Support NeoGAF

[DryvBy]

I like pretty much everything but F2P MOBAs and cell phone games but one series I can't figure out is Monster Hunter. Every single time I've tried one, I've regretted it. The idea of hunting giant dinosaurs and birds seems cool to me. But then the cumbersome gameplay gets in the way.

MH Rise is one of the Plus+ games right now so I decided although I swore them off after MH World, I'd try this because I heard it was easier to get into the series with this entry. I spent half an hour reading tutorials on how to play and how Capcom decided they'd have you hold various buttons down to access menus and etc etc. They just throw what feels like the entire game at you all at once and it instantly drained me. But I tried to give it a shot anyway.

Big mistake. I forgot how horrible the combat feels with your character swinging a giant sword for 5 seconds while everything gets out of the way. But you can't adjust for a miss like every other decent game. No, we can't have that! You have to see the animation go through. And it's painfully slow.

The first mission I took was some boring mission to hunt down some fire plants and the layout of the map is so poor, I spent a good 20 minutes trying to find them all only to have to Google a guide, something I hate doing in games.

So anyway, I hate this game almost on par with the Hearts of Iron series. But unlike HoI, this game is popular. What gives? Why do you enjoy it? What is the video game magic I'm missing out on?

 

[Hero_Select]

because i like the combat and hunting monsters and getting better gear.

i also like going on expeditions just to gather items from time to time.

 

[R6Rider]

For me it's the fun fights mixed in with the constant chasing of new gear from materials you get. New gear to make fights easier and faster. Combat really depends on what weapon you use. For me I really enjoy the Hammer the most. Some monsters of course are more fun to fight than others (and again some are more fun with specific weapons).

Granted I felt Iceborne made hunts a chore because of the Clutch Claw and I typically get bored quickly when it comes to the endgame stuff.

 

[MrRibeye]

You have to see the animation go through. And it's painfully slow.

I feel like this is part of the essence of Monster Hunter and if it was flexible and fast it would no longer be a Monster Hunter game. Although I agree with you and don't enjoy this Japanese-style of melee combat either.

 

[yet_another_alt]

Giant swords being slow is Monster Hunter's biggest contribution to gaming.

Also this thread made me want to reinstall Rise but I just checked the Steam player count first and just saw that World has a 70k daily peak. What's up with that?

 

[Hrk69]

The grind / gameplay loop of Monster Hunter is very addictive

 

[Danjin44]

I fucking love the combat in MH games, this is the game you have to have knowledge of monster's attacks and movements.

This is not a game you mash buttons and hoping for the best.

 

[Zheph]

it has a very solid loop with tight gameplay. It is about learning your combo and patterns to deliver maximum damage and it feels satisfying when you slay monsters in style.
There are much quicker weapons than greatswords if you feel that this is too sluggish for you.

Also not everything is for everyone, kinda weird way to look at things imo

 

[bbeach123]

Every(almost) weapon in monster hunter make the combat of the game feel a lot different , you might hate this weapon but you might love others weapon . And "new to the weapon" to "experienced" feel a FUCKING LOT DIFERRENT TOO .

Personally speaking I totally understand why some people dont get monster hunter . I used to be one of them too , I tried like 4 game , the psp -give up after 10 hours (greatsword), mh3u ~20 hours(longsword-feel terrible) , then mh4u ~30hours(bow- playable -but the 3ds controls kill me) (insect glave ~20hours - hate this version too) .

AND THEN BEHOLD , THE FUCKING CHARGE BLADE CHANGED ME . IT FEEL LIKE A WHOLE DIFFERENT GAME . DODGE IS FOR BITCHES , AXE TO YOUR FACE ,SHIELD TO YOUR FACE , EXPLOSION .

It feel so good when you're this good .

 

[March Climber]

One series I can't figure out is Monster Hunter. Every single time I've tried one, I've regretted it. The idea of hunting giant dinosaurs and birds seems cool to me. But then the cumbersome gameplay gets in the way.

Same for me, I’ve tried to get into the series but the combat is just not fun.

I wouldn’t say I hate it though, it’s just not my cup of tea.

If you like the Monster Hunter aesthetic but want a JRPG instead, play these two games:

 

[Robb]

Same for me, I’ve tried to get into the series but the combat is just not fun.

I wouldn’t say I hate it though, it’s just not my cup of tea.

 

[ArtHands]

There are various types of weapons. You can always switch to the faster dual blades or something.

