Topic: Monster Hunter: World

I'm kind of pumped. If it's as "dumbed down" as some people are saying, maybe I'll actually get into it since sadly I could never get myself into the 3DS games

@Haru17 Don't go there. I don't want to be insulted for arguing an opinion.

I said "quasi-anime"-- it was far from blatant "anime", but the artstyle in the games certainly weren't trying to be photorealistic. It had its own thing that didn't try to be too much of one or the other.
And 2D art isn't the best indication of a 3D product-- the Xenoblade games look markedly different stylistically in concept art than in-game.

@CrazedCavalier I don't mean to insult you, but this isn't a matter of opinion. It's what's on the page that matters — that's the point I'm trying to make. If you're saying the humans are anime-y fine, but condemning the new monster that you're unfamiliar with for not having enough bright, obnoxious colors is separate from that.

And that's a 3D-render. By definition it's 3D art, just captured in 2D to be spread around for promotion. And obviously Xenoblade looks worse than its concept art because that studio isn't great at cultivating a visual style. However, the images I posted are not concept art. Monster Hunter concept art naturally looks a lot different from the games because it's drawn by hand.

For reference, I think World looks a lot more similar to the Monster Hunter openings than even before. The hits on monsters in particular are very close to the gameplay shown. Kind of makes me wonder if World will have an animated intro or not.

World's trailer did remind me of MH4's opening.

I've calmed down a bit, rewatched the trailer several times, and paid very close attention to details in an attempt to gleen any insight I could. And here are my thoughts, in no particular order.

1 The game (as a whole, not just graphics) looked better every time I saw it. I think time has allowed me to digest some of the major departures, and appreciate subtle details that are more in line with the core series. The initial impression I got was that the game was going for "AAA" but didn't look nearly as good as other, actual AAA games being shown which gave it a cheap, B effort vibe.

2 Compared to past entries, this is a very nice step up visually. That was apparent from the start though. It's definitely a nice looking Monster Hunter game, of that there is no question. This game definitely looks the part- visually speaking it's certainly an ideal representation of what I've always envisioned a better looking Monster Hunter to be. If there's one complement I can absolutely give this game without question, it's with respect to the visuals

3 The few instances of combat shown seem like they could be in line with the core series, but not enough combat was shown to confirm either way. At first it looked... off. Can't put my finger exactly on what it was, something about it just didn't seem right. Upon reflection, I believe this is because the exact sounds and animations of attacks are so permanently ingrained in my mind that any subtle difference stands out as odd. Different doesn't necessarily mean bad, but it does mean change and change has the potential to go wrong. However, when news broke that the core team is developing this I felt much more reassured that the combat would be done right.

4 There are some questionable things I've noticed- while re-watching the trailer has helped assure me of the games quality in some regards, in others I've actually noticed more things I am glossed over the first time around that raise the level of concern. Such as, shooting fireballs from his hand... such as machine gun of some sort... such as grappling all over the place (which could make mounting trivial, since they seemed to focus on grappling to mount more than once... I'm really unsure of this grapple mechanic, probably more so than anything else), such as the monster chewing and shaking the hunter in its mouth and throwing him out (although this could be a particularly awesome attack), such as the stealth segments crouching in bushes and wearing camouflage (which could be a fun mechanic if done right, it's just jarring to see it because it's so different then what I'm accustomed to, and could indicate significant changes in gameplay, for better or worse), such as the pixie lights following the hunter and illuminating things ( I don't know what to think of that yet), such as the focus on encounters in such closed spaces in the forest (not sure how this will play out versus wider, open areas).

5 I noticed flash bombs, a tranqued monster and a hunter breaking a monster part. All things I missed before. These bode extremely well for the potential of the game, and are indicative of core mechanics making the transition, which makes me feel so much better it's almost hard to express in words. Piece by piece I'm beginning to feel like this could actually be a serious Monster Hunter game, and if it is... if it truly is a real Monster Hunter game, with maybe a few changed mechanics but by and large the same as before just bigger and prettier and more open... I will be beyond hyped. I was extremely cautious at first, and to be honest I kind of felt like it was a joke- I saw basically nothing of the game I knew and loved and in its place just saw pretty graphics and some flashy monsters... but as I'm starting to look closer, as I'm starting to pick up the pieces of details rolling in from the developers and from re-watching the trailer... I might even dare to start getting hyped...

6 The lack of Switch as a platform only further encouraged the notion that this game was not up to par with what the traditional fanbase is accustomed to, and perhaps only had a chance of success by selling to non-fans. However, I have now heard the story about the leak which, if true, means it's a business deal to prevent the game from selling on that system in Japan where most would buy it if given the choice. The reason this detail is important is because it means the game is a genuine effort, and very likely would have come to all platforms if not for... business practices. It's MIA due to business, not lack of quality. This is also reassuring, and yet another reason I'm feeling better and better about this game

7 One opinion of mine that hasn't changed though, is that the game just feels a little... soul-less. When it clipped to the hunter cooking meat, there was no special jingle. There were no felynes either that I saw. It just seemed so... dry. No charm. No humor. No quirky.

8 It has been noted that some mechanics have been changed, but I want to know in what way and by how much. The grapple is an obvious change. But I really need to see the whole system. I need to see if combat is still just as in depth as the core series, I need to see the skill and armor crafting system, the general item crafting system, and the difficulty and duration of monster fights. I heard the game is "drop in multiplayer" which means no difficulty will be adjusted for online play. This could pose a serious problem. In no way do I believe they have increased the difficulty in single player, which means the difficulty when playing with others will potentially be a cakewalk. That's a problem when the game's heart and soul is based in cooperative play. I want to know about rare monster parts, and confirm they have not eliminated the gemstone drops or increased their drop rate to the point of trivializing a well earned armor set.

