Monster Hunter World Review (PS4) – A Whole New World

A bright future is ahead for the Monster Hunter franchise. Finally escaping the handheld limitations, Monster Hunter World not only feels better to play with the slew of modern controls, but a lot of the pointlessly complicated systems have been simplified and automated to help ease players into this challenging, but rewarding game. There are a few growing pains that will hopefully be patched out, but as it stands this is one of the best Monster Hunter games period.

For those unaware, Monster Hunter is a series that’s all about taking on massive beasts that each have their own unique qualities. Slaying or capturing these monsters allows the players to take pieces of them to make better weapons, armor, and tools. This basic loop of battle monster, build better gear, to fight a bigger monster is an incredibly addictive system that can result in hours upon hours of enjoyable content.

Now, for new players this is the best Monster Hunter to start out with and there is still a ton of value in past titles comparatively, but this game is not for everyone. There is a determination to each action in the combat that a lot of players may find slow. Knowing how to chain together rolls, swings, and other actions depending on the situation is what really opens up the combat to make for an extremely expressive set of possible ways to tackle a problem.

Luckily, all of the weapon types developed over the years have returned, with each of them getting some extra nuances to flesh them out further. Whether the player picks up a defensive Lance or the fast and furious Dual Blades, there is a weapon out there for just about any type of player; there are a whopping 14 weapons to choose from with sub-styles in each one. Then, as the game goes on, things like skills and augments can break down those archetypes even further for more playstyles.

Personally, this is the first Monster Hunter that has drawn me to ranged weapons. Controls on past Monster Hunter games have been less than stellar when it comes to the two bowguns or longbow. Now, with a full controller, they are fairly easy to grasp and honestly made the game a bit easy for a lot of my hunts. Mostly, I stick with Heavy Bowgun, but I found some of the later monsters easier to handle with the Light Bowgun for the increased maneuverability. In prior games, I used mostly the Gun Lance, which is really defensive. I hid behind a big shield and poked my way through the ranks. Now, as a ranged hunter, I feel more involved, especially in a team.

Multiplayer is all instance based. Up to four hunters can join a hunt or one can call for help with the new SOS flare. This will allow anyone online to join the hunt to help out. There is also the addition of Squads, which makes it easier to get a small group of friends together to hunt. However, there is one glaring issue with the multiplayer that still hangs around even a couple months after release.

Story missions usually involve loading into an area, tracking the monster, and then being introduced to the monster through a cutscene. In order to hunt with another player, they must have seen that cutscene, which makes the main story quests a chore to play with friends. The obvious solution would be to just show everyone the cutscene at once, which does happen at the end of a few quests, so that means it should be doable at the start. This is a real shame, because aside from that, getting to play with friends is easier now than it’s ever been in the series.

We set up a squad room, which I can load into at the start of a session, so anyone who happens to be online can toss up a quest and we can chat through either the PS4 chat system or through our Discord. Although squad rooms do have a limited amount of users that can load into a room and there is no notification of this when playing with larger groups. For smaller groups, it works just fine, I just recommend using something like Discord for those playing regularly with a large group.

Another thing that a lot of new players may find frustrating is the small amount of areas to hunt in. There are less than ten areas, if counting arenas and such that is, meaning a lot of areas will start to feel dull. Yet, there is a density to these areas and without loading between zones, they can feel much larger than they actually are. Sometimes routing of each area can be confusing and I wish there was a way to zoom in the mini map, but these are by far the most gorgeous and detailed areas in the series.

Filling these areas are a variety of creatures, aside from the big ones the player will steadily learn. Hares run about the underbrush, ants march on rock faces, majestic beings float through the air, it all makes the world feel so alive. The hunter can also use a capture net to snag just about any little critter that moves, which grants research points and can be used throughout the game, as well as pets for the player’s house. These pets are fun to collect and I loved searching every nook and cranny for them.

Moving up from the endemic life in Monster Hunter World, there are smaller monsters that also have their own quirks. Feylyne tribes can be communicated with for allies and extra tools. Deer-like Kelbi hop about and munch on weeds in the desert. Animals will even prey upon each other and knowing more about these ecosystems can make the hunts easier. Each area has its own environmental hazards as well that can be used to stun the monster or deal extra damage. It’s important to always be observant in Monster Hunter World.

Actually hunting the monsters is still a ton of fun, making each encounter feel different and epic. There is something powerful about being knocked out several times by a monster and then just barely taking them out on the last chance. The sense of accomplishment is immense.

