Monster Hunter was never a series I was interested in when I first heard about it. I was told it was a silly game where you can play as a bard to fight monsters. It sounded funny, but it was never enough to capture my interest.
Fast forward a few years, and I found myself yearning for a new adventure. The dopamine high that came from beating up Arlecchino in Lies of P: Overture had long worn off. It was then I borrowed a copy of Monster Hunter World and discovered the magic of Astera and Seliana.
Monster Hunter World + Iceborne
The hardest part of this game was learning the combat input. Pushing the triangle and circle buttons to fight was the most annoying part of the learning curve. After an hour of getting accustomed to this, I tested all of the weapons to find one I liked. Newly armed with dual blades, I ran headfirst into Astera.
I loved the exploration aspect of this game. Walking around each biome and learning about the ecosystem through thorough exploration was fun. At first, I didn’t understand why I needed to explore. I soon realized it was a genius way to immerse the player in the world.
Learning about the plants and creatures in each area made it easy to know where to go to find materials for crafting potions, weapons, and armor. When I ran out of healing potions mid-battle, knowing the location of herbs and honey to make max potions became essential for survival.
As a certified Fashion Souls player, much to my own detriment at times, the ability to craft armor inspired by the monsters had me excitedly rubbing my hands together. I spent hours farming materials to create fashionable armor sets to not only look good but also ensure that I had decent skills to help me through battle.
This also extended to my Palico pal. I made sure that they were also dressed to nines, and by nines, I mean dressing them up like the Berries and Cream guy.
Science is Awesome
I predominantly play games with rich stories, like Metaphor, Yakuza, and FFXIV. However, having a game where the only purpose is to learn and record information about the ecosystem was awesome. I felt like a scientist in Jurassic Park. My character wasn’t there to necessarily do anything grandiose. They were only here to learn and help keep the ecosystem intact by occasionally putting down invasive species.
Monster Hunter Wilds
At the end of my journey in Seliana, I picked up a copy of Wilds, ready to gear up for another adventure. Unfortunately, it didn’t give me the adventure I was expecting.
At first, I blamed it on my less-than-4-hour jump between the two games. After discussing it with others, I found that my issue was a very common complaint. The issue? I missed the exploration aspect. Throughout the introduction to Wilds, I wondered when I’d be able to start jotting down animal tracks, plants, and insect life. Instead, I was thrown into a story about my character, a hunter of exceptional skill, helping a kid get home.
Fighting the monsters was cool, but I felt like a visitor the entire game. I wasn’t incentivized to immerse myself in the world. Yeah, the graphics update made everything pretty, but I didn’t feel the urge to explore it. I found myself hopping onto my Seikret and auto-piloting to whatever monster I had to hunt without much of a thought.
The closest I got to the joys of exploration and learning about the ecosystem was Eric, a member of another team in the Hunter’s Guild. While he doesn’t say much about the environments when we’re outside of the main story, his passion to learn, test, and explore throughout it kept the disappointment at bay. The second I could switch out my original handler, I put Eric in her place.
Staying on the Saddle
Wilds didn’t kill my love for the series. The fights are fun, the armor and weapons for my character and my Palico are awesome, and I enjoyed most of the cast.
In future installments, I hope they bring back exploration. In the meantime, I’d like to visit older games and see how the series has changed over time for myself. I watched a few videos about Monster Hunter Rise and will probably check that out since it’s on sale right now.
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