Never played a Monster Hunter before, but I'll happily give this demo a shot. And from what I've heard the game sounds up my alley. Question, though: how "optional" is the Circle Pad Pro? The game doesn't require it, but does it control well without it? Or will I always be wishing I had a second analog stick to get the true experience?
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate - Demo out [Updated: FAQ and Help]
- Thread starter grimshawish
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BuckRobotron
Member
Very solid demo on 3DS. After getting familiar with the controls again, I generally got back into the groove. Favorite weapons have always been the heavy hitters that also require extra attention to patterns to avoid getting caught out. Such as getting in at the just the right time with a charged Great Sword to the muzzle. Or consistently reloading the slow Heavy Bowgun at just the right time. Need to refamiliarize myself with other old favorites lance/gunlance.
Looks and runs quite nicely as well. So far, sampled taking out the "easy" monster with GS, Bowgun, Heavy Bowgun, and Hammer. Hammer really wrecked the poor thing.
Only tried Plesi once but have to get used to the underwater business, something not in Unite. Looking forward to taking him out...as well as getting to the full game later.
Looks and runs quite nicely as well. So far, sampled taking out the "easy" monster with GS, Bowgun, Heavy Bowgun, and Hammer. Hammer really wrecked the poor thing.
Only tried Plesi once but have to get used to the underwater business, something not in Unite. Looking forward to taking him out...as well as getting to the full game later.
I'm not a big bowgunner but I've spent a decent amount time with them. The problem with bowguns is you really need to be 100% prepared for fights for them to shine. Like bringing Fire and Thunder ammo to Plesioth to exploit his dual weakness and just obliterating him. You can't do this in the demo, and the gunner sets don't seem to have any good skills active, so it's tougher than it should be.
I do prefer HBG because despite being a ranged weapon it requires balls of steel.
hammers 4 lyfe. Tough weapon to use at first but nothing compares to its sense of weight and power. Knocking a huge monster out on its ass is the best feeling in video games.
With the help of the new 'center on boss monster' camera option I thought it worked great sans CPP. But then I got in the water and uuuugh
Alex
Member
If you're doing multi, ranged isn't too bad, but solo it's got a curve.
If you start doing multi right off the bat, you can get a gun with a shield on it and be pretty goddamn lazy while still making people love you with para shots and the ilk :lol
Success without the CPP seems to vary from person to person. I had no problem without it on my XL. Virtual dpad for slight camera adjustments and the camera being able to refocus on the monster make combat a breeze. Even underwater combat, which most seem to loathe, wasn't an issue. Give it a try though to decide for yourself.
Definitely easier learning a gun when you have other people drawing the monster's aggro. Jumping into this demo trying to learn MonHan for the first time and picking a ranged weapon, might be a bit tough though.
I think the virtual d-pad works pretty well, honestly. Mainly because it means you can use either thumb for camera control, so you have can still move or attack.
Coupled with L-centering, I thought the camera worked better than any previous setup besides dual analog.
I like it, it is one of the more versatile weapons in the game. The sword form is pretty similar to a great sword, it's a slow powerful weapon, but you can't use it too long before it needs to recharge. The axe form is closest to a hammer in terms of how it handles, it has a good balance of strength and mobility, but it's not as good for combos or brute force.
I think it's a one of the best introductory classes, since you can actively switch between two styles of combat and see what works for you.
Karsticles
Member
Oh, I might be interested, then.
Right. And even in practice, the long sword only knocks people down if you're doing spirit combos (mash R1). Its normal attacks are probably the smallest in horizontal hitbox in the game, and if you get hit by a sweeping attack then you shouldn't be standing right next to a longsword user.
The game's about positioning yourself with other teammates just as much as it's about positioning yourself against the monster, I say. When I hammer, sometimes people get angry when I blast them away. With justice, I tell them "MY HEAD".
Yeah if you get too close to my monster heads you are going on a trip until you learn. But I've successfully shared Rathian/Rathalos heads with other hammer users. Once you find the right spacing and get in a rhythm it's a beautiful thing.
LS morons are only really offensive when you're using a Lance. Even then a good LS user can do just fine without knocking people over.
In Tri online I sometimes switched to a paralyze SnS for the very small monsters like Baggi. Hammers destroy them pretty hard but bringing more than one for such a small monster is a recipe for flying teammates.
