I’m not ashamed to admit that this is actually the first time I’ve ever partook in a Monster Hunter game. I obviously know a lot about the series but have never had the privilege of sitting down and playing (so many games, so little time, as I like to say). As you probably know, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is one of the quintessential examples of an action/RPG that emphasizes grinding and item customization. As I’m quite accustomed to getting sucked into grinding time sinks (see my review of Fantasy Life for proof) I was extremely pleased through my now 30 hours into the game.
Being new to the series, I didn’t know what to expect from the onset but was pleased with the interactive opening sequence that teaches you the game’s basic mechanics as you fight off an enormous monster. This giant monster, A.K.A. the Dah’ren Mohran, is speeding through the desert towards the destination town of Val Harbar. It’s you’re job to prevent this beast from wrecking the town and though the game holds your hand through the experience, it’s a great example of the magnitude of the monsters you’ll be facing along the way.
You’ll quickly find that MH4U is completely based on quests for both progression in the story and improving your character. This is good because it allows for the main emphasis to be on the game’s two major draws, the items and the enemies. And, though the quests are no more than a mix of glorified fetch quests coupled with monster hunting, MH4U feels fresh by mixing up the types of enemies you’ll encounter and by having multiple areas to explore. The quest areas are large enough to take a significant amount of time to explore for the first time, but segmented enough to make finding your way a simple task. This makes up for the limitations introduced by having MH4U on the 3DS; a console/big screen typically is the best environment for expansive games such as this one, but the segmentation of the game’s areas (into 10 separate areas per environment) makes it very easy to put your system to sleep and easily find your bearing upon reopening it.
(Literally) Thousands of items
As was aforementioned, you’ll spend the main questing time hunting down groups of enemies or bosses as well as harvesting materials throughout the environments. MH4U will drive you to pick every herb & mushroom, catching every bug & fish, mine every material, and fight every enemy you encounter. Though you do have limitations to the overall amount of items you can carry during your quests, it’s important to gather as many items as possible to use towards crafting helpful potions, new weapons & armor, or purely just to sell.
Between the sheer number of harvestable items and craftable items, MH4U provides a seemingly endless number of items at your disposal. I must admit, finding items and keeping track of my inventory became increasingly more daunting the further I progressed through the game. To give you an idea of the magnitude of items in this game, your storage box can hold up to 1,200 unique items at any given time. In just 30 hours, my box was filled with over 150 items. And that doesn’t even include equipment (you get a separate storage box of up to 1,100 unique pieces of equipment). There are 14 different types of weapons in the game and 6 different types of armor slots (with hundreds of unique armors and weapons to craft and buy throughout the game). MH4U is all about the items and it’s nothing short of overwhelming at times (for grinding buffs such as myself, this translates to hundreds of hours of gameplay).
The game would no doubt be a bear if it weren’t for the extremely smart and accessible item management system. Items within your character’s inventory can be placed in your box at a number of different convenient locations throughout the town and can be easily accessed without having to even go to the boxes at times. For instance, once items are in the box, you can combine them directly from the box to create new items through crafting. Or, if there are items you don’t want in your box, you can sell them directly at shops or forge new weapons or armor without having to retrieve them into your inventory. Finding specific items was difficult at times when sorting through the box, but selling, forging, and crafting could never have been easier. Thus, you won’t be wasting time doing things that prevent you from fighting more monsters, collecting more loot, and getting stronger equipment.
Unique & Numerous Monsters
The game’s other major selling point is in its variety of monsters and weapon styles. In terms of monsters, you’ll encounter a wide array of different monsters, each with entirely unique mannerisms and characteristics. Some monsters are not hostile (but still harvestable) while others will gang up in packs trying to destroy you. You’ll encounter dinosaurs, flying bugs, giant birds, goats, and everything in between.
But the main draw to monster hunting is undoubtedly in hunting the “big game” creatures or bosses. These battles are everything from epic to frightening as you never know what to expect through your exploration. I found that the difficulty ramps up rather quickly and some bosses were extremely difficult if my items were not up to par (which thus required more grinding and harvesting). You’ll fight all sorts of creatures that consist of a number of different moves that have their own monster movement tells to help you to predict them. One of the cooler boss battles in my early career have featured a battle against a simian called a Kecha Wacha that can grab ahold of above vines and fight either hanging or standing.
