@MegaVel91 It's called Monster Hunter: Legends of the Guild and it's slated for next year. Being worked on by Pure Imagination Studios and Joshua Fine, and is focused on a hunter leaving his hometown to take on an Elder dragon. No more details yet, and no footage, but the concept art shows someone who looks a lot like the Ace Commander from 4 fighting Nerscylla. So people are hoping it's the Ace Commander's backstory.
I had been abstaining from leaving comments on anything related to this piece of trash for a while now, but wowee do I need to vent.
First off, there's zero love for the source material. I'm not wholly unconvinced that they didn't just watch the intro fight to MH4U (the Dah'ren Mohran fight in the Great Desert) and just assume the game was like that (also explains the presence of Gore Magala in their early CG tests for the movie since he's 4U's flagship), before rewriting everything to fit World's aesthetic and equipment because it's a cheap cashgrab trying to capitalise on the newest, admittedly crazy popular entry.
Because Monster Hunter... a game with varied, gorgeous, unique environments and equipment aesthetic (especially in earlier game installments, since World dropped the ball HARD on the creative and colorful designs and even still it wasn't as drab as this movie), apparently equals out to sand, brown, and more sand, and the worst possible starting equipment they could have chosen.
I would have genuinely rather them have gone with a kaiju film and double-down on being extremely campy about it (with the appropriate colorful, campy gear) than write up this offensive piece of garbage.
Ugh... for the love of god, I hope the 3D animated special turns out good... At least the concept art for that has the appropriate aesthetic (and muh girl Nerscylla!).
@JaxonH Thank you for saying this. I've really appreciated how level-headed your comments have been throughout these last few days of MH goodness.
I'm sure at this point it goes without saying that I personally prefer GU, and with that I agree that it is tiring to hear personal taste get reduced to being a "fanboy" more often than not here. Apart from World's announcenent day, Reddit has been amazingly kind and done their damnest to be unbiased, but god forbid someone states an opinion on a site aimed at a specific audience, suddenly that author's opinion isn't an authentic opinion and it's fabricated to appeal to his/her audience.
I admit, one of the reasons I started posting here is that I expected to see more old-style MH fans who have an appreciation for the pre World games because it felt tiring and isolating to hear the World praises nonstop and the Gen/GenU criticism when to me personally World never clicked at all. Now I'm not a Nintendo-only fangirl... I do adore Nintendo, that's true, but I also play my share of PC games, and some of my favorite games of my childhood were PS/PS2 exclusives (Spyro, Dark Cloud, Okami at the time...)... and I'm sure many others here (author included) are in a similar boat.
Was the author chosen because his views align with a Nintendo game? Maybe. Is his view his view BECAUSE he's also a Nintendo fan and not because GU is actually a game real-life people enjoy? No... plenty of people - regardless of their game-console preferences - genuinely have a preference for the old style of game or the new style of game, and some even dare-I-say enjoy both differently. And that should be fine and encouraged, not, like JaxonH said, clubs to beat the other side with.
I am happy that World created an opportunity for new fans to enjoy the series, but I am devastated that it created such a hostile environment where it's turned into petty insults and console wars.
People can have opinions that don't align with yours, and that doesn't mean their opinion exists because they are mindless and want to appeal to an audience. That's that.
@RandomLeo00 It's worse; it's Bloodbath Diablos XD Nothing like using an image of the end-game mascot Deviant monster for explaining basic combat to beginners!
But honestly, I'm glad you guys put this article up. Especially in tandem with all of the other MH articles being featured right now, an article like this that covers the basics you might not get from YouTube I'm sure helps out!
@dkxcalibur Import costs and scarcity wreck the prices. :/ The plushes are only about $15 retail and the amiibo as well, it's just that you slap shipping on that (and account for scarcity since things like the amiibo are getting more limited now) and the prices can get pretty crazy...
For things like the figure builders, I've found it to average out to less expensive to just buy the whole damn box at once if you have the money to invest in it all at once. Makes shipping cheaper and the boxes individually cost less, too. But the quality is really excellent for all of the merchandise, it's just once you slap on all those extra fees and shipping and such, unless you know where to look it can get steep.
Also NL isn't linking ebay, which is really your bestie for this type of stuff XD
@Azikira Yeah! They didn't link it here but they also made a MochiKawa Lagiacrus that's hilarious. I know that plush style isn't for everyone but I think they're so goofy they're cute.
They also updated Nargacuga, Tigrex, and Zinogre at the same time they did the Lagiacrus update.
@Razer GenU suffers from a lack of story, yeah, although 4U was definitely better about it. That said, enjoyment out of that kill + gear + kill loop is dependent on the individual. I for one find it really rewarding to be able to overcome a monster I wasn't able to overcome before because I a) got gud and b) was able to make the equipment I wanted. I think the diversity really comes out of monster variety and trying out different weapons. I admit fully that if you're stuck using the same weapon against the same monsters over and over eventually you get worn out. But mixing it up every once in a while makes it more of a personal goal and progression thing than a slog.
It helps that each monster fight plays out differently, too, even if you've fought the same monster before, due to environmental factors, randomness of attack patterns, and, of course, if you decide to switch weapons out. But even with that I've found myself getting tired of fighting certain monsters that I've seen a lot over and over... but that is remedied by the enormous roster that GenU has and the difficulty curve from the different Ranks, and so I can always mix it up and it always feels fresh.
Like last night I had to fight Diablos twice in a row to unlock G-Rank, and I fought him once with Aerial Insect Glaive and once with Adept Light Bowgun and the fights felt completely different even though I was fighting the same monster. I feel like it would have been a lot less enjoyable if I had decided to fight him both times with the same weapon/style combo.
But like you said with the grind loop to begin with, that style of game isn't engaging for a lot of people, especially if they lack story-driven motivation for it. It's not an issue at all for me and many others, but it can get tiring easily for someone (like yourself from what I'm understanding) who isn't motivated by the kill +gear up + kill harder monster cycle inherently. I personally enjoy the cycle; it gives me a very real sense of progression since I can physically accomplish something I wasn't able to do before. The goal is purely personal progression based, and for me, that's enough.