LS morons are only really offensive when you're using a Lance. Even then a good LS user can do just fine without knocking people over.
In Tri online I sometimes switched to a paralyze SnS for the very small monsters like Baggi. Hammers destroy them pretty hard but bringing more than one for such a small monster is a recipe for flying teammates.
If I remember correctly the Demo for Tri was similar in it's delivery. With that being my first game I felt just as frustrated as the rookies do now. Still I wanted to try the game out and bought it anyway. Even though the demo screamed I was going to hate the game. 1000 hours later, and now played other games on the PSP. It's like breathing! Capcom designed it in the old school way where you learned while doing it. I feel there is nothing wrong with that!.
Also here is my look at the 3DS Demo!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcO2O480jkQ
It does feel different using the smaller 3DS than the XL. I was using my capture card for my 3DS so that could have had an affect on me.
I didn't mind the lack of a tutorial (just a screen pointing out what the buttons did would have been appreciated, since I only realised there was a manual after reading it here), working out how to play these kinds of games is part of the fun. Had another go at it and still not entirely convinced, it's enjoyable but just not the sort of thing I can imagine myself sinking the required hours into: I like a sense of progress and, as far as I can tell, the MH games seem to focus on 'kill one monster, move onto next one'. Ideally, it would be nice were the environments a lot bigger as well: a couple of times fighting the easy boss I warped out of one area to the next while fighting because of accidentally dodging past the boundary, where it seemed to head a lot of the time. A run button wouldn't go amiss either. Anyway, once I'd worked out you had to sheath your weapon before using an item, that boss was taken pretty easily on my first attempt. Onto the hard one now...
Alex
Member
Oh, yeah, since everyone else is noting it I should also note that my praise for the 3DS version is on the XL. With the sharper corners and the smaller touch screen I think the original model might falter a little bit by comparison, for my tastes in controlling the game.
Behavior, monsters have various stages of behavior that show their health. They also run out of stamina, etc, too just like you and will retreat to feed or sleep even.
Also, time limits in the demo are far, far more strict than in any real game situation. Again, these demos are just not good experiences for brand new players and I question why Capcom keeps releasing them in this manner.
bleh having time limits on hunts is such bullshit
Behavior, monsters have various stages of behavior that show their health. They also run out of stamina, etc, too just like you and will retreat to feed or sleep even.
Also, time limits in the demo are far, far more strict than in any real game situation. Again, these demos are just not good experiences for brand new players and I question why Capcom keeps releasing them in this manner.
bleh having time limits on hunts is such bullshit
Demo time limit is less than half the full game limit.
Also, when the monster starts to trip during an attack, pant, or limp away to a new area, its almost a goner.
There is a run button. R, it drains stamina of course. You do a different run animation when spotted by a large monster, and you can actually do a dive with a huge amount of invuln frames during that special run...but anyways. If there's a sense of progress you want I can't think of a better series than MH. The demo doesn't show any of the incredibly deep weapon/armor crafting, but the real progress comes in your own skill.
Environments vary. There's some that are super-cramped and I HATE them. But with time you can even manipulate fights to end up in areas you prefer to make fighting easier. I remember in MHFU there was this one forest area that I REFUSED to fight in since there was zero visibility. It was a deathtrap.
The monster is constantly dashing... sliding all over the zone.
So the challenge the game offers is nothing really. There is no interesting counter of combo system.
The combat is pretty much...
hit & roll, hit, hit & roll. Wait for monster to leave Zone line. Roll. roll. roll. dash to monster. hit & roll. Wait for monster to leave the zone line.
Repeat for 20 minutes.
So the challenge the game offers is nothing really. There is no interesting counter of combo system.
The combat is pretty much...
hit & roll, hit, hit & roll. Wait for monster to leave Zone line. Roll. roll. roll. dash to monster. hit & roll. Wait for monster to leave the zone line.
Repeat for 20 minutes.
The tripping isn't a sign of weakness. It just means you beat up their leg to the point it knocks them over.
Because going for such big combos that would require a counter is what in this game is called "being greedy", and usually results in a ride on the kitty cart.
MH is not a conventional hack and slash action game. Playing it as such is where a lot of people run into difficulty.
I will say this though, Lagombi is a slightly irritating beast because of it's sliding. Not all monsters behave like that, and ones that do (Agnaktor) are much more massive and can be hit easier.
