understanding and stopping the goliath monster now known as, Zorah Magdaros. This pursuit forces us into encounters with a new type of monsters, designated as, elder dragons, monsters known to be on an entire other level than other monsters due to their overwhelming strength and mastery of elements. The first elder and World's flagship monster, Nergigante makes its appearance and swiftly demonstrates it's fearsome power. Other elder dragons begin to emerge and must be dealt with such as a beast resembling a gigantic lion with leathery wings with command over fire or another elder that appears to be a rotting corpse that can spew a potent, gray haze that will quickly eat away at your health if not carefully maintained.
As the monsters' strength grows and changes, so to does your own. Perhaps the most external knowledge of that growth comes from your equipment. With each successful hunt comes rewards both monetarily but more importantly, monster parts. With enough parts and materials, the smithy can craft a wide-assortment of ever improving weapons and armor. The armor can come with a wide amount of skills that can alter and enhance your general skills and provide new ones. For example, some of the simpler (but useful) skills will increase your attack power, extend your I-frames (invincibility frames) for rolls, or give your weapon attacks a greater likelihood to land critical hits. Then there's other skills that can; nullify a monster's roar, preventing weapon sharpness upon landing critical hits, or even regaining your own health upon successful attacks. There's a whole plethora of skills and different ways to combine and use them but there in lies the beauty of this system as you have a lot of flexibility in what skills you wish to utilize.
Getting the correct parts and crafting a set of armor, skills, and weapons is it's own journey. Certain parts are more rare than others and you can be at the game's mercy as you wish for the right parts to unveil themselves. This creates a pleasant cycle where you'll hunt, gather pieces, forge new equipment and repeat dozen of times. I know it might sound tedious but frankly you'll hardly notice you've hunted the same foe a dozen times because things keep improving for you. Your mastery with your weapon steadily grows, you'll discover new chances to capitalize on openings the monsters didn't know they were offering, and the simple joy of dominating a hunt not through power but knowledge continues to blossom.
The story of MH: World brings itself to an end as we fight a monster that may or may not be of this world and our task seems completed. While the story does end there, there are still plenty more hunts to embark on and World also brought with it some new monster too. Perhaps the most notable being a titan of green with a burning hunger that can never be sated, the pick- I mean, the Deviljho. This beast and plenty others make for wonderful additions to the roster and provide new weapons and armor. Besides new monsters, World does offer greater challenge with new hunts with monsters labeled as, tempered. These monsters are much stronger than their normal variant and offer greater rewards as well, but make no mistake as the danger has never been higher.
Just for a quick word about the achievements before we wrap this up. Most of the achievements are gotten normally by plaything through the story and by partaking in everything the game has to offer. The most difficult achievements to get reside with the crown hunting for each monster (only the monsters released with the game count, not those included with updates). You must get a gold crown for both the largest and smallest of each monster, excluding a couple that have a set size. This task largely comes to pure chance, there are some special quests that have guaranteed crowns but unfortunately this is only for a handful of monsters. Do know this can take dozens upon dozens of hunts as the size of the monster is always different and can be very time consuming.
Monster Hunter: World is a real gem of a game that only shines brighter the more time and effort you put into it. While the beginning can feel overbearing and at times, insurmountable... if you stick with it you'll discover just how rewarding this game can be. There's fun little side things you can besides hunting monsters that I haven't even had the chance to mention like; fishing, gathering endemic life to act as pets in your house, and dressing and petting your own little poogie. World is an excellent place for anyone looking to start their hunter's journey as it's where I started mine and I only regret not getting into the series sooner. I sincerely say to answer the call, grab you palico, and come join the hunt as it's a journey you'll never knew you wanted and one you'll wish would never end once you begin.
(Icebourne DLC Addition to be Added Soon!)
5.0