@Razer Nah of course, and I do know that it's not a game for everyone, and to a, well, honestly majority of people it does seem sluggish and boring (hence why I mentioned it's still pretty cult).
As said though, I just wanted to try to be informative of why it CAN seem that way at first but in my experience it's often an issue of the game being frustrating and hard to understand. I mentioned way earlier that certain weapons feel particularly slow if they don't fit your playstyle (ie Greatsword), and I know a lot of newcomers basically hate the game until they find a weapon they like and it finally "clicks."
But, again, for a lot of people who do try it and do understand it it still doesn't click, and that's fine; It's not a game for everyone. I just think it's only fair to at least try to explain it to people who had a bad experience with it at first on the off-chance that it helps them discover something they might actually enjoy. ^^
*Especially since I've noticed a lot of commenters here were immediately put off by the demo, which gives a pretty piss-poor idea of how the game actually plays, unfortunately... I know my husband HATED the game when I had him play 4U, but after he did his own research and experimented some more he's as big of a fan as I am now. But I also know that that's not always the case, and several people here have given it a shot and still find it boring, and that's fine. ^^
@Highlar Yeah the art change was a big negative for me. Fortunately that's something fixable with mods for the PC version at least, but World had other negatives that kept me from being able to get into it, too... big one being the monsters, tbh. Not a lot of variety and tons of reused animations from older monsters or even ones already present in the game (like, 4 of the monsters are similar to Rathian... x.x). I completely get why that's not a big deal for most people and why most people still really enjoyed it and a lot of people prefer it over the old games, but it was a dealbreaker for me at least.
QoL improvements are great, and open world is great, and I hope (and expect) they keep both going forward, but my ideal MonHun would definitely be as bright and varied as the 4th Gen cutscenes (GenU intro cutscene is just gorgeous). Imho 3rd and 4th Gen introduced some amazing monsters that really departed from the "dragons, dinosaurs, and lizards only" issue that World seems to have.
There's nothing wrong with reusing animations and skeletons, and I know for Capcom it was a budget and time issue for World, but I think Gen/GenU especially showed how that can be done in a clever way. Like, Glavenus is on the brute skeleton but shares almost no animations whereas Anjanath shares a fair bit with Deviljho; Astalos is on the flying wyvern skeleton but doesnt have much crossover with the Raths except with his idle attacks and tail spin, whereas Legiana, Paolumu, and Pukei-Pukei share most of their ground attacks with Rathian; Malfestio is also on the flying wyvern skeleton and shares very little, and Valstrax... good ol Valstrax... on Gore's skeleton and you can barely tell with how much tlc they gave him with his over-the-top attacks.
...got off on a tangent there but I think you get what I'm saying lol.
@Razer Wuh...? I'm sorry if I offended anyone but I definitely wasn't trying to, nor did I think I was getting defensive about it. I was just trying to explain my reasoning and also explain why some people might not enjoy the game because Capcom didn't present it on a surface level well. I'm not sure how that's jumping down people's throats? I'm pretty sure several comments up I even said it's not a game for everyone.
Edit: Look, sorry if I offended you at some point with my discussion, really. I didn't join this discussion to upset anyone or make anyone feel like their opinion didn't matter; I chimed in because I think it's only fair to give new players who might have had a bad experience an understanding as to why they may have. Just about everyone I know or have read about HATES MH at first until they come to understand it, but just about no one comes to understand it on their own. But I feel it's better to explain that to people on the chance that they will grow to like it like so many others have. If they still don't, then it's just not a game for them.
Only reason I used "boring" and "slog" is that they're common complaints, and make sense given Capcom's obtuse presentation of the game. But I think trying to explain why it might be a bad impression, and the game isn't actually boring (to me, to a lot of people, and potentially even to the user on the chance they do grow to like it) is healthy for the community and fair discussion.
@JaxonH I do agree with you, but I also think a lot of people don't think MH is a complicated game because on a surface level it doesn't look like one. Ie some people here in the comments section accuse it of being a slow, boring slog of a "whack a monster until it dies" type of game. So, yeah, it's a little on the user's side for not spending the time to learn a complicated game, but it's also a little on the presentation guide for being deceptive about just how complex it is.
Aww man... I am so guilty of owning so much MH merchandise haha. I must say, Capcom has done a spectacular job with all of it, too! I have no complaints about any of the stuff I own... and I own a lot!
I own the special edition MHXX Switch, the Supply Crate carrying case, a MH phone case and 3DS case, all of the Portable 3rd shotglasses, the replica of the G-Rank Guild Gal's leather bag from MHXX, about 90 of the mini figure builders, most of the ecology figures, one of each monster of the Creator's Models (so I don't own every version of every monster but I have one version of every monster), almost every single mainline plush minus Azure Rathalos, Red Khezu, Brute Tigrex (because I can't find those three for sale), and some of the World ones I decided to skip, several Banpresto/Ichiban Kuji lottery figures (including Gobul Huntress and Sophia), both the Brachydios and the Rathalos busts, all of the MH Stories amiibo, the Zinogre funko pop (which I repainted to look like Stygian), all of the hunter Revoltechs as well as the silver Rathalos Revoltech... and much more that I won't even go into.
And I repeat.
ALL of the merchandise is amazing. :3
Edit: A lot of the stuff I have has gotten pretty rare/expensive, but I can offer up some guides / point people in the right direction if they're interested in any of it since, well, I've managed to get my grubby mitts on just about everything. ^_^
@Azikira My copy is waiting for me in my mailbox, I'm just still at work right now. Thanks for the heads up though
And yeah I know for sure Gen's best was boomerang, but like I said before, I do suggest pulling up Gaijin's video later; you'll be pleasantly surprised by the new variety. Definitely helps that it's MUCH easier to customize any cat now and not all luck-based like it was in Gen.
