Phoenix Productions
I really, REALLY enjoy this game. That doesn't mean it doesn't have its faults, but the experience so far has been so enjoyable, I can't help but fall in love with it.
The opening hour and a half of the game was fairly rough. The opening cutscene is good, but once the Handler comes into the picture things get really rough. This game is clearly not selling based on story alone. Once I got into combat, I found myself struggling mightily with the clunky controls and the wealth of weapons, all of which have high skill ceilings. After testing multiple different weapons, I finally found myself gravitating towards the charge blade, a sword/shield combo that can combine to form a two-handed battleaxe with elemental capabilities. The flexibility of combat is really strong, and everything feels very Souls-like once you get into it. Fighting creatures is INCREDIBLY satisfying. Each monster feels unique and dangerous in their own regard, even small monsters like the Jagras that populate the Ancient Forest. The threat of enemies that you cannot defeat also really adds to the tension of combat. I still remember when I was hunting a Great Jagras, only to run into a turf war between a Rathalos and an Anjanath. Both the Great Jagras and I were caught in the crossfire (literally - both high-end monsters breathe fire) and subsequently obliterated. Once I was able to take on an Anjanath, however, it was highly satisfying to destroy that giant T-Rex wannabe. The sounds and visuals of the game are also to be praised. They feel perfect in the world presented here. Each monster's design is visually a marvel to behold (yes, even the hideous Great Jagras). It is abundantly clear that Capcom knows what they're doing with this franchise. The grind of the game is long, but so incredibly satisfying. Killing or capturing monsters, retrieving their parts, and using said parts to construct weapons and armor to kill higher-end monsters...that is the name of the game. The grind feels eerily similar to Warframe, minus the time-gated crafting. It doesn't even feel like much of a grind because of how satisfying the combat/capture mechanics are. The overabundance of quests and investigations in the game also gives me more than enough content to keep me playing for at least three to four hundred more hours (on top of the 30+ I've already played). I will say that online play is inconsistent. There should be an easy mute button in online sessions, due to players leaving their mics on and screaming incessantly. The first time I tried to play with a friend, it took us roughly fifteen minutes to get into a 2-man quest. However, once we got in, the game was even more fun than before. Monsters get rebalanced health and damage for however many players are present, but hunts are still incredibly fun with more than one hunter going in on the same monster. There is some strange server lag, so be aware that not all attacks will be consistent. Overall, the game is incredible. Definitely GOTY material from what I've played so far. Will update more once I've beat the story and reached High Rank (only HR 6 at the time of writing). INITIAL SCORE: 10 - GOTY Contender
0 Comments
Game ReviewsGame reviews and first impressions. Same format as film reviews. ArchivesCategories |