The gameplay loop of hunting for materials to craft better armors to fight stronger monsters for new materials, is the point.

 

[Robb]

If you like the Monster Hunter aesthetic but want a JRPG instead, play these two games:

Haven't tried these but yeah, I think I’d enjoy them a lot more.

 

[Codes 208]

 

[Skifi28]

Don't try to play like it's DMC, try all the weapons to see what suits you, try World instead since Rise is a dumped down version of the gameplay loop.

 

[Generic]

It's pattern memorization: the game.

I don't like it too much. Also I got burned of the genre because of Dauntless.

 

[March Climber]

try World instead since Rise is a dumbed down version of the gameplay loop.

Maybe an introductory game is probably more helpful. Dauntless and Dragon's Dogma are what finally convinced me to give Monster Hunter a second try years ago.

 

[NanaMiku]

1. Cool monsters
2. Cool armor & weapons
3. The combat is really fun.

 

[Danjin44]

1. Cool monsters
2. Cool armor & weapons
3. The combat is really fun.

/Thread

 

[Starhowl]

Yeah it's strange, considering the complete lack of story with the exception of the spin-offs.

 

[bender]

You get to hunt dinosaurs with friends and everything you collect is useful for building armor, weapons or support items. It has a high skill ceiling and a modest floor. It's great for a half hour gaming sessions or for wasting hours a time.

 

[NanaMiku]

You can also try Monster Hunter Now. It seems easier and less complicated.

Yeah it's strange, considering the complete lack of story with the exception of the spin-offs.

Monhun is about your story. It's about the hunt you do alone/with friends.

You get to hunt dinosaurs with friends and everything you collect is useful for building armor, weapons or support items. It has a high skill ceiling and a modest floor. It's great for a half hour gaming sessions or for wasting hours a time.

Yup, the tagline for Monhun in PSP/3DS era in Japan was "Let's do 1 hunt!"

 

[GymWolf]

Cool monster design with cool moves
Very different weapons to master
Great looking armours and weapons (well a lot of them)
Very high skill ceiling, you learn stuff even after hundreds of hours
Decent animal ecosystem
I know people hate the stories in these games, but as monster\creature lover, i love any story about big ass monsters changing an entire ecosystem etc.
Mhw had some great looking locations

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

I spent half an hour reading tutorials on how to play and how Capcom decided they'd have you hold various buttons down to access menus and etc etc. They just throw what feels like the entire game at you all at once and it instantly drained me. But I tried to give it a shot anyway.

Yeah, this scared me away almost instantly when I tried that MH that was on Game Pass (was it Rise? I’m not sure).
Half an hour of endless basic stuff thrown at you. Cats, dogs, birds, an entire marketplace that you still can’t really visit but it already has too much stuff to remember. A barrage of tutorials and descriptions written in the tiniest font you can fit on a 4K screen because fuck you. Then they gave me the most unwieldy weapon ever and sent me down an earth slide to my first mission with even more tutorials before I could even take a swing. I quit before even seeing a single monster.

 

[acidagfc]

The first few hours in Rise are terrible. They dump all of the mechanics on you and if you are new to the series it all makes little to no sense.
Especially with all the DLC content spamming screens and screens of patch info on you.

If you manage to get past that and find a weapon that you like, you are hooked for hours.

I spent probably 150 hours in Rise and did not even get to the actual endgame, stopped right at the final DLC story boss.

EDIT: If you have not played any of the MH games before, start with World. It is very different to Rise. Rise is a super streamlined 'here is a monster, go bash it' sort of deal. World is kind of an immersive hunting simulator, where you have to track and chase monsters. Both are great in their own right, but World is easier to get into, IMO.

EDIT2:

As to why I love it, it's because once you get into the groove, it is so hard to put down. Just one more monster to hunt. Ok, maybe one more. Ok, this is the last one. Bam, it's way past midnight, but you've got yourself a full set of an amazing looking armor and ready to tackle that scary tyrannosaurus that previously killed you in one bite. Monsters get larger and scarier, but so does your gear. In the endgame they remix those monsters by giving them even nastier abilities or pitting you up against multiple of them. Each game is nearly endless if you want it to be.

 

[Roman Empire]

Giant swords being slow is Monster Hunter's biggest contribution to gaming.

Also this thread made me want to reinstall Rise but I just checked the Steam player count first and just saw that World has a 70k daily peak. What's up with that?