@Azikira From what I've seen there's no longer a definitive best in GenU, but I haven't had the pleasure of testing it out yet. I know back in Gen boomerang cats were the way to go, but it looks like you can mix it up a lot more now. Gaijinhunter did a lengthy video on how he plays Prowler, and he went though at least 7-8 different Prowler builds/styles that all seem at least reasonably viable.
Wonderful article! I was in Japan for the first time this past March and I had the pleasure of visiting both the Capcom Cafe and USJ for the MH event. It was such a wonderful experience and it's nice to get to relive it a little through the photos and discussion.
Also, I love Gaijinhunter... it's so wonderful that you guys got to interview him! It's really nice to get to hear the opinion of someone so thoroughly dedicated to the series, especially since he struggled (like we all did) to understand it at first. Wonderful read
@JaxonH 1000x this. I am in such solid agreement with your replies here that I had to show my support!
It's unfortunate that a combination of the demo being less-than-great, it being a port, and World being out is making this such a controversial discussion for everyone. It's a good game (great, even), just a little bit dated. And it's just frustrating watching people ruin it for others who may be a little more ignorant of its origins because they personally found it to be terrible. There's a reason MH was (and to an extent still is) a cult game... but like you said, if you invest enough into it (and the game-type is for you, which is the most important thing), it's the most rewarding game I've played in a very long time.
Edit: Also looking to try Alchemy hammer and Alchemy/Valor LBG Aerial IG main here but damn if the two new styles don't look great. The buff SA got in axe mode is really nice, too!
@zool The moment you put a price tag on anything it has to do with spending power. I get what you're saying that we have a "benchmark" that full-priced games should be entirely new, but as I've said before, GenU IS new for the west, because we didn't get XX in any form. So yes, it's a port of a 3DS game, but it's a port of a 3DS game that we never got, therefore to the west, it is a completely new game.
Now, if you have a problem with paying full-price for a game that's an expansion of an old game, that's a different issue entirely. Generations Ultimate is an expansion of content in the same way that Ultra Sun / Ultra Moon were an expansion of content of both Sun and Moon - all of those games are full-price, and always have been. If you disagree with that pricing method (I don't love it, either, but it's already a very established pricing scheme that me boycotting or lowering a review score for won't change) that's a separate topic. But the point I'm trying to make is that the full-priced "expansion" is something that Capcom has been doing for ages (and Game Freak in the Pokemon example) because it's what they do for the Japanese market. Understandably, the Japanese market would be pretty damn upset if we got GenU at a discount because it's a "port" when they paid full price for it over there.
Again, GenU might be a port, but it's still a new game for the west. So while I also agree with you that buying expensive ports could encourage companies to keep making them for a "quick buck," I don't think the logic applies to GenU when we never got XX, and it's priced the exact same way that all past MH entries have been priced.
@Gibb Thing is, GenU had several quality of life improvements over base Gen, and Gen had several quality of life improvements over 4U. It's just that people are comparing it to the QoL of World, which is the newest entry. Could Capcom have added some QoL improvements for the western release? I mean, I guess in theory they could have, but then it wouldn't be in parity with the Japanese releases (on both 3DS and Switch) which could cause a multitude of other problems. The reality is, GenU is a 4th Gen Monster Hunter title, regardless of the fact that we got it in the west after the release of 5th generation, so it needs to be understood as such and the lack of polish makes sense in that context.
I guess an argument could be made for why Capcom didn't have the QoL changes way earlier into the series but, I think that's more a market issue (since MH was - and to a degree still is - a mostly Japanese-market focused series)...
As for why the demo is horrible... well, I can't excuse that. The only explanation I can give is that Capcom found it hard to juggle not boring people with an hour of tutorialization just to play the demo vs letting people jump into the action outright. The issue is, with such a complex combat system, "jumping in" ends up being more obtuse and frustrating than it is helpful or fun.
@Gibb Yeah the demo is a really harsh intro to the series... and a poor one at that. A lot of time investment (and frustration) goes into picking out a weapon that "clicks" with you, and in the case of GenU, an art + style combo that does, too. It doesn't help that the demo pits you against 3 pretty fast, jumpy monsters with no explanations for the weapon combos.
I really recommend watching Gaijinhunter's weapon tutorial videos (or skimming; they're long) to get a better idea of how flowy some of the combinations can actually be. The combat is SUPER complex, but the demo (and even the full game tbh) does such a poor job of explaining that to people that people just think the game's about swiping at a monster until it dies. A lot of thought has to go into timing, positioning, and exactly where you hit the monster.
IE, some monsters are weaker in certain spots to certain damage types; some weapons are better suited for fighting certain monsters (ie using a Greatsword against a fast monster like Nargacuga is hard, but using a fast weapon like Dual Blades or Light Bowgun makes it a much zippier, much more enjoyable fight); some weapons play better with specific styles (Valor Greatsword is much more mobile than Guild Greatsword; Aerial Insect Glaive gets a horizontal vault instead of a vertical one letting you cover huge distances, etc).
I think the mistake a lot of newcomers make (which isn't their fault; it's just terribly explained) is that the weapons aren't intuitive, and so learning to use them "right" doesn't come naturally and is really frustrating until they come to understand it. IE, Greatsword is CLUNKY AS HELL until you learn that you're supposed to sheathe CONSTANTLY and run around with your normal dash until you find a good position to use your charge attacks. Certain styles also remove certain combos that feel smooth for a weapon (ie being out of Valor mode for any weapon removes crucial attacks unless you use your Valor sheathe, which is really obtuse for newcomers).
But for those of you who say GenU is slow and clunky, you've honestly just not found a good combo - or Monster Hunter just isn't for you. In a lot of ways, certain weapon + art + style combinations in GenU are actually faster than the combat of World, it just takes time to pick out which ones feel good.
@MasterJay The demo doesn't do a good job of condensing the combat complexity, especially in GenU which is probably the most complex in the series with the arts and styles. That said, the game still isn't for everyone, and it takes a lot of patience (and some frustration) for it to "click" for most people.
