The Monster Hunter series has always had trouble adapting to a western audience such as Americans. Previous games were focused towards a Japanese audience, which meant that Americans would find the same enjoyment due to the culture shock. Yet, by taking a risk with Monster Hunter World, Capcom created not only the most streamlined and refined entry in the franchise but also the best version to introduce new players to this stellar action-RPG series.

If you have failed in getting into the series before, this game is by far the best at introducing new players. First, the boring mechanics of the previous games have been completely stripped away as much as possible. Collecting and crafting items can be done automatically. The annoying gather quests have been removed as well, allowing more time to focus on hunting these massive creatures. They have also completely removed the arts system from Generations, which was unnecessarily, complicated, and restrictive. All these changes create a more streamlined experience, stripping the monotony, tendium, and complexity which plagued the other games.

There are also plenty of refinements that will surprise long-time veterans. There are some basic returning elements such as mounting or the dozen different weapons and armor, but nearly every one of them has been improved in some way while not feeling dumbed down. For example, long range bowguns are actually practical in singular-player instead of being used as support online. In fact, all of the weapons have been buffed in some capacity. Even better is that you can switch between weapons mid-quest instead of needing to restart the mission. The environments have also been insanely improved. Instead of having areas sectioned off by loading screens, each world is completely open and flowing, creating a much more immersive and fluid game. A majority of these environments are also destructible compared to the few objects that could be destroyed in Monster Hunter 4. Mix this with monsters who feel like a genuine threat, and this game creates the most engaging world in the franchise. These small changes pile up rapidly and the game’s enjoyment greatly benefits from it.

By far, the largest most significant change is how multiplayer functions. Now, even if you are playing alone, you will be connected to the internet. This allows you to call upon strangers or friends to hop in mid-quest to help take down a monster if you are having trouble. The guild quests also count for everyone participating, removing the need to replay a mission if you are playing with friends. Unfortunately, if you do not have PS Plus of Xbox Live, it will be impossible to utilize these features that hold a huge significance in the game.

The game still suffers from several issues like needing to refight monsters and harsh difficulty spikes, but Monster Hunter World still stands as the pinnacle of the Monster Hunter franchise. Whether you are someone who wants to finally get into the series or a long time fan, Monster Hunter World will deliver on all fronts.

Photo credit: polygon.com