A bit off topic but since the MH Community thread seems kind of dead, I figured this would be the best place to ask.
There's an EU PSN sale and the PSP MH games are really cheap. For me conquering a new monster is the most enjoyable part of MH so I'm seriously considering getting Freedom and Freedom Unite to experience all the 1st and 2nd generation monsters that were missing in 3U (my first and only MH game).
Is it worth to buy them or are their mechanics so outdated/frustrating that I'm better off hoping all those monster be included in MH 4 and its sequels?
Do those 2 games include every monster that's not in 3U or Portable 3rd exclusive?
How hard is it to solo the quests compared to 3U? For the record, I've soloed most of the non-DLC G-rank quests (only missing a few arena quests and A. Laggy).
How grindy are those games compared to 3U? 3U was okay (I only ever really farmed Brachy, Plesi and Diablos) and I could put up with a little more repetition but not too much. I don't want to have to constantly upgrade my armor or craft too many monster specific sets.
How much time do you have to spend doing ''non hunting stuff''? 3U was very good in this regard and I rarely needed to waste time gathering materials, mining or carving small monsters.
I would really appreciate it if one of the MH veterans took some time to answer my questions.
EDIT: After checking the monster list it seems that Freedom Unite has all the 1st and 2nd generation monsters so I wouldn't need Freedom.