That said, it's not really hack-and-slash-y. You should be focused on breaking certain parts and hitting certain areas depending on your weapon/damage type (giving you a target instead of just aiming at whatever), and it takes a while for people to really find a weapon (and now weapon + style + art combination) that feels right for them. All weapon types feel completely different, and they keep the combat fresh and less same-y.
Also you said you did the first fight? Great Maccao? Maccao is a good starter monster, but he's far less interesting than the later fights. There's less to do with him since he's such a small target and only has a head and tail break.
@Razer They have no new announcements because they:
a) probably started late
b) which is more important, are trying to not step on their own toes. They are still riding on World's success (the PC release JUST came out after all) and GenU JUST launched in the west. Because they brought it over due to fan-demand, it would seem downright silly to announce a new Switch entry before GenU had time to sell. Yes, in that case it is for sales figures, but that's not laziness... that's business.
In addition, even 18 months isn't really enough time to get something new really out there to show... could they have announced something without a trailer? Sure. But again, they're hardcore avoiding stepping on their own toes right now with the AAA titles they've invested all of their time and money into lately. They put all their eggs into one basket (looking at you, World), and the least time-consuming and least-expensive way for them to get SOMETHING out on Switch (while they probably work behind-the-scenes on something else) is through ports.
Also, we are getting Mega Man 11, so it's not like Capcom has completely neglected the Switch and is ONLY giving us ports. They just had horrible timing and are juggling to find the best way to announce/release because of said eggs in said basket.
@zool I think it's the fault of individuals for not reading a full review and just going by the end score... but that's a debate for another day. I don't see a problem with reviewing a game mostly in a vacuum if the faults are outlined in reference to the latest entry, which Nintendo Life did here.
Anyway, the port may be overpriced to you and some others, but it's up to individual discretion as to what it's worth for them. I don't think any reviewer should base an actual review score on price, firstly, since "value" is such a subjective thing. A review score should be based on the quality and "entertainment value" of a game, not on the actual monetary price... since, again, monetary value is different per individual. If you give a game a "6 or 7" because it's "overpriced," people aren't going to read that that's why you scored it that way... they're going to assume it's a bad game and skip it entirely, instead of, idk, wait for a sale so it's worth it to them for the money.
I don't think there's anything wrong with mentioning "okay guys this is a port of a 3DS game, and it's 4th Gen so it has some janky bits, be aware of that if you're considering getting it at full-price," but to reflect that in the end score is problematic for reasons mentioned above. Being an "expensive" port does NOT make the actual quality of the gameplay suffer, which is what people will assume if they see it getting a lower score than its 3DS predecessor.
@jancotianno Capcom ported XX to the Switch for the Japanese market in August of 2017 in direct response to the Switch's unexpected popularity. They were NOT intending to localize XX since they expected World to satisfy, but there was demand for XX to be localized. They brought over GenU as a response to demand, and made MHXX for Switch in Japan in response to demand/console popularity...
That doesn't sound like laziness; poor timing, sure. But not laziness. For all we know, the demand for localized XX (and hopefully GenU's success) could be sparking Capcom to work on a ground-up Switch MH title.
Just wanted to chime in after reading several of the complaints/concerns on here:
1. The graphics... Okay so, this is mostly opinionated but, I actually think they look just fine for what they are. Yes, it's clear by the models that they're designed for the 3DS, but the textures and colors and lighting look great, and much nicer in motion. Is it as nice looking as World? Again, opinionated but, while World absolutely has better textures and models, I actually greatly, GREATLY prefer the color palette and designs of 4th Gen Monster Hunter... World very much killed the unique, fun, creative feel of the monsters... 4th Gen - and especially Generations / GenU - really shine in their use of color to make monsters more expressive and unique (ie almost all new monsters have a stark color contrast in rage mode, which is truer in 3rd Gen onward and less so in first and second gen)... which is something World opted out of for a more muted, more "gritty realism" feel that... well I could never get into.
TL; DR, yes the models and some textures are dated (because it's a port of a 2015 game), but the colors and monster designs of GenU are just beautiful.
2. The price tag. Okay so, again if you feel the full price isn't worth it to you because it's a 3DS port, that's your prerogative; it's your money. But, remember that we never got MHXX in the west, so this IS a new entry for us, not simply a port. It's still a port, sure, but it's actually a very nicely done port, and a port of a game we never got. Still, if it's not worth it to you, so be it, but I think it's at least an arguably fair price for a game with the amount of content it has that never came west until today.
2a. I don't think that buying this at full-price is encouraging Capcom to make more ports... MHGenU is a really weird situation where Capcom basically panicked and ported it to the Japan-popular Switch after they realized that the Switch was successful, which came as a surprise to them. GenU wasn't planned to come West, but the demand for it made them bring over the nice and polished Switch port. They didn't localize it because they only like making ports... they localized it because there was demand for a game we didn't get in the West, that was only ported to Switch to begin with because the Switch exploded in popularity in Japan. If nothing else, I see buying GenU as being a way to show that the west DOES want Monster Hunter on the Switch, NOT that we want ports on the Switch. Hopefully with enough demand, we can get a game built from the ground-up with the Switch in mind.
3. Hey bow users, Valor Bow looks pretty nifty... ^_^ It might not be the same as World but, Valor especially helps mix things up some.
Comments 24
Re: Check Out Thai Martial Artist Tony Jaa In Capcom's Upcoming Monster Hunter Movie
@MegaVel91 It's called Monster Hunter: Legends of the Guild and it's slated for next year. Being worked on by Pure Imagination Studios and Joshua Fine, and is focused on a hunter leaving his hometown to take on an Elder dragon. No more details yet, and no footage, but the concept art shows someone who looks a lot like the Ace Commander from 4 fighting Nerscylla. So people are hoping it's the Ace Commander's backstory.
Re: Check Out Thai Martial Artist Tony Jaa In Capcom's Upcoming Monster Hunter Movie
I had been abstaining from leaving comments on anything related to this piece of trash for a while now, but wowee do I need to vent.