Bosses are encountered somewhere along the map and typically the first time you’ve seen a specific type of monster, you’ll be able to watch a nice little pre-scripted video to make the moment even more epic. Once the battle begins, the ensuing fight will take a minimum of 10 minutes or so and can go on for much longer depending upon your equipment. If you feel overwhelmed, you can run to an adjacent area on the map and temporarily escape the enemy. However, it will roam the map randomly so you could run into it at an inopportune time if you don’t face it directly.
As the fights go on, you’ll often find a change in the combat style once the enemy is significantly injured. To make for an even more enthralling hunting experience, the enemy will change its mannerisms at this time, becoming even stronger and faster, or attempting to escape to adjacent areas. It really does feel like you’re hunting a real beast as its instinctual habits will often lead to a lifelike pursuit. For instance, once the giant mantis-like Selias flies to a surrounding area, I found it semihidden, clinging to the side of a cliff, recovering its strength.
Various Styles of Combat
As for the game’s 14 different weapons styles, each has significantly different style of combat mechanics. This allows you to pick and choose between very different styles for differing circumstances. For instance, you may want to choose a type of bow for slower moving enemies that hit hard up close. I could write pages describing each of the weapons’ styles but suffice it to say that the items encompass a variety of ranges, attack speeds, defensive capabilities, and ultimately gameplay.
I may take criticism for this but I found the combat to be a little too bulky at times, no matter the chosen weapon. The game emphasizes player movement and strategic positioning but the combat, though varied, never feels like it flows well. The emphasis of the game is certainly more on the items and enemies, but I still found myself wanting more from the combat (similar to my experiences with Skyrim). However, it is noted that multiplayer gameplay makes combat much more accessible through reducing the enemy’s focus from being solely on your character to having to deal with multiple threats, making combat easier for all types of weapons. The game is definitely doable solo but it’s built for multiplayer.
Still, if you can pick a combat play-style that fits your own preferences, you should be able to get good enough to progress through the game’s increasingly difficult quests, provided you spend most of your time focusing on your equipment. I found the best strategy was to attempt all available side quests prior to moving to the next points in the story as if I progressed early, I would find myself struggling immensely. There are many different item recipes that open up as you collect materials, so you’ll see the next item goals to shoot for and can embark on quests based on these requirements.
In case you don’t feel like joining a team, the other way to help distract the enemy is through your Palico, a cat companion that will join you on nearly any quest. These companions will do everything from fighting to gathering items that you can keep after the mission. Palicoes have their own smaller set of equipment and can gain levels if they accompany you on a mission. Also, you can capture an additional Palico that will be the slave of your own Palico, allowing for two total Palicoes to join you on a mission.
Weighing the 3DS’s Benefits
MH4U is set to release alongside the New 3DS in the States, and I could definitely see how the use of the second thumbstick for changing the camera would be a major plus. Still, the customization of the touch screen makes the game extremely accessible. If playing without the Circle Pad Pro or the second thumbstick, a virtual D-Pad will exist on the right side of the touch screen for camera movement. The rest of the touch screen can be modified based on your preference from having shortcuts to item combinations, shortcuts to item uses, a mini-map, and even a boss warning icon. I thought the customization of the touch screen made for useful control that wasn’t too hampered by the old 3DS’s lack of additional buttons.
The fact that MH4U is on the 3DS is dividing amongst fans. Many wish it existed on consoles for HD graphics and broader environments while others see the appeal of having such an addictive game on the go. I happened to enjoy the portable, segmented nature of the game as we already have so many sandbox adventures on consoles that it’s nice to get a more handheld friendly one. In terms of graphics, the game looks stunning for a 3DS title and the 3D gimmick only makes the large environments feel even more vast. I anticipate that playing on a 3DS XL will make the game look slightly less crisp due to the decreased DPI of the larger XL screen but nonetheless, I found the game to be a delight to look at.
Musically, the game also features a catchy soundtrack that ranges from epic to atmospheric and fits the game wonderfully. I found myself humming some of the more common themes when I wasn’t playing the game, which is a sign of a strong soundtrack. Sound effects are a little less wonderful and can be annoying at times (especially the constant meowing of your Palico) but luckily you can modify both the music and sound effect volumes to your liking.