It has been this high since Capcom's official "Return to World" event a few months ago. The player count had peaked at 164k steam players + Playstation. It's probably to keep the hype for Wilds at an all time high while we wait for a playable demo since Wilds will be like World than Rise in terms of gameplay pacing.

 

[yet_another_alt]

It has been this high since Capcom's official "Return to World" event a few months ago. The player count had peaked at 164k steam players + Playstation. It's probably to keep the hype for Wilds at an all time high while we wait for a playable demo since Wilds will be like World than Rise in terms of gameplay pacing.

It's just amazing to me that they managed to get people playing again without really adding any new content.

 

[Schmendrick]

the combat cuts into the same vein as the From Games for me.
It is extremely skill based and also extremely varied thanks to every weapon playing completely different. That + the gear progression is the addictive loop for me.

 

[Diddy X]

I tried a couple times to get into Monster Hunter World but I didn't like it, maybe I could try a third time because it looks like a big fun game but I never played past the first mission.

 

[KrisB]

I think a lot of it is finding the weapon type that suits your play style. I fully understand your complaints about the slow and tedious feel of the sword as that's why I've never used them.
I've always mained the bowgun. The gameplay loop is addictive but there is big room for improvements and I can see why it's daunting for newcomers.

The item inventory and the controls for going through menus needs a big overhaul.

 

[Loomy]

But then the cumbersome gameplay gets in the way.

Moment to moment gameplay is fine. Systems design is where it gets frustrating. Doing anything outside of hunting monsters is a giant pain in the ass in this series. The menus, joining friends, everything feels like it was designed by someone who refuses to acknowledge that a better option probably exists.

 

[Big Baller]

Tried several times but it isnt for me.

 

[Dr. Suchong]

I stink at it, but it just compels me to keep trying.
I started with World and haven't looked back.
Weighty, satisfying combat.
Long swords are fucking awesome.
Fantastic art direction, animation, and sound.
So much to see and do.
Experimenting with builds never gets old.
Loads of interesting weapons to try out.
I wish I had more time to play it tbh.

 

[cash_longfellow]

I agree OP. I’ve tried to like it, but just can’t get into it.

 

[Roman Empire]

It's just amazing to me that they managed to get people playing again without really adding any new content.

Well, the game is just that good. But MH isn't for everyone, clearly by OP's post. And that is totally fine. People need to understand that not because something is popular and well liked means they need to get into it. This is the same exact thing when people make posts about FromSoftware games and how they don't get it why it's so popular. At least OP gave it a shot (more than once even).

 

[jufonuk]

How the OP feels about the game is how I feel about souls games sometimes. The combat is cumbersome. I have also tried MH games and it feels like any enemy takes an age to kill.

 

[TheKratos]

If you don't like Worlds then MH simply isn't for you.

I have been playing since MH1 on ps2. I love how you have to prepare for hunts (gear, food, materials). Your character does not level up like regular RPG's, instead you need to grind better gear. The grind is never dull since most of the monster are well designed and fun to fight.

I love the combat itself, the slow but powerful Great Sword or smashing heads with Hammer. The hits have big impact (especially in World).

The Monster Hunter world is very immersive IMO, I can get lost for hours in it building optimal and fashion sets. No game comes close to what MH bring to the table for me.

 

[alienator]

i have been following monster hunter since the ps2 , but never could get into it, i didnt understand it, whats the fun in this? fast forward to monster hunter world release, it suddenly clicked, and spend most likely +400 hours on world and rise.

i loved going in with my bagpipe and play dumbass tunes for my party to buff them, after i tried all weapons, its so deep and every weapon has its own playstyle, love to go chargeblade on one mission and giant hammertime on the next.

Its fun! especially with a bunch of friends!

 

[IAmRei]

Maybe try another weapons? There are lot of weapons there. And it might covers all styles.

 

[Gojiira]

Giant swords being slow is Monster Hunter's biggest contribution to gaming.

Also this thread made me want to reinstall Rise but I just checked the Steam player count first and just saw that World has a 70k daily peak. What's up with that?

Because World is the best game in the series despite what contrarians say. Capcom did that ‘Return to World Event’ in the build up to Wilds trailer etc etc and it got the fanbase going again.

 

[saintjules]

I couldn't get used to the controls in MHW so I didn't bother with it. This and the new game look good gameplay wise though.

 

[Pejo]

You have 2 different groups that like MonHun, neither of them are wrong.

