Now that the full game has been released, it is safe to say that Monster Hunter World is by far one of the most impressive games that has come to console. With the expansive world to get immersed in, to the endless tasks and learning, there is little that this game doesn’t offer. Capcom has truly hit one out of the park bringing the handheld franchise to consoles. And now, I can’t help but be a little jealous that some players got access to the beta version before the game’s final release.
Astera is the main world in which you the hunter, your handler and Palico all share resources, train, change equipment and learn of new monsters and tasks. This is home base where you learn that an ancient monster called the Zorah Magdaros has migrated to Astera and researchers must find out why. In the tutorial and entrance to the game, players unsuspectingly run in to the Magdaros and he’s going to need a solid plan in place to take down because he’s massive. Along the journey, you must research, hunt and capture other monsters for research and safety to the surrounding encampments.
After hearing of such large tasks of taking on monsters alone in the beginning, players must really get a feel for their weapons and inventory. Much like Bloodborne, there are a lot of menus to dig through to get exactly what you need. This can pose problems when in the heat of battle. Along with learning all of the menus, players must keep an eye on their stamina as well. All quick tasks such as dodging and running will deplete stamina and this can be troubling when in the middle of a quest. If stamina runs too low, you will faint. Faint three times and you lose the quest and get a smaller reward for each time you are revived in that session. Luckily, players can jump online too in order to fight together as a team.
Equipment is expansive between your Palico and yourself. Managing weapons, which there are at least fourteen, and clothing becomes very important as the hunt changes. Each quest will allow for upgrades on both of your characters so plan spending some time on this.
Visually the game is absolutely stunning. Characters appear crisp and colors pop. The environments are seamless for the most part. The design in which characters move between the mapped area camps helps players visually keep an eye on their hunter which is helpful to say the least. Monsters appear with clear detail which makes hunting terrifying for the larger monsters. There just isn’t a good way to describe how tense the environment can be when you are being stalked by Jargas.
Monster Hunter World is one of the best games released and will be hard to beat this year. With many surprises and learning features, there is more than enough to keep players occupied. The ability to choose between fourteen different weapons while playing online and using ever-changing strategies makes for a game that can keep players stuck in Astera for a long time to come. Visually stunning as well, Monster Hunter World begs for players to get lost and immersed whether they are actively working on the storyline or not and that can’t be beat.
Monster Hunter World is available now on PS4, Xbox, and PC