Monster Hunter may be a series I’ve always found myself interested in, but I never expected to fall for it so hard. I’m eating, drinking, and sleeping Monster Hunter – for the first time in ages, I actually find myself thinking about playing the game between sessions, pining away for the next hunt!
I’ve been trying over the last week to pin down exactly why I enjoy Monster Hunter so much, as at first glance it doesn’t really seem like the kind of game I’d enjoy. Obtuse systems, steep learning curve, and a large emphasis on grinding? Normally, descriptors like these would make me turn up my nose in disgust, but so far (I say this because I’ve only put in about 10 hours, and I’m positive I still haven’t gotten to the real meat of the game) Monster Hunter has been the right mixture of charming ambience, thrilling battles with dinosaur-like monsters, and mindless, yet relaxing, gathering sessions.
First, to clarify, I’m playing the 3DS version of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, and since I don’t have a Wii U to connect to the online multiplayer features of the game, my adventures so far have been 100% solo. I also don’t have a Circle Pad Pro, so I’m using the notoriously-frustrating single-stick control scheme… which I haven’t had all that many issues with, surprisingly!
I know many are wary of giving Monster Hunter a shot due to the game’s reputation, so as someone completely fresh to the series, I thought it might be helpful for me to go over my experience with the game so far. Keep in mind that I am no way an authority on Monster Hunter, and I really have only scratched the surface of the game! But, if you’ve always been on the fence, perhaps my impressions will be of some use to you.
Of course, when talking about Monster Hunter, it’s hard to skirt around the supposed difficulty curve and the game’s penchant for sucking literally hundreds of hours away from players’ lives. Why, just the other day my friend and fellow games writer Brad Gallaway declared that he had finished up his review of Monster Hunter 3U, lamenting that he had only put in 75 hours at the time of writing (read it here!). Let me tell you, I can’t even think of a game outside of an MMO that you can put 75 hours into and still not have accessed the majority of its content!
But do you need to put 75 hours in before the game is enjoyable? One thing’s for sure, if the first 10 hours are supposed to be the slow part of the game, then I think I’m going to be in for a real treat from here on out. It cannot be denied that the beginning of the game is a little on the overwhelming side, but a deliberate, systematic approach to learning how the game functions is all that is necessary for learning the ropes (i.e don’t jump into online multiplayer straight away and expect to know what you’re doing!). Oh, and taking some advice from fellow hunters doesn’t hurt!
So, in a nutshell, both of the above statements are true: Monster Hunter can be quite the time sink and it does take a while to get the hang of. But, for me, at least, herein lies the game’s charm. So far, I’ve loved the communal aspect of the game: everyone who plays Monster Hunter is extremely eager to coach newcomers and swap stories with one another to figure out the best way to tackle the game’s many monsters or determine the best armor layout. Moreover, I dare say the Monster Hunter community is one of the best game communities I’ve encountered yet – everyone is so friendly and just overflowing with love for the game, which, unfortunately, seems all too rare these days. Add this to what I believe to be the closest a game has ever come to presenting my ideal fantasy world, and Monster Hunter is a game I am happily looking forward to spending tens, if not hundreds, of hours with.
Now that I’ve gotten my first impressions out of the way, it’s time to move on to the juicy part of this very special blog post: I’m extremely excited to announce that I’ve teamed up with the lovely Sarah and Roy of Culty to give away not one, but two digital copies of their amazing Monster Hunter Beginner’s Guide!
You may recall that I wrote about the Monster Hunter Beginner’s Guide once before, and now that I’ve spent some time with Monster Hunter 3U, I just can’t stress enough how helpful it’s been. It’s done wonders for enabling me to quickly grasp the various systems presented in the game, and all the information is presented in an interesting, easy-to-understand format. The input they received from different Monster Hunter players is also a great introduction to the wealth of knowledge the community holds, and everyone’s excitement and love for the series is contagious!
So, have I sold you on the game and Culty’s amazing guide yet? Well, I guess you’d like to know how you can win one, right? All you have to do is comment on this post with what interests you most about Monster Hunter (if you’re already playing, just tell me your favorite aspect of the game) before Saturday, April 6th at 9 pm EST to enter! I’ll decide the lucky winners using a random number generator and announce the winners on Sunday. The a PDF of the guide will be emailed to the winners for viewing on your computer or tablet of choice.