The original group are more old school gamers (probably a lot of ex-MMO hardcores) that liked the planning/gathering/preparation pieces of a hunt, that liked the risk vs. reward style combat with slow meaningful attacks, punishing nature of the world and the combat. It was hard but fair, and there was a lot of satisfaction when you were properly prepared for a hunt with all of the consumables you need, you plan out how a hunt is probably going to go, then execute. There were a lot of obtuse mechanics like slow gathering, limited inventory space, breakable tools, etc, but they added to the game world and made even "farming" trips out into the stages have some level of strategy.

Then you have the casuals that arrived for World and started enjoying the games there. The combat is much more forgiving in post-World games, the gathering is just something you do while speeding by on a mount on your way to chase the monster. You can go to camps to re-equip yourself and get more consumables if you run out. A lot of the tertiary stuff has been streamlined, and the game (especially in Rise) became more of a boss rush type experience than what I'd consider a true "hunt" experience.

Both types of games are built around the satisfying combat with slower but satisfying animations and good monster reaction mechanics. "Building one weapon/set of armor to overcome a tough new monster that gets introduced as your get better at the game" is the core grind and some people hate it, but others get hooked. Some people prefer the theme park type experience and some prefer the old style.

The thing I've learned about MonHun for all of my friends that I lured into the genre, is that until it "clicks" for you, it just seems like a worse 3D character action game. Until you kinda understand what your goals for combat are, it probably feels clunky and slow. But when you have a plan to break x,y,z parts for a chance at a,b,c drops and then doing things like mounting and ramming into walls/hitting environmental traps etc, it really opens up.

So to answer your question: deeper, purposeful combat, a cyclic grind, fun aesthetic, fighting dinosaurs is cool.

 

[thief183]

I had the same opinion until I played with a bow and somehow it clicked, and now I don't want to see a bow anymore, just huge swords ans shields, the combat system is outstanding... after 3 months of constant training

 

[Morrie’s wig shop]

I’m in the same boat OP, my youngest brother is always telling me to play ( he is 6 years younger) he’s been playing since the beginning.

Here’s the thing if I’m around him at his house and he’s playing I quite enjoy watching him play. I just can’t do it for whatever reason (the ones you mentioned).

Oh well, I’m glad it’s a thing though..

 

[Topher]

I like pretty much everything but F2P MOBAs and cell phone games but one series I can't figure out is Monster Hunter. Every single time I've tried one, I've regretted it. The idea of hunting giant dinosaurs and birds seems cool to me. But then the cumbersome gameplay gets in the way.

MH Rise is one of the Plus+ games right now so I decided although I swore them off after MH World, I'd try this because I heard it was easier to get into the series with this entry. I spent half an hour reading tutorials on how to play and how Capcom decided they'd have you hold various buttons down to access menus and etc etc. They just throw what feels like the entire game at you all at once and it instantly drained me. But I tried to give it a shot anyway.

Big mistake. I forgot how horrible the combat feels with your character swinging a giant sword for 5 seconds while everything gets out of the way. But you can't adjust for a miss like every other decent game. No, we can't have that! You have to see the animation go through. And it's painfully slow.

The first mission I took was some boring mission to hunt down some fire plants and the layout of the map is so poor, I spent a good 20 minutes trying to find them all only to have to Google a guide, something I hate doing in games.

So anyway, I hate this game almost on par with the Hearts of Iron series. But unlike HoI, this game is popular. What gives? Why do you enjoy it? What is the video game magic I'm missing out on?

For me, this falls under "not every game is for everybody". Monster Hunter is simply not for me. I put in 15 hours into MH: World and finally just gave up. It didn't click with me for many of the same reasons it didn't click for you. Bottom line was that the crux of the game, hunting monsters, just wasn't fun.

 

[Shut0wen]

Im with op, i love the sound of the series but the gameplay especially the combat is just shit, its like demon souls with a really bad lock on and i know its me and not the game but the loop and collection quests are boring af

 

[Draugoth]

I didnt get it either but finally 8 hours on World it clicked for me

 

[lughnasadh123]

World was my first MH game, go through a chunk of it before getting tired of the grind, and am now giving Rise a go. I definitely agree with the OP that things just feel to sluggish at times like wading through molasses waiting to do animations, waiting for the animations to complete - it just comes off so clunky at times. It's just frustrating so damn frustrating compared to other (similar but different) games where the combat just feel better to play.