Now, for those coming from the other games, there aren’t as many monsters as past games. However, the ones in World all feel fairly different and there is little reliance on variants or monsters that are incredibly similar. There is still that sense of danger steadily increasing and each monster teaching the player something that they can use for the next monster, but for those used to that staggering list of monsters, it can feel a little repetitive.

This time around, there is a focus on story or least a story-like presentation. While this was present in games like Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, the presentation here is much nicer. There isn’t a lot of depth in the characters or even the plot, but it’s fun to go through it, adding just a little bit of depth to the world building at work. I do absolutely adore a couple character designs though, mostly the Meowster Chef and his amazing animations that play out when ordering food for character buffs.

While the amount of various systems and stats and things to do seems like a lot, there isn’t nearly the complexity of past titles, which makes understanding them way easier. Skills are simple and can easily picked out. Weapons are clearly laid out and there is a training mode to learn how to use a particular combo or spacing. Another new addition are the damage values, which can provide some much needed feedback to play. Before it was all learned over time or by browsing Wiki sites, but now a lot of that information can be found through leveling up research on a monster or by just watching those numbers.

A lot of publications have mentioned that players are shifting from say Destiny or Warframe to Monster Hunter, which is awesome because they are similar, but drastically different games, and the more players the better. One of the main differences is the lack of PVP. All multiplayer content is a cooperative affair, meaning there isn’t that level of competition that can sometimes create negativity. Sometimes hunters will show annoyance on getting killed by a monster, but for the most part the community is all about beating the next insane challenge by working together. Out of all of the game communities out there, Monster Hunter’s general populace are my favorite.

Another thing worth criticizing about Monster Hunter World are the loading times. On the standard PS4, they are long enough to notice and I find myself browsing on my phone between matches. This can be made quicker on the PS4 Pro with an solid state drive upgrade, but for those with a standard console, be aware. Visually the game still looks amazing on almost any resolution and those playing on the Xbox One X might really enjoy the extra graphic fidelity. As far as performance goes, I haven’t run into any issues, but on the Xbox X and PS4 Pro, there are modes to prioritize framerate, which can vary from time to time. It never affected gameplay for me, but there is a couple options to match those preferences.

As far as progress goes, the game really picks up in High Rank, which can be reached at about the halfway point. Entering High Rank really beefs up the challenges. Monsters have different attacks, more powerful status ailments, or could have a variant like an Azure Rathalos or a Pink Rathian. Hitting a wall on any particular monster can be frustrating, but it incentivises experimentation.

This is why when I play, I usually build a variety of weapons up. Even though I rarely use a Greatsword, I still have a pretty high level one in my inventory to change things up or to go after something that gives me trouble as a bowgun player. If that doesn’t work out, I’ll look at my armor or skills and maybe pick up some friends to help out. Hunting alongside my buddies is so much fun and it’s something we’ve been doing almost every night since the game launched. It’s something special when we’ve been playing for this long, learning more every day, and still can’t wait to jump back in.

Really, while I have enjoyed my almost 100 hours with Monster Hunter World, it’s the future of the game and the franchise that excites me most. Capcom have taken a similar approach as their last games with downloadable content, making it free for all players. We have already been able to take on the iconic Deviljho and hopefully more past monsters will return, as well as some brand new ones. It’s important to note that there are a few paid DLCs available on the digital market. This is a bit of a bummer considering that none of it was paid in the past, but it doesn’t bother me as much as say a loot box system would. I know what I’m getting if I buy that DLC and it’s optional, not necessary.

Hopefully, Monster Hunter World will get a G Rank version of the game, similar to what’s happened before in the series. This could either come in as a free expansion, a paid expansion, or even as a whole additional game and I would still be happy to pick it up. For those unaware, G Rank is the ultimate challenge, where monsters become brutally hard and weapons and armor become ridiculous in power and design. Hopefully the staggering amount of variety returns, because as of now it’s fairly limited in the weapon designs. A lot of them look similar this time around, which is why I’m so stoked for the future.

For those seeking that challenge, Tempered Monsters are the ones to go after. These are tougher monsters that provide rewards through the Investigation system that can then be used for Augmentation and more chances at Weapon Decorations. These tweaks are what can be used to further customize the hunter and even with the smaller offering of options in World compared to previous titles, it still feels like there is a lot of freedom and creativity available. Finding cool mixed armor sets or a fashionable combination of gear is what makes the later parts of the game so much fun. Still though, I yearn to be able to fight G Rank monsters and get differently designed weapons and armor.

Monster Hunter World has laid the foundation for a global phenomenon and I cannot wait to see what happens from here on out.

Monster Hunter World is available now on PS4 and Xbox One systems with a PC version to follow later this year. A copy was purchased by the reviewer. For more information and the latest updates, check out the official website.