My first review on Backloggd, figured I'd start with my favorite game. Anyway, the base game of MHW and its add-on Iceborne are just, immense. With the amount of content and fun I've had with this package, I'd easily pay over $100. You've just got it all in terms of action, gameplay loop, visuals, music, and more (definitely not the story, but come on lay off).
In terms of action, the balance between style, environmental tactics, pattern recognition, and knowledge of your weapon's move set is easily the most impressive mix of gameplay attributes I've seen in any game. At any given moment, a player makes so many decisions on the fly without even recognizing it. Okay Tigrex charged forward so I know if I stay close enough I'll have the chance to trigger its tail whip which leaves it open for me to try to stun it, and from there I can climb to that ledge to get mounting damage, or grab the ammo that it dropped, or shoot my slinger at the rock above, or try to weaken it with my clutch claw attack. And it helps that these weapons do some really cool shit, like you can be an attack helicopter with some weapons in this game god damn. I found the difficulty to be perfect, and was a great challenge for me throughout. I had never played a game this hard before, and had my ass completely handed to me during the first 20 hours, but I felt like a genius once things started to click (and once I switched to hammer). While the game gets significantly easier once you're fully acquainted with your weapon, the creativity and intelligence the game allows the player to have with the environmental factors and move sets of the weapons and monsters always ensures the fact that this game is just fun.
Even while not in action, the gameplay loop that occurs outside of combat is what really keeps your gamer brain hooked and juiced up. To begin with, the footprints, scratchings, and other various traces of a monster informing the Hunter's notes is a genius method of collecting research on these creatures, and I was really disappointed it wasn't brought back in Rise. Collecting this data and using it to find a monster's weaknesses and materials informs the player of how to go about a fight before even initiating it with the monster, as opposed to simply going in blind. These little DNA samples being scattered across the map maintains that the player always has mini rewards throughout a hunt, and it just feels cool to be a monster researcher! What's more is the gameplay loop of constantly gaining new armor and weapons, which, like the combat, look cool as shit. Along with the research data, the crafting and refining of your loadouts makes preparing for a fight often times nearly as fun as the fight itself. It's like a little project every time there's a new monster! This game is so good man. Okay last thing about the gameplay loop, the design of each level is amazing, I keep finding new things in each map, even after 3 years of playing the game. Swinging from vines with the clutch claw, jumping off of huge mountains for a mounting attack, the amount of small caverns, this map design is so full of life. I could go on, but know that even though I'd consider the combat a 10/10, I think the game outside of that is somehow better.
The visuals, geez... GEEZ. This game is GORGEOUS, and the amount of detail in the locations, monsters, and weapon/armor is astounding. Every single map in the game is brimming with beautiful set pieces and imaginative creatures that make for an immersive experience like you wouldn't believe. Lets talk about those creatures. People kind of shit on the monster selection because its a bunch of big lizards, but shut up big lizards are awesome. Especially when they climb trees like a flying squirrel and have storm powers and have a flame sword tail and are also just a moose. The returning and new monsters are so varied and lovingly crafted, real shame that you're going to kill most of them that you meet. Beyond the monsters, the smaller endemic life, plants, and scenery in each map reaches the point of almost being superfluous, there's something to look at everywhere and its all PRETTY.
Lastly, the music in this game is just as varied and lovingly composed as the creatures in the game, with a bunch of different tracks. The main theme with the booming brass section gets you ready to kick some major ass and is filled with the same triumphant cheesiness that the characters in the game are. The battle themes, unique to each area and sometimes to monsters never, ever got old to me, and always aided in my immersion of each fight. The Guilding Lands batle theme??? Come on. The more ambient music of finishing a quest or sifting through menus in the hub world, this game nails the pieces in composition and in where they're used. There's never too much of a soundtrack, never too little. I'm getting tired so point is: music really good.
Sure, the story sucks, I feel bad when Anjanath starts limping, I wanted to rage quit for the first 20 hours, and the amount of THINGS in this game is a little overwhelming, but this game is very close to perfection in my eyes. There's so much I didn't mention regarding the great hub world, variety in weapon move sets, multiplayer, and more, but there's an astounding amount of things to love in this game. This was my first monster hunter, is not my last, and may always be my favorite.