Again, panting/drooling and tripping are symptoms of the monster being tired, not necessarily low health. It just so happens that they usually coincide. The most common tells for low hp are retreating, frequent rages, and of course limping off to sleep (which means they are a few hits from death). My favorite 'low hp tell' of all time was Khezu spacing out in his idle animation for a good 10-15 seconds before flying off to rest, heh.
Fun tip: if you want to get a lot of mileage out of the shock trap the demo gives you, wait until the monster is tired. He'll get stuck in there MUCH longer leaving you free to wail on him.
MH3 OT. Bunch of advice and resources in the second post. I'll try to come up with something more comprehensive later tonight or tomorrow.
If any vets want to help with a resource/suggestion compilation, or if anyone has any recommendations shoot me a PM.
Alex
Member
Yeah, all the monsters have various parts you can smash or repeatedly attack for various effects. From cutting off tails for more drops to injuring a leg to making a monster dizzy from repeated head strikes.
Congratulations, you took an incredible amount of time aimlessly swinging at one of the smallest, easiest monsters in the game at what is likely a reduced scaling level.
I don't doubt it feels differently on the 3DS XL then on the regular 3DS. I just hope I will have picked up one by the time MH4 comes out. Especaily if that doesn't get a console version. Part of me thinks it will though if Capcom is serious about getting the game popular in the west. They just need to uprez it the way they did the Wii U version of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate.
KillerTravis
Banned
I'm not sure if Monster Hunter will ever have success in the west market now. These gamers are waay too used to playing easy games that throws everything at your face and holds your hand and it seems most are not willing to invest the amount of time it takes to get good at the game.
My only hope is that Capcom doesn't decide to dumb down the series releases on the west from now on just to have a greater appeal. A separate casual mode with infinite stamina and health bars on monsters could be acceptable.
My only hope is that Capcom doesn't decide to dumb down the series releases on the west from now on just to have a greater appeal. A separate casual mode with infinite stamina and health bars on monsters could be acceptable.
I think the Lagombi in the demo is a normal low rank one, not weakened any less than that. It's just that all the equipment the demo has you with is G-Rank, which is two ranks higher than low rank.
Won't happen. The only thing that could happen is they don't find it profitable in the west. But they aren't going to alter the mechanics of the game and risk losing what they have in Japan.
Which is really bad for the western fans that are around, and in pretty good number right now.
Alex
Member
I don't think there's any chance of Capcom raising the ballpark of this series in the west outside of the, I believe very sameish and solid MHFU and MH Tri sales without drastically redesigning the series and putting it on a bigger console which would just cost them their Japanese sales.
high rank probably. But yeah there's no way you'll have blue sharpness when you first encounter Plesioth and Lagombi.
RobbieNick
Junior Member
I just want a permanent lock-on. That's all. Nothing else.
Everything else is gravy/ From crafting and building armor to creating a hunting party. It's great. It's fighting the monster itself that's a bit of a pain in the butt.
This demo is the first time I hate the "30 try's only" thing. XD I'm already down to less than twenty tries left.
Alex
Member
No.
The "lock-on" present in the 3DS version is the only kind of lock on a MH game should get, otherwise it just saps at the entire basis of the combat. If you had straight up lock on, you'd have to let people target individual parts and it would outright break the game and the point of the weapon system being what it is.
There are several very solid clones that accomplish more what you want if you don't like the specifics of Monster Hunter, I doubt they'd ever make a design choice for real lock on, though.
Well technically, having a busted leg would be a sign of weakness...
... but I guess I get your point. Don't take the limp as a sign that they're almost dead.
Shock trap it on land, and lay down a large barrel bomb, then a small one (your cha-cha companions will do the same). Huge blow for decent damage, then just wail on it. Also when its flopping around like...a fish out of water... just beat on its head/neck. If using something with slash damage, you can mess up it's head fin (dunno if that alters it's attacks or makes it's head section weaker).
I think you'd get screwed up with a permanent lock-on, especially when dealing with smaller monsters near by.
Those so-called tutorial quests are straight up garbage. Cooking and gathering herbs is something that could be placed in a manual and the tutorial quests themselves could be more about the mechanics of fighting, capturing, and item usage during battle. Also, such training should be relegated to a school/school zone and entirely optional.
