Monster Hunter World: Icebone
Sony PlayStation 4/PC via Stream
Moero Chronicle Hyper
CAPCOM’S Monster Hunter series has stayed strong throughout its lifetime, and there’s no real wonder as to why. While not the most thought-provoking out in the market, it knows its strengths and is second to none in its unabashedly heavy focus on adventure and exploration. There’s simply no other franchise that can emulate the mystery its forests and jungles bring, or come close to approximating the dread, say, a Rathalos provides as it comes bearing down with fangs and claws extended. Even as it requires grinding to the point of excess, it invariably delivers on its promises of grandeur, riches, and glory that can only be the stuff of dreams.
Titles in the Monster Hunter series have aimed high, and Monster Hunter World is no exception. True to its origins, Monster Hunter World thrusts gamers into a land ravaged by monsters, and tasks them to overcome these majestic dragon- and dinosaur-like beings. While trying to bring down foes many times larger, faster, and stronger may appear foolish, it scoffs at the notion and instead puts forward another that banks on the use of proper tools to accomplish the seemingly impossible. Weapons, traps, and gear, with a mix of cunning, strategy, and skill, are pitted against ruthless animal ferocity.
Parenthetically, Monster Hunter World is a feast for the senses. It thrives in the uniqueness of its presentation; from its dense jungles to its blasted wastelands, it lays out vast exploration options that constantly supply interest. And the pull of the atmosphere cannot be denied: Nature seems to be hiding secrets from the curious eyes of denizens, who are likewise presented with flair. All that said, the monsters are the stars, and, amid its lush visuals, they are paraded with pride. They certainly fuel the gameplay, which pegs them as targets and obstacles with singular properties requiring no small measure of resolve to overcome.
Like all other entries to the series, Monster Hunter World has gamers gathering material, forging items, and hunting monsters from the mighty Nergigante to the humble Anteka. And they can engage in these expeditions — alone, with friends, or with computer-controlled feline companions — to their heart’s delight. They face off against particularly dangerous monsters, but success brings with it plenty of loot, money, and crafting materials for better items. They then rinse and repeat the process until satisfied. Which, in a nutshell, means it uses the same formula its predecessors did.
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne’s gameplay is no different. Offered as downloadable content to the base game, it feels more like an actual expansion, fleshing out an entirely new region to explore, and adding in plenty of new monsters to beat. With these new monsters comes the prospect of new mechanics to learn, new gear to craft, and new challenges to face. It even adds a new difficulty level for gamers to pursue: the Master Rank ups both the risk and the ante, and, thusly, makes clear its purpose as a natural progression for more experienced gamers.
Indeed, Monster Hunter World: Iceborne widens the series’ horizon. As the title suggests, it has gamers dealing with extremely low temperatures and cold-weather terrains. On the flipside, it provides new equipment and upgrade trees, leveling the playing field. At the same time, it allows for faster completion of the core game and transition to it. Even the difficulty scaling has been adjusted to account for party size midstream; the fluidity of online hunts, for instance, has been considered such that the challenges become easier when members leave while in combat, and harder when they join.
Tellingly, Monster Hunter World: Iceborne does not offer cross-play functionality. In other words, gamers on the PlayStation 4 will not be able to interact with those on the personal computer. Which is just too bad, because it forces them to choose. The series has been around longer on consoles, giving it a much bigger installed base on Sony’s eighth-generation hardware. And, make no mistake, the difference is apparent as soon as a party goes on a hunt. True, the PC will catch up at some point in the future — and likely in the near future. Given Capcom’s newfound support for the generally superior platform, the takeup will be high. For now, though, it’s clear where the better experience can be had.
In any case, the pull of Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is clear. It presents a constant challenge to improve, to clear what seem to be ridiculously high hurdles. It represents a continual struggle to exceed potential, to beat the ostensibly unbeatable, to triumph against the odds. Admittedly, it can be frustrating, even mindless, at times, but to those who have the patience and the will to see it through, it promises myriad returns to hundreds upon hundreds of hours of investing in an action role-playing game well worth its $39.99 price tag.
THE GOOD:
• Outstanding visual design
• Fun and engaging gameplay that relies on good planning and
skill
• Has good coop features to play with other friends online
THE BAD:
• Still a fairly grindy experience
• At times, can feel a bit repetitive
• No cross-play functionality
RATING: 9/10
POSTSCRIPT: Buried Stars, from LINE Games and Team Largo, has been confirmed for the Nintendo Switch.
Previously announced for release on the PS4 and the PlayStation Vita, the Korean adventure title is slated for release on the hybrid console in the first half of the year. It has already been given a rating by the Korean Ratings Board.
THE LAST WORD: Creator Justin Stander confirmed in a tweet that downloadable content for Katana ZERO remains in the pipeline. Released in April 2019 to acclaim, developer Askiisoft promised to add to the core gameplay not long after. “The Katana ZERO DLC is 3x the original planned size, but is still in development and will still be free. Thank you for your patience with this,” he posted over the weekend.
