TL;DR
Monster Hunter World hooks you with its satisfying loop of hunting monsters, crafting gear, and mastering skills in a gorgeous, immersive world. It offers deep character customization, charming feline companions, and polished cutscenes. However, the core gameplay might get repetitive, and some minor animations lack variety. Stealth mechanics and weapon choice are areas for improvement, but the intuitive controls make combat accessible. Despite initial concerns about its potentially endless grind, Monster Hunter World shows promise as an addictive experience. Dive into the full review to see if this hunt is worth your time!
Monster Hunter World is a title that can easily consume significant amounts of time if one isn’t careful. The core gameplay loop revolves around hunting progressively challenging monsters, crafting superior weapons and equipment, and mastering advanced hunting techniques. It presents a vast sandbox environment populated with diverse creatures, consistently directing the player towards a specific hunting objective.
Beyond the hunts themselves, players can engage in activities such as dining, interacting with other hunters, and forming hunting parties to tackle formidable monsters. The game boasts impressive graphics, with cutscenes exhibiting a high level of polish akin to animated features. Voice acting is commendable, and the overall world design feels cohesive and immersive. A feline companion provides invaluable assistance during hunts.
The character customization options are extensive, offering near-limitless possibilities for creating a unique avatar. Players can even select a specific voice for their character from a substantial selection – easily exceeding twenty distinct options in my experience.
After approximately ninety minutes of gameplay, these are my initial impressions. Potential drawbacks include the risk of repetitiveness. The core loop of hunting, crafting, and hunting again could become monotonous. I was unable to test the multiplayer mode, a central feature of the game, so it’s plausible that an active multiplayer experience mitigates the perceived simplicity of the single-player gameplay.
Furthermore, some minor issues were observed. Certain cutscenes, such as the dining sequence, are repetitive, lacking variation based on the player’s choices. Similarly, the animation for transitioning to new areas of the island remains constant. While seemingly insignificant, these repetitions can become somewhat irritating and feel somewhat dated. Additionally, an element of stealth gameplay felt underdeveloped; the effectiveness of crouching as a concealment mechanic appeared inconsistent.
The control scheme is intuitive, but combat can become repetitive, and weapon selection is crucial. Certain weapons are notably slow, and an ill-advised choice can prove detrimental during hunts.
In conclusion, while not typically my preferred genre due to its potentially endless nature of perpetually pursuing the next creature, quest, or gadget, Monster Hunter World is easily accessible and potentially addictive. Time will tell if my initial reservations are unfounded.
Monster Hunter World is scheduled for release on January 26, 2018, for PS4 and Xbox One. A comprehensive review will be published on senses.se upon release.