I've played both demos for quite a bit now (wanted to try out most of the weapons I never took seriously in other MH games), and I still don't know what to do. I was going to get both versions because I love MH but was at least hoping for a "definitive" choice in the event I only picked up one of them at first.
I don't like the 3DS version. The resolution sucks compared to PSP (that font scaling makes my eyes hurt), and navigating underwater without a right analog stick is awful. If we had access to that neat touchscreen customization, I'd be able to move the virtual d-pad closer to the right to see if it worked better than it does. As it stands, it's kind of unresponsive and hard for me to reach over all the way to turn the camera left (small hands + 3DS XL). Claw doesn't work, but I wasn't planning on doing that. The new auto-target is fabulous, but it's not as revelatory underwater as it is on land. On a side note, I think this game looks so much better in 3D mode, though I can tell it's probably going to strain my eyes more than other 3DS games.
I don't particularly like the Wii U version, either. I hate how I can't remap the L and R to ZL and ZR in the demo because L/R are really uncomfortable for me to reach for. The framerate is not a steady 60 (it seems to hover around 40~50), and the right analog is STILL like how it was in Tri (with the shitty 3-plane vertical orientation instead of full 360 rotation like it is underwater). I know there's no vibration in the 3DS one, but for the Wii U version to lack vibration feels just as strange as not having off-tv support. I'll get over it, but I was expecting the Wii U version to have way more polish. It seems like a pretty slapdash port, as gorgeous as it is.
Still pissed the 3DS one doesn't have online.
I don't like the 3DS version. The resolution sucks compared to PSP (that font scaling makes my eyes hurt), and navigating underwater without a right analog stick is awful. If we had access to that neat touchscreen customization, I'd be able to move the virtual d-pad closer to the right to see if it worked better than it does. As it stands, it's kind of unresponsive and hard for me to reach over all the way to turn the camera left (small hands + 3DS XL). Claw doesn't work, but I wasn't planning on doing that. The new auto-target is fabulous, but it's not as revelatory underwater as it is on land. On a side note, I think this game looks so much better in 3D mode, though I can tell it's probably going to strain my eyes more than other 3DS games.
I don't particularly like the Wii U version, either. I hate how I can't remap the L and R to ZL and ZR in the demo because L/R are really uncomfortable for me to reach for. The framerate is not a steady 60 (it seems to hover around 40~50), and the right analog is STILL like how it was in Tri (with the shitty 3-plane vertical orientation instead of full 360 rotation like it is underwater). I know there's no vibration in the 3DS one, but for the Wii U version to lack vibration feels just as strange as not having off-tv support. I'll get over it, but I was expecting the Wii U version to have way more polish. It seems like a pretty slapdash port, as gorgeous as it is.
Still pissed the 3DS one doesn't have online.
superpickleman
Member
Anyone manage to get the Plesiroth's tail off? I couldn't seem to do it last night, the bastard rarely let's me attack his backside.
No man, the limp IS the one near-universal sign that it's almost dead.
You can also make most monsters fall over after doing enough damage to a single leg. Pretty much the only way you're gonna kill a Plesioth with a hammer.
If, say, Lagombi tries to slide at you and screws up ending up flopping over and thrashing about on its side, it's tired. This is very effective on Barioth who goes from lightning fast to sluggish and helpless when tired. It's why stamina-draining weapons like hammers wreck him so hard.
Doesn't smashing certain parts like that give you a roll at getting rare material? Or just some specific to that area of the body?
Probably have to do it while its flopping/in that strange dazed mode where it just kinda stares off into space.
Whats up with that anyway?
flyinpiranha
Member
Importing a CPP (I'm in NA) so hopefully that helps with some of the movement issues once the full game that supports it is out.
Underwater was very difficult to navigate and I really didn't like the virtual D-Pad.
Underwater was very difficult to navigate and I really didn't like the virtual D-Pad.
...the fuck bro, that's what I said earlier and the dude above said I was wrong.
So which is it? *crazy eyes*
Yeah I think you get a higher or exclusive chance for a material you wouldnt get by simply carving it up. But I think you still have to grab it during the fight.
you never could cut it off before. If you can now, that's new. And very welcome because I'm tired of being slapped by it.
The daze is his 'tired' symptom. Great time to wail on him or drop a shock trap.
Little Green Yoda
Member
How did you come to that number? By eyeballing it?
But I thought all MH needs to succeed in the West was HD graphics and online play? Someone should dig up that thread where people who never touched a MH game told everyone how MH could succeed in the West.