I hate the story, hate rampages, hate not having a proper lock on AND being able to constantly face my target, hate having to constantly readjust my camera to better see myself, hate having to eat rations to get full stamina back, hate the ps2 era level designs, even hate the new wirebug implementation even though I like the idea behind it.

That said, it has a lot of great things too. The vast variety of weapons have more depth than other games with each offering a unique playstyle and way to customize builds. Same with mix-match armor. The gameplay loop is also quite good. The new companions are a welcome relief to solo players and Rise at least scrapped more of the onboarding crap so most of the time I can just right to the best part - chasing down a monster to kill.

I'd love, love to have some game that takes the weapon and armor variety of this game and mix in some Horizon and Souls combat/weapon design that personally would be the best of them all.

 

[LavitzSlambert]

The idea of hunting giant dinosaurs and birds seems cool to me. But then the cumbersome gameplay gets in the way.

My first 10 hours of MHW was among the worst gaming experiences I ever had. It was confusing, slow, clunky, and just plain stupid. People had to be complete idiots to praise the series. But I really saw the appeal of fighting giant monsters, so I stuck with it to give it a real try. Then, suddenly, something just clicked and the next 490 hours were among the best. You get to fight giant monsters with unique movesets, harvest their parts, and upgrade your weapons and armor, just so you can fight more challenging monsters and feel like a badass.

It turns out what I thought was slow and clunky was just me not understanding how to play, and Rise in particular is extremely fast and fluid, once you know what you're doing. The ramp up to having fun actually went pretty quick after I stopped just trying to figure out the game myself and gave in to watch a beginner's guide on youtube. I never do that shit, but for MH it's extremely helpful and will pay you dividends.First off, here is a video from GaijinHunter where he literally plays the first couple hours of the game with you while also explaining WTF is going on. This is a long video meant to be watched as you are playing.




If that is too much, I can give you a handful of quick tips:

1. Don't worry about all the mechanics and tutorials. You do not need to engage 90% of them right now, and it just makes the game feel needlessly difficult. You can get by in the early game knowing only the very basics.

2. Learn the core gameplay loop, it is this: prep, eat, choose a quest, and hunt. You prep by choosing your gear (and crafting/upgrading at the smithy in town) and choose and item loadout, then you eat (you ALWAYS eat before a hunt) to get bonus stats. Finally, you choose a quest to embark on where you then get to kill or capture the monster. For now just kill them unless the mission specifically calls for their capture.

3. Test out a few weapons in the training room to get a feel for them, and pick out one that you think is cool. If you want suggestions for beginners, I would say longsword, sword & shield, or dual blades are extremely beginner friendly. Dual blades is mobile and quick, longsword will teach you monster attacks (for your counters), and sword and shield is a good balance while also being extremely effective. I'd recommend against a few unless you are really determined, don't go greatsword or until you get more experience. Regardless of what you choose, stick with basic attacks to get a feel and focus on evasion to chip your way to victory. MH plays almost like a turn based game, you can't just rollspam your way to victory like in a souls game, positioning is king. Your weapon choice will determine your positioning.

4. After you have a few hunts down, go online and post or join some gathering hub quests to play with other people. It doesn't matter if they are friends or randoms. Follow them around and watch what they do, and have fun killing monsters with them. I can't stress enough the importance of playing with people who know what's going on.

5. As you start to get more comfortable with the core loop and your weapon, start slowly adding mechanics one at a time to your hunts and build on them. Learn about the wirebug movements and recovery, then work on combos, etc. Don't be shy about mindlessly mimicking combos by others. For example, if you begin with longsword, once you have the basic attacks down now start learning about the spirit meter and introduce the spirit combo to increase your damage. Once you have done this, you can learn roundslash to buff your attacks further. Then once you have that rhythm going, check out spirit helm breaker. After that, start using foresight slash to counter moves you would normally need to evade, and use as a shortcut to roundslash.

A weapon tutorial is a good resource to quickly get you up to speed, I recommend Arrekz and GaijinHunter.

 

[DryvBy]

Same for me, I’ve tried to get into the series but the combat is just not fun.

I wouldn’t say I hate it though, it’s just not my cup of tea.

I do. I've bought into this series 5 times and every time I'm confused why I thought this time would be better. Aka, I'm an idiot.

I was playing for a couple of hours and the amount of tutorials that hit you all at once was just burdensome for me. It was just too much all at once.