Good luck, and happy hunting!
Frankly I prefer the Airou games 😛
I really, really suck at Monster Hunter. On Tri on the Wii I couldn’t beat Great Jaggi by myself despite trying a dozen times. I either lack the patience or I need a decent camera to enjoy these games.
So, suffice to say, this is not one Wii U game that I’m going to spend much time with.
Oh no, really? What do you find so tough about the game, if you don’t mind my asking? It might help me understand why others are so weary of jumping in.
I actually beat the Great Jaggi in 3U on my first try – I was really surprised by that! I’m usually horrible at action-oriented games, and I wouldn’t touch a notoriously difficult game like Demon’s Souls with a ten-foot pole, but for some reason Monster Hunter seems to be clicking for me. That said, I am a little worried that somewhere down the line I’ll get stuck for not having made better crafting decisions earlier on…
I take it you don’t want to enter the giveaway, then? The Beginner’s Guide might give you some helpful tips!
Your comment about the camera is interesting – I find that if I’m really into the game for other reasons, I’ll generally be willing to deal with a weird camera. But, if I’m not feeling other aspects of the game, a bad camera definitely won’t go unnoticed!
Oh I just love the MonHun series. I enjoyed playing MonHun Tri and the Freedom titles for PSP.
I started playing the series with the first MonHun game for PS2 and fell in love immediately.
As for me I bought the Wii U version of MonHun 3 Ultimate and I spent the last weeks with playing it with my boyfriend (with his 3DS version) or friends via internet.
Too bad the game is not able to combine online-multiplayer with local-multiplayer. I always have to decide if I want to play with my bf or my friends. 🙁
That’s a bit frustrating.
But there’s one thing about the game I have to criticize:
I think MonHun 3 Ultimate is more an extended version of Tri.
And 59€ (about 75,84 USD) are waaaay to much!
I still enjoy playing it and defeating the new super-cute looking monsters to build an armor with the items they drop.
I guess I’ll never get tired of MonHun 😀
I noticed the difficult camera-handling on the 3DS game without CPP.
I wanted to buy the 3DS version for to go but I guess without the CPP I can’t play it. And I can’t use the CPP because I don’t want to remove the crystal case from my Pikachu 3DS XL. 🙁
Too bad Capcom has chosen Nintendos consoles instead of Sony’s.
Imagine how much better the game would have been on PS3 and PSvita with cross-play O______O
There was an PS3 MonHun-title once (released only in Japan).
Monster Hunter 3rd Portable (it was also a PSP title) wich was a mix of MonHun 3 Ultimate and MonHun 4 (which is already out in Japan >___>).
The game looks so awesome! I wish I had a chance to play it on my PS3 with a working online-mode and 2 sticks on the handheld D:
P.S. I would loooove to get one of the PDF-copies 😀
Yours Lizzi
Hi Lizzi! Wow, I didn’t realize you were such a big MonHun buff! You’ve been playing ever since the first games on the PS2? That’s awesome! 😀
I didn’t know you couldn’t do local and online multiplayer at the same time on the Wii U version. It’s shame you have to choose between playing with your boyfriend and playing with others. I also don’t like how the 3DS version has online (which I hear they added for the western release), but only WITH a Wii U system. That’s silly, isn’t it? Of course if you have a Wii U system you’re going to want to take the Wii U version online, not the 3DS version.
And I know what you mean about wishing Capcom hadn’t moved to Nintendo systems… I keep thinking how lovely MonHun would look on the PS Vita, plus the controls would be so much better with the extra analog stick! Argh, it’s so sad >_<
Anyway, thank you for your comment! I’ve put you in the drawing for one the guides!
The demo is horrible, that’s all I can say! They give you 20 minutes to defeat the monsters instead of the more generous 50 minute standard in all of the other Monster Hunter games AND it doesn’t even sell you on the appeal of the series 🙁
Monster Hunter is all about the gradual climb to defeat all the monsters and carve up their bodies to put on your body to carve up more monsters to replace your monster outfit with some important hunting and gathering scattered in between. You need the hunting and gathering stuff!
“Monster Hunter is all about the gradual climb to defeat all the monsters and carve up their bodies to put on your body to carve up more monsters to replace your monster outfit with some important hunting and gathering scattered in between.” Best description of MonHun I’ve ever read.
