Topic: Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate

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@CroRock

There is actually a MH World thread.

MH World Thread

My opinion is... it's incredible. It's a true evolution of the series, and it shows. Gone are the days of tireless tedium and counterintuitive game design. Everything is streamlined- gathering is faster and easier, crafting is simpler, forging requires less materials... it's just really well designed. And there's so many small improvements: transmog, fast travel, great graphics, larger and more complex environments, optional damage numbers, wiki info in the Hunter Notes, more fluid animations like moving while drinking potions, shorter cooking jingle, etc etc etc.

I won't really go into more detail than that because I could spend an hour writing about all the little improvements and changes they've made in this game. Suffice it to say the game is improved in almost every aspect, and it's a true joy to play.

That's not to say it's perfect. I don't like the new skill system where each armor piece simply gives X amount of a given skill- it defeats the allure of full sets and completely destroys any concept of gemming, talismans, negative skills and all the strategy that came with it. I don't like the new combined blademaster and gunner armors either- I don't really mind the fact they are combined because I actually think that's a good idea- it's the fact that you no longer take twice as much damage as a gunner. It breaks the balance. I also think crafting has been oversimplified- 2 green herbs for a potion, 2 antidote herbs for an antidote, no more bomb casings... basically everything in the entire game can be crafted with two base items, aside from mega versions which still require a honey. Also, I hate that the separate Multiplayer Hub quests have been abolished. It's single player quests and that's it- and those single player quests can be played via co-op. This presents a number of issues, but the biggest one is that any story mission you want to play with others- every single member joining the quest must have already accepted the quest, watched the cut scenes, and then abandoned the quest... before they can play it in multiplayer. The non-key quests, aka "optional" quests, can be played in the MP Hub, unfortunately you only unlock those as you progress through the single player campaign. So unlike every other MH game where you could just play co-op, and play through the entire game that way and never touch the single player, this game ties your multiplayer content to your single player progression. That's a huge step backwards. And, it also cuts the content by 50%, in a game which is already missing G-rank.

All things considered though, it's an incredible game, even despite its faults. I'd probably put it up there right next to Xenoblade Chronicles 2 as one of the best games I've played this generation. Of course, this is to be expected because- it's Monster Hunter and MH games are always fun, and this particular entry graces us with really nice graphics and elaborate maps and the early game tedium has been eradicated. So that's a winning recipe right off the bat.

Now. Is it worth buying a console for? Gosh... that's a hard question to answer because everyone is different. For me? Hell yes. I would buy a console for this game without thinking twice. But, I would buy a console for Xenoblade 2. I would buy a console for Zelda BotW. I would buy a console for Fire Emblem Awakening. I would buy a console for Ori and the Blind Forest. I would buy a console (and did buy a console) for MH4U. I have money to spend and I can't stand missing a single game I want to play.

If you have money to spend and can afford it, then I say why not. But the question must be asked- why haven't you bought another console before now? If the answer is because you don't really find any of the games appealing, then you're going to be spending several hundred dollars just to play a single game. Whether that's worth it to you is completely up to you. I don't know your financial situation, I don't know if you would find any other games on the system that you would really enjoy...

Here's my recommendation- if you have a PC, wait for the PC release. It's coming this year and you would be able to play the game within six months from now, and without buying any new hardware. If you don't have a PC, then the question remains- buy a new console or wait for a new MH. I can tell you right now, Switch will get a new Monster Hunter. Without question. The problem is... you're going to be waiting quite a while. Now, I don't know about you but I'm a very impatient man. I would have trouble just waiting for the PC release, much less the next entry from the Generations team. But not everyone is like me. Some people have no problem waiting and just focus on other games in the meantime. It's really up to you.

If you are going to buy a console to play the game then I would recommend, at the least (since you would literally be buying new hardware just for one game), sniping the best deal you can find on a used PS4 or Xbox One. I saw X1S consoles selling for $175 over Christmas. Obviously that was during the holidays but I'm just saying- deals can be found if you look hard enough. Whichever one you found cheapest, I'd go with that. I sold my OG Xbox One for $99 on eBay when I upgraded to the X1X. If you could find a deal like that then yeah, I'd say go for it. But if we're talking spending $250-300 plus the game on top of it... eh... that's a tough sell. But like I tell people thinking about buying a Switch for Zelda, there are other games. So if you can find other games that really interest you, then it suddenly doesn't seem so outlandish.