First off, there's zero love for the source material. I'm not wholly unconvinced that they didn't just watch the intro fight to MH4U (the Dah'ren Mohran fight in the Great Desert) and just assume the game was like that (also explains the presence of Gore Magala in their early CG tests for the movie since he's 4U's flagship), before rewriting everything to fit World's aesthetic and equipment because it's a cheap cashgrab trying to capitalise on the newest, admittedly crazy popular entry.
Because Monster Hunter... a game with varied, gorgeous, unique environments and equipment aesthetic (especially in earlier game installments, since World dropped the ball HARD on the creative and colorful designs and even still it wasn't as drab as this movie), apparently equals out to sand, brown, and more sand, and the worst possible starting equipment they could have chosen.
I would have genuinely rather them have gone with a kaiju film and double-down on being extremely campy about it (with the appropriate colorful, campy gear) than write up this offensive piece of garbage.
Ugh... for the love of god, I hope the 3D animated special turns out good... At least the concept art for that has the appropriate aesthetic (and muh girl Nerscylla!).
Re: Soapbox: Why I Prefer Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate To World
@JaxonH Thank you for saying this. I've really appreciated how level-headed your comments have been throughout these last few days of MH goodness.
I'm sure at this point it goes without saying that I personally prefer GU, and with that I agree that it is tiring to hear personal taste get reduced to being a "fanboy" more often than not here. Apart from World's announcenent day, Reddit has been amazingly kind and done their damnest to be unbiased, but god forbid someone states an opinion on a site aimed at a specific audience, suddenly that author's opinion isn't an authentic opinion and it's fabricated to appeal to his/her audience.
I admit, one of the reasons I started posting here is that I expected to see more old-style MH fans who have an appreciation for the pre World games because it felt tiring and isolating to hear the World praises nonstop and the Gen/GenU criticism when to me personally World never clicked at all. Now I'm not a Nintendo-only fangirl... I do adore Nintendo, that's true, but I also play my share of PC games, and some of my favorite games of my childhood were PS/PS2 exclusives (Spyro, Dark Cloud, Okami at the time...)... and I'm sure many others here (author included) are in a similar boat.
Was the author chosen because his views align with a Nintendo game? Maybe. Is his view his view BECAUSE he's also a Nintendo fan and not because GU is actually a game real-life people enjoy? No... plenty of people - regardless of their game-console preferences - genuinely have a preference for the old style of game or the new style of game, and some even dare-I-say enjoy both differently. And that should be fine and encouraged, not, like JaxonH said, clubs to beat the other side with.
I am happy that World created an opportunity for new fans to enjoy the series, but I am devastated that it created such a hostile environment where it's turned into petty insults and console wars.
People can have opinions that don't align with yours, and that doesn't mean their opinion exists because they are mindless and want to appeal to an audience. That's that.
Re: Guide: Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate Large Monster List - All Large Monsters, Locations, Habitats, And Species
Hmmm, this appears to be a list from Gen, not GenU.
Valstrax, Atal-Ka, Gravios, Basarios, Nerscylla, Barioth, Congalala, Barroth, Lao-Shan Lung, Giadrome, Diablos, Raging Brachydios, Chaotic Gore Magala, Boltreaver Astalos, Elderfrost Gammoth, Soulseer Mizutsune, Rustrazor Ceanataur, Nightcloak Malfestio, Fatalis, Crimson Fatalis, White Fatalis, and Bloodbath Diablos all appear to be missing.
Re: Guide: Getting Started With Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate on Nintendo Switch
@RandomLeo00 It's worse; it's Bloodbath Diablos XD Nothing like using an image of the end-game mascot Deviant monster for explaining basic combat to beginners!
But honestly, I'm glad you guys put this article up. Especially in tandem with all of the other MH articles being featured right now, an article like this that covers the basics you might not get from YouTube I'm sure helps out!
Re: Guide: Call Off The Hunt, We've Found The Best Monster Hunter Merch
@dkxcalibur Import costs and scarcity wreck the prices. :/ The plushes are only about $15 retail and the amiibo as well, it's just that you slap shipping on that (and account for scarcity since things like the amiibo are getting more limited now) and the prices can get pretty crazy...
For things like the figure builders, I've found it to average out to less expensive to just buy the whole damn box at once if you have the money to invest in it all at once. Makes shipping cheaper and the boxes individually cost less, too. But the quality is really excellent for all of the merchandise, it's just once you slap on all those extra fees and shipping and such, unless you know where to look it can get steep.
Also NL isn't linking ebay, which is really your bestie for this type of stuff XD
@Azikira Yeah! They didn't link it here but they also made a MochiKawa Lagiacrus that's hilarious. I know that plush style isn't for everyone but I think they're so goofy they're cute.
They also updated Nargacuga, Tigrex, and Zinogre at the same time they did the Lagiacrus update.
Re: Review: Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Switch)
@Razer GenU suffers from a lack of story, yeah, although 4U was definitely better about it. That said, enjoyment out of that kill + gear + kill loop is dependent on the individual. I for one find it really rewarding to be able to overcome a monster I wasn't able to overcome before because I a) got gud and b) was able to make the equipment I wanted. I think the diversity really comes out of monster variety and trying out different weapons. I admit fully that if you're stuck using the same weapon against the same monsters over and over eventually you get worn out. But mixing it up every once in a while makes it more of a personal goal and progression thing than a slog.
It helps that each monster fight plays out differently, too, even if you've fought the same monster before, due to environmental factors, randomness of attack patterns, and, of course, if you decide to switch weapons out. But even with that I've found myself getting tired of fighting certain monsters that I've seen a lot over and over... but that is remedied by the enormous roster that GenU has and the difficulty curve from the different Ranks, and so I can always mix it up and it always feels fresh.
Like last night I had to fight Diablos twice in a row to unlock G-Rank, and I fought him once with Aerial Insect Glaive and once with Adept Light Bowgun and the fights felt completely different even though I was fighting the same monster. I feel like it would have been a lot less enjoyable if I had decided to fight him both times with the same weapon/style combo.
