Recent reviews by Caitlyssa. ♥

To clarify, I have enjoyed every title I played in the Monster Hunter series, and World is no exception, I would like to discuss why more people should experience these series. Also... this is my first ever review, so please don't judge too harshly.

Despite acquiring over 1300 hours in the game at the point of me writing this review, I must admit I was a late comer. I did not start playing Monster Hunter: World until Summer of 2019 therefore I cannot speak about anything that happened before then. I have been playing the game on and off for the past year and there are things I would like to see in game going forward which I am eager to share with you here; however in my humble opinion majority of the experience this game has to offer is indeed good.

So... Monster Hunter: World. In this game you take the role of a hunter, your main objective is to kill or trap monsters that inhabit the various areas of the world. You can then use the materials to craft equipment and upgrade it. The story revolves around The Research Commission's Fifth Fleet and the challenges they must brave in the New World.

So what are some of the things that I like about this game? Right of the bat as you enter the game for the first time, you are greeted with a delightfully detailed yet easy to use character creator. The face, skin tones, make up, all of the menus were easy to navigate through. I was in fact able to create a character that actually bares a striking resemblance to myself in real life despite having less customisation options than we have now. I am sure that most would agree that it is much easier to immerse yourself in a world when you are pleased with how your character turned out.

Mentioning the world above brings me onto my next point. Despite being someone who enjoys large, continuous worlds to explore; I still had no issues with area sizes in this game. In fact; I think the areas on the map (though not joined together) have enough variety to keep you engaged all the time. With the addition of Guiding Lands in Iceborne DLC it has only got better. You discover a whole variety of things from monster tracks and endemic life, to conversing with natives of the land such as Grimalkynes and Gajalaka. Aside from quests, you can hunt monsters in expeditions too, each area spawns different monsters which live in that particular habitat. Other things you are able to do in any of those areas include but aren't limited to: Fishing, gathering, collecting rare materials and conducting general studies of flora and fauna via researchers that spawn within the area. You are a part of the Research Commission after all. All materials that you acquire can be used to craft and improve equipment, making you more efficient on hunts.

The next point is of course: Equipment! There are fourteen weapon types you can use. Melee weapons such as Sword and Shield, Greatsword, Lance and others, as well as ranged weapons such as Light and Heavy Bowguns and Bows. Weapons of increased rarity that you craft have higher amounts of customisation options that impact their stats and usability. As well as having basic weapons, you also have elemental weapons; all of which now after release of Iceborne DLC have a huge abundance of customisation options to choose from. Prior to the DLC I must admit the choice was rather average for weapons.

Armours in this game also have a large variety and are also highly customisable. The addition of layered armours that can be equipped over existing armours without removing your desired skills granted by your current set can not only make your hunter deadly in combat but stylish too, because no matter what you do, you must look good doing it! There are more then plenty customisation options here to make your hunter stand out from the crowd! So go wild!

So what about quests? Questing in this game can be done solo or with 1, 2 or 3 other hunters online. Quests are divided into assigned (or story) quests, optional quests, investigations, event quests and special assignments. Investigations are great for gathering materials and going for achievements. Event quests allow you to get your hands on certain unique items that are only available during certain events. Special assignments are used for collaboration quests and assignments with unique rewards. In my opinion questing in this game is extremely fun as well as rewarding! The reward system is based on RNG. Higher reward level quests have increased chances of dropping unique and valuable items.

The other types of quests available are siege quests. Such as Kulve Taroth and Iceborne DLC Safi'jiiva. Siege quests are extremely fun and rewarding also; however the one issue I have ran into with the siege quests is it can take a very long time to get the items you desire. Siege quests take a much longer time to complete than normal quests; and with RNG loot system you might need to do a lot of runs before getting what you want causing the whole experience to feel like a bit of a chore. Even though this issue has been more or less resolved in Iceborne with Safi'jiiva... memories still remain with me, and possibly others.

Let's talk a little bit about what I would like to see in future patches. Again this is my personal opinion.

The one huge issue for me personally: I don't feel enough monsters from previous titles have made a return in the New World sadly. Don't get me wrong, it was amazing for me to see Zinogre, Brachydios and Rajang! However I was really hoping to see all members of The Fated Four in the New World. I am praying for the day we could see Gammoth, Astalos and Mizutsune grace us with their presence. We already have Glavenus from The Fated Four, please let us have the others too. I understand there were issues with some skeletons, and I pray that they will be resolved. Besides that, I feel they should put in more monsters from the Frontier series as majority of people were unable to experience them due to Frontier being Japan exclusive. Personally I would have loved to experience monsters like Orugaron, Shantien, Hyujikiki, Anorupatisu and many others.

Overall Monster Hunter: World is a great game that I would recommend to anyone looking for a fun and unique experience be it solo or with friends. Addition of Iceborne DLC has made the game nothing shy of amazing and I hope they continue to surprise and impress.

Kind regards, ♥