Monster Hunter World

Monster Hunter World

The series’ return looks jura-tastic

The Monster Hunter series has always
revelled in weirdness – in allowing you
to dress up your character and craft
complex weaponry to take on dragons
and dinosaurs, with which you can craft
even more complex weaponry, and in
having anthropomorphic cats cook dinners for you and
help you hunt down these primeval beasts.
Until now, gamers outside Japan haven’t been that
receptive to the series, but times have changed since the
last Monster Hunter game hit home consoles seven years
ago. The indie market and success of the Dark Souls
series in the intervening years have shown that Western
gamers aren’t averse to a bit of quirkiness these days.
Monster Hunter World marks a big step forward for the
series, debuting a large semi-open map and global online
multiplayer that will make alluring bait for curious players
from around the world. It’s a daunting, wild world made up
of distinct, functioning ecosystems. And it’s replete with
surprises; monsters can be tricked into fighting each other
(a cunning way to save yourself the trouble of weakening
them), the ground can collapse beneath your feet to
reveal an uncharted underworld filled with new beasts,
and up to four players can now join forces to hunt
scaled-up versions of monsters together.
With its unpausable inventories and deep combat that
rewards you for taking the time to truly get to understand
every species you hunt, and expects you to master each
distinctive weapon you wield and environment you fight
in, Monster Hunter World could be described as ‘Dark
Souls by way of Pokémon’ – a proposition that any
discerning gamer should at least cast their gaze on.