Jawmuncher
Member
Thanks went ahead and bookmarked it.
I think the 3DS version looks runs and controls better than the Wii U one. Yeah. I said it.
I finally had some time to sink into the 3ds version of the demo. All i can say is I love Monster Hunter.
I had quit Monster Hunter Tri because i had some encouters with the most shit people i have ever met. Did some offline stuff but i did all of them a lot. So now back into the 3ds version i started to enjoy these new monsters. I used the lance most in Tri and i rocked that thing with both monsters and killed them on the first try.
Then i started to use weapons that i didnt used much in tri like the great sword and long sword. It feels like a total new game. I really destroyed the rabbit monster with the great sword took me about 7 min to kill it with them charge attacks. Long sword i did not like that much. My monster hunter game contains blocking attacks and i cant do that with LS. I tried both agains the water monster but i didnt have enough time to kill it.
The water parts are really weird now. I probably get used to it. but not having the 360 controls underwater is something i really miss. After that i tried using the Bow and i fell in love with that thing. Love to give the monster status effects. I got timed out the first round because i didnt knew how to add powers to the bow. Then i tried sleep power waiting for the bunny to sleep and then place a shitload of Bombs close to his head and blow shit up. It was crawling away in agony and it felt so amazing. 2 min later i killed it.
Also i like the dual blades as beginning weapons they are fast and with dash juice into kaio ken mode you can really wreck the first monster. overall had a great time with the demo. If i can learn the under water controls better maybe next time i am going to destroy the 2nd boss with ease. I can now only kill him with the lance.
I had quit Monster Hunter Tri because i had some encouters with the most shit people i have ever met. Did some offline stuff but i did all of them a lot. So now back into the 3ds version i started to enjoy these new monsters. I used the lance most in Tri and i rocked that thing with both monsters and killed them on the first try.
Then i started to use weapons that i didnt used much in tri like the great sword and long sword. It feels like a total new game. I really destroyed the rabbit monster with the great sword took me about 7 min to kill it with them charge attacks. Long sword i did not like that much. My monster hunter game contains blocking attacks and i cant do that with LS. I tried both agains the water monster but i didnt have enough time to kill it.
The water parts are really weird now. I probably get used to it. but not having the 360 controls underwater is something i really miss. After that i tried using the Bow and i fell in love with that thing. Love to give the monster status effects. I got timed out the first round because i didnt knew how to add powers to the bow. Then i tried sleep power waiting for the bunny to sleep and then place a shitload of Bombs close to his head and blow shit up. It was crawling away in agony and it felt so amazing. 2 min later i killed it.
Also i like the dual blades as beginning weapons they are fast and with dash juice into kaio ken mode you can really wreck the first monster. overall had a great time with the demo. If i can learn the under water controls better maybe next time i am going to destroy the 2nd boss with ease. I can now only kill him with the lance.
A Human Becoming
More than a Member
FAQ in the OP did help. I like the 3DS version better but Wii U one has online so that's my purchase.
Limping (like a drunk hooker) has always meant weak. Tipping over, falling on their ass/side and laying there for a bit, chilling, is from filling up the hurt meter on legs.
Played the 3DS demo last night and my hand was starting to hurt after about 10 minutes of play due to the constant tapping of L to focus on the Lagombi. I'm not sure how much the CPP XL would help either - I think the 3DS XL is just too cramped for this type of game. Shame because I don't see myself getting a Wii U in the near future. Going to try the Plesioth later to see if it feels any better.
I just can't seem to pull myself away from the GS either. I played over 200 hours of Tri and ~90% of that was with the GS. There's just something so satisfying about it but I was always jealous of decent hammer users when I played - I'd love to take the time to get good at using it but don't know if I have the patience. Seems like going from being at the back all the time to aim for tails to being right up in a monsters face to strike the head would take a long time to get used to?
I just can't seem to pull myself away from the GS either. I played over 200 hours of Tri and ~90% of that was with the GS. There's just something so satisfying about it but I was always jealous of decent hammer users when I played - I'd love to take the time to get good at using it but don't know if I have the patience. Seems like going from being at the back all the time to aim for tails to being right up in a monsters face to strike the head would take a long time to get used to?
That sounds like a hilarious thread, but you know what they really need? A movie.
Monster Hunter: The Movie: The Game