Favorite weapon: Hammer gang
Favorite monster: Glavenus
In terms of action, the balance between style, environmental tactics, pattern recognition, and knowledge of your weapon's move set is easily the most impressive mix of gameplay attributes I've seen in any game. At any given moment, a player makes so many decisions on the fly without even recognizing it. Okay Tigrex charged forward so I know if I stay close enough I'll have the chance to trigger its tail whip which leaves it open for me to try to stun it, and from there I can climb to that ledge to get mounting damage, or grab the ammo that it dropped, or shoot my slinger at the rock above, or try to weaken it with my clutch claw attack. And it helps that these weapons do some really cool shit, like you can be an attack helicopter with some weapons in this game god damn. I found the difficulty to be perfect, and was a great challenge for me throughout. I had never played a game this hard before, and had my ass completely handed to me during the first 20 hours, but I felt like a genius once things started to click (and once I switched to hammer). While the game gets significantly easier once you're fully acquainted with your weapon, the creativity and intelligence the game allows the player to have with the environmental factors and move sets of the weapons and monsters always ensures the fact that this game is just fun.
Even while not in action, the gameplay loop that occurs outside of combat is what really keeps your gamer brain hooked and juiced up. To begin with, the footprints, scratchings, and other various traces of a monster informing the Hunter's notes is a genius method of collecting research on these creatures, and I was really disappointed it wasn't brought back in Rise. Collecting this data and using it to find a monster's weaknesses and materials informs the player of how to go about a fight before even initiating it with the monster, as opposed to simply going in blind. These little DNA samples being scattered across the map maintains that the player always has mini rewards throughout a hunt, and it just feels cool to be a monster researcher! What's more is the gameplay loop of constantly gaining new armor and weapons, which, like the combat, look cool as shit. Along with the research data, the crafting and refining of your loadouts makes preparing for a fight often times nearly as fun as the fight itself. It's like a little project every time there's a new monster! This game is so good man. Okay last thing about the gameplay loop, the design of each level is amazing, I keep finding new things in each map, even after 3 years of playing the game. Swinging from vines with the clutch claw, jumping off of huge mountains for a mounting attack, the amount of small caverns, this map design is so full of life. I could go on, but know that even though I'd consider the combat a 10/10, I think the game outside of that is somehow better.
The visuals, geez... GEEZ. This game is GORGEOUS, and the amount of detail in the locations, monsters, and weapon/armor is astounding. Every single map in the game is brimming with beautiful set pieces and imaginative creatures that make for an immersive experience like you wouldn't believe. Lets talk about those creatures. People kind of shit on the monster selection because its a bunch of big lizards, but shut up big lizards are awesome. Especially when they climb trees like a flying squirrel and have storm powers and have a flame sword tail and are also just a moose. The returning and new monsters are so varied and lovingly crafted, real shame that you're going to kill most of them that you meet. Beyond the monsters, the smaller endemic life, plants, and scenery in each map reaches the point of almost being superfluous, there's something to look at everywhere and its all PRETTY.
Lastly, the music in this game is just as varied and lovingly composed as the creatures in the game, with a bunch of different tracks. The main theme with the booming brass section gets you ready to kick some major ass and is filled with the same triumphant cheesiness that the characters in the game are. The battle themes, unique to each area and sometimes to monsters never, ever got old to me, and always aided in my immersion of each fight. The Guilding Lands batle theme??? Come on. The more ambient music of finishing a quest or sifting through menus in the hub world, this game nails the pieces in composition and in where they're used. There's never too much of a soundtrack, never too little. I'm getting tired so point is: music really good.
Sure, the story sucks, I feel bad when Anjanath starts limping, I wanted to rage quit for the first 20 hours, and the amount of THINGS in this game is a little overwhelming, but this game is very close to perfection in my eyes. There's so much I didn't mention regarding the great hub world, variety in weapon move sets, multiplayer, and more, but there's an astounding amount of things to love in this game. This was my first monster hunter, is not my last, and may always be my favorite.
Favorite weapon: Hammer gang
Favorite monster: Glavenus