I wouldn't blame any of you if that description didn't have you immediately jumping to the JRPG hunting festival. As I've said before, we in the West are more blase to the world of Monster Hunter. It is to the Japanese what the Halo series is to us: A brilliant cash cow, but also a cult classic. They have huge meets where hunters trek through the wilderness together, and they practically foam at the mouth when a new game is announced. I admit, I love that madness, that passion for the series. We could do with a little of that.
Enough about the fans, what about the game? Well, it is, at its bones, a shameless port of Monster Hunter Tri for the Wii. The first few hours, at any rate, unfold almost exactly as its aging sister, albeit with slight variations in the script. It's manhandled to explain the new 'online' features, and I use that word sparingly. It lacks the true multiplayer feeling of the Wii U, and you really feel it. But more on that later.
You start off the game with a full list of starter weapons, which is a big plus. It allows for experimentation between playing styles, from the sluggish yet mighty great-sword to the nippy dual blades and don't forget the standard sword and shield. This is a feature that was missing from Tri. I spent the best part of half an hour simply toying around with the wide range of weaponry. I settled for the slightly vanilla sword and shield, by the by. And I'm loving it.
There is a lengthy introduction to the various mechanics, as well as features like faring and fishing. These felt unnecessary to me, having played its predecessor, but to newcomers I imagine it would have appeared simple and engaging. At least, that was how it felt when I first began playing Monster Hunter. The first few quests run in a similar vein, getting you adjusted to the idea of foraging which plays a huge role in the game. But after your first encounter with the mighty Lagiacrus, a huge water dragon, things start to pick up. Less than twenty minutes later, I was smacking down some Ludroth and warming up to take on a giant velociraptor. I'm pretty excited to get back to that.
The touch screen menu is actually pretty handy. It's fully customisable, so you can opt to have your HUD on the lower screen, leaving the top one almost totally clear. I opted to have my map on the bottom, as well as a virtual D-pad and my combo list. Saved me a lot of back-and-forward nonsense so far. On the topic of the D-pad, it's slightly ridiculous in Ultimate. It's used to control the camera, although you can snap forward with the left shoulder button. It's in an uncomfortable location, since often you will be running when you want to change camera angle. So you're working the thumbstick, while trying to use the D-Pad. If you are unfamiliar with the 3DS, look and see the problem for yourself:
Luckily, that's solved with the virtual D-pad and lock-on feature. Sadly, that doesn't help with underwater exploration. Its clunky and resulted in my death at the hands of a furious sea serpent. The Circle Pad Pro seems like a worthwhile investment, and it is one I will definitely be looking into.
Visually, it's a treat. They have managed to take something designed for a console and bring it to a handheld with almost no loss of quality. The animations are smooth, the creatures run and attack seamlessly and the scenery is gorgeous. Mnus the grass and plant textures, but this isn't Super Gardener Man so I forgive it.
My early thoughts? It is better than the original, in a hard-to-explain manner. Despite the clunky camera controls, it runs beautifully and supplies a lovely, portable experience. I feel as though it has finally found its niche on the 3DS, and I look forward to jumping in more. Speaking of which....I have a Great Jaggi to take down!
Let the hunt begin!
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