So Monster Hunter Freedom Unite (or 2G, if you’re following the Japanese version), has arrived State-side. I feel like a newbie all over again, scrambling around for bits and pieces to make an armor that won’t get me killed. Of course I’m not starting from scratch, but these new, ‘G’ ranked monsters are tearing through my current armor with little problem. Then I have to worry about my current weapons being underpowered, and the search starts all over again. Not that this is a bad thing, but I found the experience to be amusing.
Anyway, on to the nitty-gritty: How does this game hold up to the previous incarnation? What new things does this version bring to the table?
Well, one has to approach this game as more of an expansion than a sequel to Freedom 2. When you port your character over, you keep all of your old possessions and whatever you’ve already accomplished. The good thing about this isn’t just that veteran players don’t miss a beat, but a new player can also grab Freedom Unite and start from the ground up.
MH has made itself far more streamlined, allowing hunters to prepare for battles and hunts much more quickly. Combining items in your storage and being able to give items to NPCs without necessarily having them on your person are small, but very useful additions to the game’s interface. Teams can now skip game cutscenes (like Lao, Shen, Akantor, etc). A few “Press X to Confirm that We blah blah blah” screens have been omitted. Even the rewards payout goes by much more quickly. Capcom realized that what we really want to do is beat up stuph, so they changed things so that downtime can be fairly short.
The old maps have been brought back as well. Since I jumped on the Monster Hunter band wagon a little late, the old maps bring a sense of style to MH that makes everything feel more fleshed out, as well as making the world feel much larger. One small gripe about the old maps: I feel that the camera gets caught and pushed about by the walls a lot more than in the newer maps. Also, there is a brand new map, which is a lush, overgrown forest. It’s fun to run around and hunt in, and it’s used as a display case for a few of the new monsters.
Speaking of new monsters, the New Face Team has got some pretty heavy hitters as well as bizarre creatures. I sadly haven’t gotten to hunt Yamatsukami or Ucamulbas yet (those might be their Japanese names), but Naruga, Hypnoc, and Volganos (okay, those are the Japanese names for Nargacuga, Hypnocatrice, and Lavasioth, respectively. I think the original names roll off of the tongue better) are very nice additions to our rogues gallery. I’m not going to go into the specifics of hunting these things. That’s something you, good reader, will have to face first hand. But a gentle reminder: Don’t get hit by Naruga’s overhead tail smash if you really enjoy sunshine, puppy dogs, and life.
Ah, Comrade Cats. The one, really true addition to the game. These little guys come with you on missions, being adorable, and, if you’re very lucky, useful. They can throw bombs, get run over by monsters, attack with a stick, get clobbered by monsters, use helpful flutes, get crushed by monsters, fall asleep while hunting, and get demolished by monsters! In all seriousness, they attack, support, and even find items for you. However, their effectiveness isn’t so great at the beginning, so you will see them taunt Gravios in the face of firey doom, or lie down and take a rest when Rathalos charges at you, etc. Of course, this also depends on their temperement. The fact that I have a kitty with the personality ‘Double KO’ might skew my opinion. Watching your beloved comrade cat fearlessly storming across the desert panorama with bomb beheld get stomped on by a raging Black Diablos is a horrifyingly hilarious scene.
There’s also new weapons, armors, and much more difficult quests (like hunting five G ranked, ridiculously powerful monsters all at the same time), but I think a lot of people would see this review as dragging on a lot without really saying anything. One would think I’m carefully glossing over game mechanic problems or bugs by blabbing on about things a press release would tell you. The thing is, I’m really not, and I’ll explain why:
If you have played Monster Hunter Freedom 2, the system hasn’t changed at all, and besides looking nicer and having new things to stab, this game is more of the same. However, while it is more of the same, there is a lot of it. The basics are still there: For example, the controls have a slightly higher learning curve with the camera control, but once you have the hang of it, the controls are very intuitive. The town is the same (with additions). There really is only one brand new map (I believe, anyway). I don’t talk about these aspects because the point of this review is to talk about new things that Unite brings us.
But the game is rock-solid, and tons of fun. If I was asked whether or not the game seems boring or tedious because it’s just the old game all over again, I’d remind the inquisitor that the game came out five days ago, and I’ve already clocked 41+ hours on it (as well as living a normal, non-MMORPG addicted life).
By the way, to bring things into perspective, if I include my game time from Freedom 2 (which is the one I started on), I’m around eight hundred twenty-somthing hours, and still going. Eat that, all you Disgaea, Final Fantasy 12, and Star Ocean: Till the End of Time people. Although I will respect (and be horrified by) anyone who grinds all of his/her equipment to lvl 99 in Disgaea, even though I don’t have to give them any respect here; because if that person is you, you are not reading this article. You are still playing Disgaea, grinding your equipment. Have fun out there in your item sub-universes.
This is one of the many reasons I want a PSP naow
I need monies I want this now ;_; lol