I was relatively new to the Monster Hunter franchise, having only dabbled in a single PSP title back in the day when that platform was relevant. I would have had, maybe, 8 hours in that title, and it was so long ago that it was basically meaningless.

After all the hype MH:W received on console, and already being interested in a full PC release of the franchise, I ended up pre-ordering the game. Upon launch I jumped in and enjoyed it quite a bit, but I tired of it quickly. There were a number of server issues at launch, and even when you were playing solo you would constantly get popups telling you the servers had disconnected.

Beyond that, the game is incredibly overwhelming to a newcomer - there are so many hidden systems and mechanics that just aren't explained in the way a "normal" modern title explains them. This is usually something I love, but the menu system in MH:W is a little cumbersome, and between that and the constant disconnect errors, I just gave up after about 20 hours of playtime.

A few months later, after several patches, I picked up the game again and started a new character - this time playing with a friend. The disconnect errors were gone, I had done a little research on how the games' systems worked, and I had someone else going on the journey with me. These things made all the difference and I fell in love with Monster Hunter. I still haven't gotten nearly as many hours in the game as I want to - but that's more due to my friends' schedules and wanting to progress together.

There's still some annoying things - you can't start a story quest with your co-op partner/s... you have to start it and progress to a certain point (because apparently watching cut-scenes together is something Capcom just couldn't work out?). The menu system is still very cumbersome and feels straight out of early JRPGs. But once you start to understand the sheer depth in the game and how all of the various systems work, all of that kind of fades away.

Monster Hunter World (and I imagine the rest of the franchise) is unlike anything else I've played - you feel incredibly powerful, but also so damn vulnerable. I'm looking forward to the DLC later this year, but I can see hundreds of hours of content already waiting for me in the base game. Definitely a good purchase, and one I shall continue to play for quite some time!

I was relatively new to the Monster Hunter franchise, having only dabbled in a single PSP title back in the day when that platform was relevant. I would have had, maybe, 8 hours in that title, and it was so long ago that it was basically meaningless. After all the hype MH:W received on console, and already being interested in a full PC release of the franchise, I ended up pre-ordering the game. Upon launch I jumped in and enjoyed it quite a bit, but I tired of it quickly. There were a number of server issues at launch, and even when you were playing solo you would constantly get popups telling you the servers had disconnected. Beyond that, the game is incredibly overwhelming to a newcomer - there are so many hidden systems and mechanics that just aren't explained in the way a "normal" modern title explains them. This is usually something I love, but the menu system in MH:W is a little cumbersome, and between that and the constant disconnect errors, I just gave up after about 20 hours of playtime. A few months later, after several patches, I picked up the game again and started a new character - this time playing with a friend. The disconnect errors were gone, I had done a little research on how the games' systems worked, and I had someone else going on the journey with me. These things made all the difference and I fell in love with Monster Hunter. I still haven't gotten nearly as many hours in the game as I want to - but that's more due to my friends' schedules and wanting to progress together. There's still some annoying things - you can't start a story quest with your co-op partner/s... you have to start it and progress to a certain point (because apparently watching cut-scenes together is something Capcom just couldn't work out?). The menu system is still very cumbersome and feels straight out of early JRPGs. But once you start to understand the sheer depth in the game and how all of the various systems work, all of that kind of fades away. Monster Hunter World (and I imagine the rest of the franchise) is unlike anything else I've played - you feel incredibly powerful, but also so damn vulnerable. I'm looking forward to the DLC later this year, but I can see hundreds of hours of content already waiting for me in the base game. Definitely a good purchase, and one I shall continue to play for quite some time!