But like you said with the grind loop to begin with, that style of game isn't engaging for a lot of people, especially if they lack story-driven motivation for it. It's not an issue at all for me and many others, but it can get tiring easily for someone (like yourself from what I'm understanding) who isn't motivated by the kill +gear up + kill harder monster cycle inherently. I personally enjoy the cycle; it gives me a very real sense of progression since I can physically accomplish something I wasn't able to do before. The goal is purely personal progression based, and for me, that's enough.
Re: Review: Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Switch)
@Razer Nah of course, and I do know that it's not a game for everyone, and to a, well, honestly majority of people it does seem sluggish and boring (hence why I mentioned it's still pretty cult).
As said though, I just wanted to try to be informative of why it CAN seem that way at first but in my experience it's often an issue of the game being frustrating and hard to understand. I mentioned way earlier that certain weapons feel particularly slow if they don't fit your playstyle (ie Greatsword), and I know a lot of newcomers basically hate the game until they find a weapon they like and it finally "clicks."
But, again, for a lot of people who do try it and do understand it it still doesn't click, and that's fine; It's not a game for everyone. I just think it's only fair to at least try to explain it to people who had a bad experience with it at first on the off-chance that it helps them discover something they might actually enjoy. ^^
*Especially since I've noticed a lot of commenters here were immediately put off by the demo, which gives a pretty piss-poor idea of how the game actually plays, unfortunately... I know my husband HATED the game when I had him play 4U, but after he did his own research and experimented some more he's as big of a fan as I am now. But I also know that that's not always the case, and several people here have given it a shot and still find it boring, and that's fine. ^^
Re: Review: Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Switch)
@Highlar Yeah the art change was a big negative for me. Fortunately that's something fixable with mods for the PC version at least, but World had other negatives that kept me from being able to get into it, too... big one being the monsters, tbh. Not a lot of variety and tons of reused animations from older monsters or even ones already present in the game (like, 4 of the monsters are similar to Rathian... x.x). I completely get why that's not a big deal for most people and why most people still really enjoyed it and a lot of people prefer it over the old games, but it was a dealbreaker for me at least.
QoL improvements are great, and open world is great, and I hope (and expect) they keep both going forward, but my ideal MonHun would definitely be as bright and varied as the 4th Gen cutscenes (GenU intro cutscene is just gorgeous). Imho 3rd and 4th Gen introduced some amazing monsters that really departed from the "dragons, dinosaurs, and lizards only" issue that World seems to have.
There's nothing wrong with reusing animations and skeletons, and I know for Capcom it was a budget and time issue for World, but I think Gen/GenU especially showed how that can be done in a clever way. Like, Glavenus is on the brute skeleton but shares almost no animations whereas Anjanath shares a fair bit with Deviljho; Astalos is on the flying wyvern skeleton but doesnt have much crossover with the Raths except with his idle attacks and tail spin, whereas Legiana, Paolumu, and Pukei-Pukei share most of their ground attacks with Rathian; Malfestio is also on the flying wyvern skeleton and shares very little, and Valstrax... good ol Valstrax... on Gore's skeleton and you can barely tell with how much tlc they gave him with his over-the-top attacks.
...got off on a tangent there but I think you get what I'm saying lol.
Re: Review: Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Switch)
@Razer Wuh...? I'm sorry if I offended anyone but I definitely wasn't trying to, nor did I think I was getting defensive about it. I was just trying to explain my reasoning and also explain why some people might not enjoy the game because Capcom didn't present it on a surface level well. I'm not sure how that's jumping down people's throats? I'm pretty sure several comments up I even said it's not a game for everyone.
Edit: Look, sorry if I offended you at some point with my discussion, really. I didn't join this discussion to upset anyone or make anyone feel like their opinion didn't matter; I chimed in because I think it's only fair to give new players who might have had a bad experience an understanding as to why they may have. Just about everyone I know or have read about HATES MH at first until they come to understand it, but just about no one comes to understand it on their own. But I feel it's better to explain that to people on the chance that they will grow to like it like so many others have. If they still don't, then it's just not a game for them.
Only reason I used "boring" and "slog" is that they're common complaints, and make sense given Capcom's obtuse presentation of the game. But I think trying to explain why it might be a bad impression, and the game isn't actually boring (to me, to a lot of people, and potentially even to the user on the chance they do grow to like it) is healthy for the community and fair discussion.
Re: Review: Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Switch)
@JaxonH I do agree with you, but I also think a lot of people don't think MH is a complicated game because on a surface level it doesn't look like one. Ie some people here in the comments section accuse it of being a slow, boring slog of a "whack a monster until it dies" type of game. So, yeah, it's a little on the user's side for not spending the time to learn a complicated game, but it's also a little on the presentation guide for being deceptive about just how complex it is.
Re: Guide: Call Off The Hunt, We've Found The Best Monster Hunter Merch
Aww man... I am so guilty of owning so much MH merchandise haha. I must say, Capcom has done a spectacular job with all of it, too! I have no complaints about any of the stuff I own... and I own a lot!
I own the special edition MHXX Switch, the Supply Crate carrying case, a MH phone case and 3DS case, all of the Portable 3rd shotglasses, the replica of the G-Rank Guild Gal's leather bag from MHXX, about 90 of the mini figure builders, most of the ecology figures, one of each monster of the Creator's Models (so I don't own every version of every monster but I have one version of every monster), almost every single mainline plush minus Azure Rathalos, Red Khezu, Brute Tigrex (because I can't find those three for sale), and some of the World ones I decided to skip, several Banpresto/Ichiban Kuji lottery figures (including Gobul Huntress and Sophia), both the Brachydios and the Rathalos busts, all of the MH Stories amiibo, the Zinogre funko pop (which I repainted to look like Stygian), all of the hunter Revoltechs as well as the silver Rathalos Revoltech... and much more that I won't even go into.
And I repeat.