Soooo do you want to enter in the giveaway? I take it you don’t really need any help with the game, but you can still enter if you’d like the guide (you just have to answer my question!)
It’s a shame to hear that you’re actually playing solo only so far. The fights with giant monsters really are the best part of the game – learning their tells, memorizing the feel of your own attacks, and slowly getting better at the back and forth dance that each fight is – but they only get better in multiplayer.
I have 2 friends I play with, and we’ve worked up a wonderful 4 person waltz over time, with the two of them going back and forth on the monster with switch axe and hammer, giving each other the openings to heal and sharpen, while I am constantly pelting it with arrows from afar, keeping track of position, health, and setting traps for the final takedown. And they’ve told me that their melee fight is made all the more exhilarating by how the monster’s head is constantly sparking from my arrows, and the occasional time when one will knock them out of a charge, right when they really need the breathing space.
That dance of the fight really is the best part. With friends it only gets bigger and better. (Also monster go down faster, so grinding doesn’t feel quite so much like grinding x3)
Oh, I love reading this, Anne! I’ve been curious about this series since I first read about it ages ago, but I’m one of those wimps who’ve yet to jump in because the steep learning curve intimidates me. Given the fact that you’re a first-timer, too, and you’re enjoying the hell out of it … well, maybe that means I’ll enjoy it, too.
Since I’ve already won a few of your giveaways and I’m not sure I’ll be getting this game anytime soon, though, I don’t want to throw my hat in the ring for this one. I wish good luck to those who do sign up for it, though! 🙂
I think my favorite aspect has to be satisfaction of crafting a new piece of armor or weapon.
The most important thing about the games for me is that confronting the big monsters /always/ scares me. The kind of respectful fear you get from giant rollercoasters, scary but thrilling. No other game does that as well as MonHun.
I’m currently playing the 3DS version on my XL with an imported CPP. I enjoy this game so much because there’s so much content! Soon as you get that one piece of loot that you’ve been doing countless runs for…it’s on to the next beast to do it all over again! Good times!
I can’t pinpoint what I like about the game. Could be the grind and resource management. Hell, it could be the monsters. Growing up I always had a fascination with dinosaurs. Going in hunts in a virtual world for creatures that closely resembles dinosaurs is fun. Especially the cut scenes when you first meet the boss monsters.
This game is amazing and its my first time playing monster hunter ever. MHU3 has alot of content and its not easy its challenging which I like in a game. Ive put so much hours into this game and havnt made a dent yet so much too do its awesome 😀
I came here cus Culty said to, lol jk, I was interested in MH since I heard of it, but never got myself nor ps, nor psp, so when I knew it was coming to 3ds, I got myself a good excuse to get a 3ds, so here I am now, with more than 50 hours, an still HR1! farming barrioth, rathian and lagiacrus in order to get better armor and weapons to defeat that pesky gigginox -i hate it so much, I can´t even get him to rage nor purple body nor anything-
and now, with MH3U being my first mh, I’m more in love with it, might even get a psp and a Wii U, just to play the others and online at wii u. :3
and, well, in order to enter the giveaway i need to tell you the best thing I like of the game, right? well, it’s the “hunting” thing, you know, I played hell a lot fo hours fo red dead redemption, mostly hunting, it was nice to kill something and get the swag, well, in mh is like it, but thousand times better, if I break a barrioth crest, I can carve it, if I destroy a Lagi horn, I get the drop, whenever I capture a rathian, I get better drops! that’s what I’m all about it, hunting, carving, making set armors, weapons and messing with the hellish desire sensor. :3
Monster Hunter interests me because it is an amazing teamwork game. It seems nowadays most games are very competitive in that you are fighting against other people. This makes the community very toxic, take League of Legends for example. Monster Hunter, on the other hand, still has a very nice and helpful community that makes it a joy to participate it.
Other than that, the gameplay itself is very fun and addicting and I love the style of the game. Everything about it is fantastic.
What seems to intrigue me the most are the hours that you can pour into this game. I haven’t played a game that engrossing since Dragon Quest IX and am hoping that Monster Hunter, with it’s larger than life battles, can recreate or even surpass that magic with its hundreds of hours of gameplay!