In Conclusion
I'm beginning to feel good about this game. There are still questions that need answering and concerns that need to be addressed, but my attitude toward this game is night and day from how I felt when I first saw the reveal last night. I want to give this game a fair shake, I'm just scared to get my hopes up for it only to have them crushed. This has the potential to be... the potential, to be an incredible new experience for Monster Hunters. It also has the potential to fall flat on its face by casualizing the key mechanics that make this franchise tick. However, I'm actually starting to feel hopeful that it's going to be the former, rather than the latter. If nothing else, it'll be a cool distraction while waiting for the next "traditional" entry in the series. At best, it could be absolutely amazing.

These are my honest thoughts on this game after having time to digest it, and take in a little more information.

@JaxonH Where I've been, largely.
Heh. We move past the stages of grief right before a bunch of other people get ticked off at a recent tweet.

The biggest issue remains that they seem to be intent on leaving the real series in Japan when releasing XX in the West would not harm sales due to a lack of platform overlap.

@CrazedCavalier
Indeed. And that's what really upset me. And I blamed (well, I still do blame) this game for being the cause of that, the only difference now is that I'm thinking this might could be a good game which will help soften the blow.

Either way it sucks they're not localizing XX. It would cost and little to nothing and fans would be happy with it because that's what they know and love and want. It's what I know and love and want.

[Sighhhhh]

I suppose I can always import, and crack open Generations on 3DS to see what means what ( should work for a large portion of the game at least). Could also use GaijinHunter guide, since he said he would make one.

I don't understand why we can't have both. Then I'd be happy with my core series and then, if this turns out to be good too, I'll be the happiest monster hunter fan in the entire world. Play an awesome new good graphics game at home and play an awesome good looking game on the go.

@JaxonH That's a lot to digest. I'm glad you're letting a little hype in, and I'd like to respond in two parts.

It's was confirmed that...

• World runs on MT Framework.
• Palicoes are in the game.
• The jingle plays over cooking meat in gameplay.

I think that...

• They will dynamically adjust the difficulty as more or less players join. Monster Hunter games have rarely felt unbalanced in my experience.
• The fire bomb was a new throwable item.
• The Anjanath chewing on the hunter was a pinned animation.

Did anyone else see the hunter smack his great sword in the monster's face while mounting it?

I would always dream about the hunters using their actual weapons when mounting instead of a hunting knife that pops out of no where.

I wonder how it's going to look if the hunter is a gunner. Just sitting on top and shooting the weapon in a monster's face!?

Oh yes.

And yes, I am aware of how dirty this post sounds and yall know what? I'm smiling even harder now

@JaxonH I mean, it's not like they'd go and add damage numbers or anyth-

There's a Monster Hunter: World interview about to be aired on https://www.twitch.tv/playstation in 5 minutes. I greatly suggest checking it out, as it's our first new info since the reveal trailer.

Edit: Dammit, can't anyone hold a schedule this year? Uncharted is on right now, late, in Monster Hunter's time slot. Next is Marvel v Capcom Infinite, then Monster Hunter.

@Haru17
Wow, good news on all counts. That's why am I opinion is changing right there- because it seems like the more information that comes in the more it appears to be legit

@CrazedCavalier
Ughhh... ok so I wasn't crazy for thinking stuff like this could happen.

That said, if this is the worst price to be paid I think I can pay it. Although you'd really think they give you the option to toggle that on and off- The game is usually pretty good about giving you options. I'm not gonna worry about that too much just yet but if they confirm you can't turn it off that could be an irritation for sure. I actually think it would be great as a toggle mechanic because then maybe you could turn it on to check damage numbers from time to time and just turn it back off, but if it's forced then... ya. I'm thinking it won't be though. There's just no reason to force it when you can make it an option. That's the logical conclusion anyways, right?

A lot more people is excited for this interview than I thought

@CrazedCavalier What is even the point of an HD Monster Hunter if you're going to do the number one thing that makes it uglier? Anyway, Capcom is always great about UI options, so I can only believe that they'll allow series veterans to turn off floating damage numbers and maintain the same clean view. Damage numbers will be helpful for people testing weapons I suppose.

MONSTER HUNTER NOW PLAYSTATION TWITCH GO.

That was a little underwhelming

...Monster Hunter: Run From Monster Simulator. (also guns)

Tsujimoto's translator said "We're not going to be removing anything" in reference to the previous titles. I think that doesn't include XX or obviously 3, but y'all can stop panicking about the combat now I think.

They also showed a little bit of new footage from the reptile monster. The grappling hook and throwables were revealed to be part of a single item, the slinger. Hunters can now pick up rocks and nuts and other things in the environment and fire them for various effects.

I dunno, I'm seeing all of this and...I just want a normal MH game. lol
I'm going back to Generations, and have an actual fight there. (even though I'm currently losing...horribly....it's Gypceros, lol)

I blame the interviewers. They could have asked questions regarding the combat mechanics, changes of ui, anything that was not already explained or not common sense.

There are more that I would have picked the dude's brain about. Like how many monsters could we expect to run into in one setting?

What's the deal with that launcher/crossbow tool the hunter haves?

How different is the bowgun compared to its previous carnations?

Are there any major changes in the flow of combat?

@Haru17

I saw that the hunter chops the monster in the head in one instance when mounted and in another, he jumps to its back. What's up with that?

And that first question is a big one to me. With the hunting grounds all expanded and what not, it's not unreasonable to guess that we could encounter more than two.

Also, what type of environments could we expect?

Would lava and propose extreme danger?