ALL of the merchandise is amazing. :3
Edit: A lot of the stuff I have has gotten pretty rare/expensive, but I can offer up some guides / point people in the right direction if they're interested in any of it since, well, I've managed to get my grubby mitts on just about everything. ^_^
Re: Review: Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Switch)
@Azikira My copy is waiting for me in my mailbox, I'm just still at work right now. Thanks for the heads up though
And yeah I know for sure Gen's best was boomerang, but like I said before, I do suggest pulling up Gaijin's video later; you'll be pleasantly surprised by the new variety. Definitely helps that it's MUCH easier to customize any cat now and not all luck-based like it was in Gen.
Re: Review: Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Switch)
@Azikira From what I've seen there's no longer a definitive best in GenU, but I haven't had the pleasure of testing it out yet. I know back in Gen boomerang cats were the way to go, but it looks like you can mix it up a lot more now. Gaijinhunter did a lengthy video on how he plays Prowler, and he went though at least 7-8 different Prowler builds/styles that all seem at least reasonably viable.
Re: Feature: Big In Japan - Investigating The Phenomenon That Is Monster Hunter
Wonderful article! I was in Japan for the first time this past March and I had the pleasure of visiting both the Capcom Cafe and USJ for the MH event. It was such a wonderful experience and it's nice to get to relive it a little through the photos and discussion.
Also, I love Gaijinhunter... it's so wonderful that you guys got to interview him! It's really nice to get to hear the opinion of someone so thoroughly dedicated to the series, especially since he struggled (like we all did) to understand it at first. Wonderful read
Re: Review: Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Switch)
@JaxonH 1000x this. I am in such solid agreement with your replies here that I had to show my support!
It's unfortunate that a combination of the demo being less-than-great, it being a port, and World being out is making this such a controversial discussion for everyone. It's a good game (great, even), just a little bit dated. And it's just frustrating watching people ruin it for others who may be a little more ignorant of its origins because they personally found it to be terrible. There's a reason MH was (and to an extent still is) a cult game... but like you said, if you invest enough into it (and the game-type is for you, which is the most important thing), it's the most rewarding game I've played in a very long time.
Edit: Also looking to try Alchemy hammer and Alchemy/Valor LBG Aerial IG main here but damn if the two new styles don't look great. The buff SA got in axe mode is really nice, too!
Re: Review: Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Switch)
@zool The moment you put a price tag on anything it has to do with spending power. I get what you're saying that we have a "benchmark" that full-priced games should be entirely new, but as I've said before, GenU IS new for the west, because we didn't get XX in any form. So yes, it's a port of a 3DS game, but it's a port of a 3DS game that we never got, therefore to the west, it is a completely new game.
Now, if you have a problem with paying full-price for a game that's an expansion of an old game, that's a different issue entirely. Generations Ultimate is an expansion of content in the same way that Ultra Sun / Ultra Moon were an expansion of content of both Sun and Moon - all of those games are full-price, and always have been. If you disagree with that pricing method (I don't love it, either, but it's already a very established pricing scheme that me boycotting or lowering a review score for won't change) that's a separate topic. But the point I'm trying to make is that the full-priced "expansion" is something that Capcom has been doing for ages (and Game Freak in the Pokemon example) because it's what they do for the Japanese market. Understandably, the Japanese market would be pretty damn upset if we got GenU at a discount because it's a "port" when they paid full price for it over there.
Again, GenU might be a port, but it's still a new game for the west. So while I also agree with you that buying expensive ports could encourage companies to keep making them for a "quick buck," I don't think the logic applies to GenU when we never got XX, and it's priced the exact same way that all past MH entries have been priced.
Re: Review: Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Switch)
@Gibb Thing is, GenU had several quality of life improvements over base Gen, and Gen had several quality of life improvements over 4U. It's just that people are comparing it to the QoL of World, which is the newest entry. Could Capcom have added some QoL improvements for the western release? I mean, I guess in theory they could have, but then it wouldn't be in parity with the Japanese releases (on both 3DS and Switch) which could cause a multitude of other problems. The reality is, GenU is a 4th Gen Monster Hunter title, regardless of the fact that we got it in the west after the release of 5th generation, so it needs to be understood as such and the lack of polish makes sense in that context.
I guess an argument could be made for why Capcom didn't have the QoL changes way earlier into the series but, I think that's more a market issue (since MH was - and to a degree still is - a mostly Japanese-market focused series)...
As for why the demo is horrible... well, I can't excuse that. The only explanation I can give is that Capcom found it hard to juggle not boring people with an hour of tutorialization just to play the demo vs letting people jump into the action outright. The issue is, with such a complex combat system, "jumping in" ends up being more obtuse and frustrating than it is helpful or fun.
Re: Review: Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Switch)
@Gibb Yeah the demo is a really harsh intro to the series... and a poor one at that. A lot of time investment (and frustration) goes into picking out a weapon that "clicks" with you, and in the case of GenU, an art + style combo that does, too. It doesn't help that the demo pits you against 3 pretty fast, jumpy monsters with no explanations for the weapon combos.
I really recommend watching Gaijinhunter's weapon tutorial videos (or skimming; they're long) to get a better idea of how flowy some of the combinations can actually be. The combat is SUPER complex, but the demo (and even the full game tbh) does such a poor job of explaining that to people that people just think the game's about swiping at a monster until it dies. A lot of thought has to go into timing, positioning, and exactly where you hit the monster.
IE, some monsters are weaker in certain spots to certain damage types; some weapons are better suited for fighting certain monsters (ie using a Greatsword against a fast monster like Nargacuga is hard, but using a fast weapon like Dual Blades or Light Bowgun makes it a much zippier, much more enjoyable fight); some weapons play better with specific styles (Valor Greatsword is much more mobile than Guild Greatsword; Aerial Insect Glaive gets a horizontal vault instead of a vertical one letting you cover huge distances, etc).
I think the mistake a lot of newcomers make (which isn't their fault; it's just terribly explained) is that the weapons aren't intuitive, and so learning to use them "right" doesn't come naturally and is really frustrating until they come to understand it. IE, Greatsword is CLUNKY AS HELL until you learn that you're supposed to sheathe CONSTANTLY and run around with your normal dash until you find a good position to use your charge attacks. Certain styles also remove certain combos that feel smooth for a weapon (ie being out of Valor mode for any weapon removes crucial attacks unless you use your Valor sheathe, which is really obtuse for newcomers).