Cool site! I played the demo for Monster Hunter Tri and got hooked! The variety of weapons and the difficulty of taking down even those first monsters was very satisfying once accomplished. All the little intricacies are addicting.
I’m interested in Monster Hunter because I have several friends that already own the game, and I have heard the multiplayer in this series is fantastic. I really want to take down some giant monsters with my friends!
Interesting in Monster Hunter because I have an obsessive compulsive personality when it comes to games with grinding or collecting!
“Let me tell you, I can’t even think of a game outside of an MMO that you can put 75 hours into and still not have accessed the majority of its content!”
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time has successfully managed to eat up some two hundred hours of my life. Granted that was to clear an optional (and very long) dungeon, but the effort needed to conquer it is monstrous. Not to mention that I STILL haven’t gotten all the way through it…or some other content I haven’t touched yet.
That aside, I’ve never put too much stock in the Monster Hunter series (though I respect it, and I DO like the visual design), but my brother absolutely LOVES it. He’s a noted Wii-hater, but he’s put some serious time into the Wii iteration — and he’s been talking about getting a Wii U and/or 3DS JUST to play a new entry in the series. Something about collecting the tears of wild animals intrigues him, I suppose…
THE THING THAT MOST INTERESTS ME ABOUT MONSTER HUNTER IS the dinky felynes and weird, lighthearted jokes sandwiched between an incredibly complex game.
I love playing the game because of the variety of different monsters you can hunt. I’m surprised they can make so many of them, yet almost all of them are distinct.
TIPS FOR PLAYING:
You can and should sheath your weapon when you are not using it. Monsters move quickly and sometimes you need the extra maneuverability to dodge attacks. A good habit to get in to is to run in and hit the enemy when you see the opportunity, sheath your weapon, and run away again. Unless you’re using a lance, you always want to keep some distance.
WATCH MONSTER MOVEMENTS AND YOUR MOVEMENTS. Monster Hunter is all about knowing the length of animations. You don’t need to count frames or anything insane like that, but simply knowing how long an attack takes and how long its range is is super helpful. Otherwise you can miss the monster entirely or hit them and not get the opportunity to dodge their incoming blow.
Be open to using each and every weapon type. Sure, find a favourite and one that suits you that you can reliably use as your baseline weapon when you’re exploring and hunting smaller monsters or monsters you’re familiar with but sometimes one particular weapon is better than another at taking down specific monsters. For beginners, I recommend the long sword, dual sword, and or bow as they’re a bit more immediate and quicker than the other weapons.
And above all, patience. I think patience is the big one, honestly. A lot of players rush in thinking this’ll be like a video game where you’re nigh on invincible but every action you take in the game is carefully animated and drawn out. When you get hit by something it looks fantastic but all those lovely animations of you being tossed and thrown about have to play out completely before you’re given control again. The same thing happens when you use an item which ties into my point above: know how long your actions take!
A lot of this changes in a multiplayer setting, of course, but when you’re all by your lonesome all of the above is important to remember.
It’s honestly not as difficult to grasp as you might think, too! You just need to unlearn some typical video game actions. It’s a very silly, charming game despite its rabid following.
I know, I’d really like to be able to play with others, too. Luckily I’ve heard from some who’ve spent the majority of their time with the game solo, so I’m hoping I’ll be able to enjoy it well enough that way. Eventually I do want to get a Wii U, so when that time comes, I’ll definitely go online and see what the multiplayer has to offer. In the meantime, hopefully someone in my area gets into it so I can play with them locally!
Anyway, thanks for the great comment! It’s great that you have so much fun with your friends. I’ve added your entry to the proverbial hat! Good luck!
Oh bummerrrrr I just wrote you a super lengthy reply and it got lost in the dark void of the interwebs! How depressing. The general gist of things was that, above all, I really love the aesthetic of Monster Hunter (visuals/world, music, quirky dialogue) and I think that’s what’s pushing me to keep going even though I don’t always understand the game’s systems. I’m really surprised that there’s so much I like about it from an aesthetic standpoint, actually! No one really told me what a great sense of humor the game had, or how good the music was, before I played it!
