Pummel giant insects with a small insect on a staff

Monster Hunter 4 is now less than two months away from release in Japan, with Capcom unsurprisingly ramping up the hype generator for the occasion. Its latest burst of fresh information, as translated from the official website by Siliconera, is focused on one of the two new weapons — the Insect Staff.

While the Charge Axe is new but, due to its concept, rather familiar, the Insect Staff seems like a rather different affair. Presumably with weaknesses of its own — such as being a blunt object and, we'll assume, relatively low on power — it does offer some interesting mechanics that could seriously impact the shape of any given battle. One major feature is that, depending on the monster and body part that you attack, you "extract" energy of different colours that provide buffs, below.

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White: Mobility enhancement
Orange: Defense Up
Red: Attack Up
Green: Health Recovery

You'll also earn the ability to combine extracts for additional effects, with one particularly useful example being the "Earplug" ability to counter monsters' roars. To add even more depth, it'll be possible to change and level up the Hunting Insect attached to the weapon. Different creatures bring various strengths, and by acquiring special items and food you can enhance the insects' stats and even evolve them into other forms.

With Monster Hunter being such a complex and involving franchise, this new weapon promises to add to that dynamic. Do you like the idea of the Insect Staff?

[source siliconera.com]