i remember playing this 10 hours a day during school holidays with my friends. one of the most fun co-op games i've played, the monsters are beautiful and the combat is typically smooth and badass.

i think its flaws reside in areas such as multiplayer connectivity.. too many times was i disconnected from matches for stupid reasons, and also way too many modders as modifying your stats (cheating) is basically unmonitored in this game.

the game has a cool, but not so central story. just gear up in cool looking shit and use a cool looking weapon to spend an hour trying to kill a cool looking monster.

also the palicos are so fucking cute.. god i fucking love cats

While some find the level design to be a step back from 1, I disagree, the frustration it can add certainly creates tension, but in a way that benefits the games story and themes tenfold.
The story is both deeply layered, interesting, and proves its point in such a beautiful manner.
The Soundtrack is possibly one of the best in gaming, and the muddy grungy graphical style helps sell this bleak world incredibly.
One of, if not my favorite game of all time, certainly one of the most influential pieces of art I have experienced in my life.