So if you think the world seems compelling enough to you, I’d say give it a shot when you can! It’s the kind of game that’s so open-ended, too, that you could put in 20-30 hours and have a fun and interesting experience with just that without ever “finishing” the game or getting too deep into it, I think. Hope you give it a shot someday! 🙂
Wow, thanks for the advice, Alois! I have to say, between your comments here and what Anne has had to say in this post, I’m giving serious consideration to picking up this game sooner rather than later. Gah! But I don’t need any more games right now 😐
You know what’s funny, Anne? A few hours ago, I was writing up a rather lengthy response to a comment you left over on *my* blog, and it got lost in the dark void of the interwebs, too! Hmmm, is there some Twilight Zone kind of stuff happening between here?
Seriously, though, I have to say that your comments have really opened my eyes to this series. Now I want to play it. Ack!!
I love playing Monster Hunter because of my digital hoarding addiction… I enjoy going around and collecting all of the herbs, honey, bugs, mushrooms, etc… 😛 Also my favorite part of RPG games is the new armor and weapons upgrades and the fact that I love Action games this being an Action game with RPG game armor and weapon crafting and upgrades is the perfect mix for me.
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is cool because I can just go out and gather stuff whenever I want, I don’t have to be out on a quest to go collecting. 🙂
Aren’t there tunneling programs to play this game online? I remember being able to play DS & PSP games online by running a program on my PC that basically makes your 3DS think you have a bunch of Ad Hoc users nearby. Something to look into perhaps? I’m playing the Wii U version and have yet to play online with it yet. Enjoying the single player side of the game first.
I think it just doesn’t like us 🙂
As for me waiting for this game: oh, believe me, I’m not getting it anytime soon. Someday, though … maybe!
Attacks feel weighty, and I have to think about when and how I want to strike. I love it. I LOVE IT.
As far as I know, there isn’t anything like the Ad Hoc thing available for the 3DS game yet. I hope there is soon!
Hi Amy! You won the Monster Hunter Beginner’s Guide! http://chicpixel.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/monster-hunter-beginners-guide-giveway.html Please let me know what email address I can send it to 🙂
Hi acarno! You won a copy of the Monster Hunter Beginner’s Guide! http://chicpixel.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/monster-hunter-beginners-guide-giveway.html Please let me know what email address you’d like it sent to 🙂
Hi acarno! I’m writing to remind you that you were one of the winners of the Monster Hunter Beginner’s Guide. Please contact me by Sunday, April 14th with an email address I can send the guide to. If I haven’t heard from you by Monday I will have to select a new winner.
Hi Lizzi! The previous winner of the Monster Hunter Beginner’s Guide never claimed theirs, so I’ve selected new winners, and you’re one of them! Please let me know what email address I can send it to!
Hi Zombidillo! The previous winner of the Monster Hunter Beginner’s Guide never claimed theirs, so I’ve selected new winners, and you’re one of them! Please let me know what email address I can send it to!
Oh my god! My email is Zombidillo@gmail.com
I really hope I’m not too late!
You’re not! I still have one left 🙂 I’ll send it your way shortly
Thanks!
Awesome! Thanks for your entry!
I bet it would be a blast to play with your friends! Thanks for your entry 🙂
Thanks for your comment! I’ve added your entry to the proverbial hat 🙂
It definitely is the definitely of “time sink”! But most people would say that is a good thing 😉 Thanks for your entry!
Great point! I’m really enjoying the community so far. It’s great to be immersed in such a passionate group of gamers that just love what they play.
Thanks for your entry!
Thanks for your entry!
Glad to hear someone else is enjoying it on the 3DS! Thanks for your entry 🙂
It’s definitely thrilling! I love the sense of awe when you first encounter a new monster.
Thanks for your entry!
Thanks for your entry!
Huh, something must be going on with Disqus! Or maybe it just doesn’t like us 😉
It definitely is something you should try eventually, but remember, it’ll always be there! Perhaps I’d suggest waiting until you get a Wii U so you can take it online? That might be a way to convince yourself to hold off for a little while 😉
tnx, and well, the only bad thing, is that 3ds version is only local to play, don’t get me wrong, must be awesome to be there with your friends, hunting G rank monsters and eating pizza and stuff, but, in mexico there aren’t a lot of MonHun players, or so it seems, even to get the game was hard enough. so yeah, the marketing campaing -in mex at least- was none, so I’m still playing solo, like many others in mex who only owns 3ds version 🙁