But for those of you who say GenU is slow and clunky, you've honestly just not found a good combo - or Monster Hunter just isn't for you. In a lot of ways, certain weapon + art + style combinations in GenU are actually faster than the combat of World, it just takes time to pick out which ones feel good.
Re: Review: Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Switch)
@MasterJay The demo doesn't do a good job of condensing the combat complexity, especially in GenU which is probably the most complex in the series with the arts and styles. That said, the game still isn't for everyone, and it takes a lot of patience (and some frustration) for it to "click" for most people.
That said, it's not really hack-and-slash-y. You should be focused on breaking certain parts and hitting certain areas depending on your weapon/damage type (giving you a target instead of just aiming at whatever), and it takes a while for people to really find a weapon (and now weapon + style + art combination) that feels right for them. All weapon types feel completely different, and they keep the combat fresh and less same-y.
Also you said you did the first fight? Great Maccao? Maccao is a good starter monster, but he's far less interesting than the later fights. There's less to do with him since he's such a small target and only has a head and tail break.
Re: Review: Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Switch)
@Razer They have no new announcements because they:
a) probably started late
b) which is more important, are trying to not step on their own toes. They are still riding on World's success (the PC release JUST came out after all) and GenU JUST launched in the west. Because they brought it over due to fan-demand, it would seem downright silly to announce a new Switch entry before GenU had time to sell. Yes, in that case it is for sales figures, but that's not laziness... that's business.
In addition, even 18 months isn't really enough time to get something new really out there to show... could they have announced something without a trailer? Sure. But again, they're hardcore avoiding stepping on their own toes right now with the AAA titles they've invested all of their time and money into lately. They put all their eggs into one basket (looking at you, World), and the least time-consuming and least-expensive way for them to get SOMETHING out on Switch (while they probably work behind-the-scenes on something else) is through ports.
Also, we are getting Mega Man 11, so it's not like Capcom has completely neglected the Switch and is ONLY giving us ports. They just had horrible timing and are juggling to find the best way to announce/release because of said eggs in said basket.
Re: Review: Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Switch)
@zool I think it's the fault of individuals for not reading a full review and just going by the end score... but that's a debate for another day. I don't see a problem with reviewing a game mostly in a vacuum if the faults are outlined in reference to the latest entry, which Nintendo Life did here.
Anyway, the port may be overpriced to you and some others, but it's up to individual discretion as to what it's worth for them. I don't think any reviewer should base an actual review score on price, firstly, since "value" is such a subjective thing. A review score should be based on the quality and "entertainment value" of a game, not on the actual monetary price... since, again, monetary value is different per individual. If you give a game a "6 or 7" because it's "overpriced," people aren't going to read that that's why you scored it that way... they're going to assume it's a bad game and skip it entirely, instead of, idk, wait for a sale so it's worth it to them for the money.
I don't think there's anything wrong with mentioning "okay guys this is a port of a 3DS game, and it's 4th Gen so it has some janky bits, be aware of that if you're considering getting it at full-price," but to reflect that in the end score is problematic for reasons mentioned above. Being an "expensive" port does NOT make the actual quality of the gameplay suffer, which is what people will assume if they see it getting a lower score than its 3DS predecessor.
Re: Review: Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Switch)
@jancotianno Capcom ported XX to the Switch for the Japanese market in August of 2017 in direct response to the Switch's unexpected popularity. They were NOT intending to localize XX since they expected World to satisfy, but there was demand for XX to be localized. They brought over GenU as a response to demand, and made MHXX for Switch in Japan in response to demand/console popularity...
That doesn't sound like laziness; poor timing, sure. But not laziness. For all we know, the demand for localized XX (and hopefully GenU's success) could be sparking Capcom to work on a ground-up Switch MH title.
Re: Review: Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Switch)
Just wanted to chime in after reading several of the complaints/concerns on here:
1. The graphics... Okay so, this is mostly opinionated but, I actually think they look just fine for what they are. Yes, it's clear by the models that they're designed for the 3DS, but the textures and colors and lighting look great, and much nicer in motion. Is it as nice looking as World? Again, opinionated but, while World absolutely has better textures and models, I actually greatly, GREATLY prefer the color palette and designs of 4th Gen Monster Hunter... World very much killed the unique, fun, creative feel of the monsters... 4th Gen - and especially Generations / GenU - really shine in their use of color to make monsters more expressive and unique (ie almost all new monsters have a stark color contrast in rage mode, which is truer in 3rd Gen onward and less so in first and second gen)... which is something World opted out of for a more muted, more "gritty realism" feel that... well I could never get into.
TL; DR, yes the models and some textures are dated (because it's a port of a 2015 game), but the colors and monster designs of GenU are just beautiful.
2. The price tag. Okay so, again if you feel the full price isn't worth it to you because it's a 3DS port, that's your prerogative; it's your money. But, remember that we never got MHXX in the west, so this IS a new entry for us, not simply a port. It's still a port, sure, but it's actually a very nicely done port, and a port of a game we never got. Still, if it's not worth it to you, so be it, but I think it's at least an arguably fair price for a game with the amount of content it has that never came west until today.
2a. I don't think that buying this at full-price is encouraging Capcom to make more ports... MHGenU is a really weird situation where Capcom basically panicked and ported it to the Japan-popular Switch after they realized that the Switch was successful, which came as a surprise to them. GenU wasn't planned to come West, but the demand for it made them bring over the nice and polished Switch port. They didn't localize it because they only like making ports... they localized it because there was demand for a game we didn't get in the West, that was only ported to Switch to begin with because the Switch exploded in popularity in Japan. If nothing else, I see buying GenU as being a way to show that the west DOES want Monster Hunter on the Switch, NOT that we want ports on the Switch. Hopefully with enough demand, we can get a game built from the ground-up with the Switch in mind.
3. Hey bow users, Valor Bow looks pretty nifty... ^_^ It might not be the same as World but, Valor especially helps mix things up some.