10 Takeaways from Monster Hunter: World Beta
Dec. 14, 201710 Takeaways from Monster Hunter: World Beta
As theMonster Hunter: WorldBeta draws to a close after what seems like an incredibly short 3 days, we are left with some insight into what the full retail version has in store. In this article, we touch on ourMHW Beta impressions, some key takeaways, and our wishlist for the upcoming release based on my own experiences and contributions from members of the Monster Hunter World discord.
As pointed out by kingchangling, the map inter-connectivity has brought about a more fluid style of climbing, with beautifully rendered vine surfaces that blend seamlessly into the scenery. This is indeed quite the unexpected improvement for map traversal, and one that I hope we’ll see further expanded by the promise of theGlider Mantle, that should allow us to essentially take flight within theCoral Highlands.
Monster Hunterhas always had large environments, but the scale feels completely new inMonster Hunter: World. The key difference comes from the inter-connectivity, but there’s something else to the simplicity of the layers of content and depth to eachLocation. TheAncient Forestlets you get lost in caves as you explore and gather materials, and hides away small monsters to discover and observe, making you wish the quest timer was not locked at 20 minutes! When the game is out, make sure to venture off the beaten path to find all sorts of small but fun items like theSushifish Scale.
Seeing all monsters coexisting (amicably or not) brings the world to life, but seeing the small and proper reactions of Monsters to unique situations made it all the more fun. I had a “crying with laughter” experience as I took a small sideturn from my group and accidentally picked up an egg in the Wildspire Waste. The animation for the egg carrying is hilarious as always, but the real fun came from the full reaction of my party. “Where did you get an egg?” as people ran around looking for the nest, only to turn around and realise an army of Apceros had rocked up and were hell-of-a-pissed-off at our transgression! The slow-motion pursuit that followed was interrupted by a Barroth, that scared off the Apceros and led to all of us breaking our eggs. Fun times!
A dedicated group of us were aiming to record as many Carvings as we could find, but it seemed some of the smaller monsters were limited to set non-material drops. However, we persevered! Monster Venandi found out that Mernos eventually dropped “Windrake Hide”, and Rathalos and Anjanath Plates. It was fun to discover what parts of the monsters could give what rewards, and we went on several dedicated hunts just to try to get something else to drop out of the Apceros. Monster Hunter’s loot-driven motivation continues to hold us through each iteration.
I’ve always lovedFelynes, as any proper cat lover would. But the adorable effect is full up withPalicoestaking advantage of graphic improvements. Their little boats as you fight the last stage ofRathalosin the mud is simply “squeee” inducing. Further, the little guys pack a punch by recruitingKestodonsto fight with you and mounting them asvaliant knights in shining nyarmor. And then come theGrimalkynesand their fantastic monster trapping. There are a few instances where you can obtain such assistance in the beta, but specific camps for the NPC allies can be found and sound like promising depth to this mechanic.
An abundance of predators means an abundance of territorial fighting, to the point that preview videos made fans wonder “Is there a monster hierarchy? Who wins?“. The beta seems to have answered some of that, As you notice theBarrothseems to win when attackingJyuratodus, but has zero chance to live through theDiablos, that hit it for a whoooping 400 damage! Adding to the territorial element, I watched as theAnjanathwas simply picked up and dropped off a cliff by aRathalos… there goes my loot 🙁
Monster Hunter has always provided players with a variety in combat choice. However, this time around, the14 weapon categoriesare all incredibly enticing. From the difficult-to-understand but awesome to playHunting Horn, to theGlorious Nippon Steel Longswords, there’s a space for everyone including those wanting to use that Horizon fashion for theirBowfeats. Of particular note, the moveset of theInsect Glaiveand theDual Swordsbrings on fluidity and landscape exploits that are perhaps only matched by some of the crazy stunts we’ve seen people pull off with theSwitch Axe!
New playersto the series have traditionally hit the complexity wall early on, and drowned in tutorial levels that could be quite repetitive and seem pointless. The new approach seems to have trimmed away some of the more tedious reading, and instead implemented large in-screen explanations of what is happening and when. This is a huge plus for the game, as it lures over players from the far corners of theDark Soulsworld with its enticing weapon showcase. It will probably now not scare them away with all the reading!
Small bugs hint you to hidden areas, mining and gathering in general are now much less of a pain and much more interesting with the on-screen tips. But the real treat was in discovering rare spawn ofPukei-Pukei! Since each map has a limitedMonsterspawn, discovering this chance element made for a mad rush among the players to find and defeat the beast.
What other secrets will surprise us with launch? We can’t wait!
Monster Hunter: Worldlooks like a deserving entry into the larger PC and Console markets for the franchise. With streamlined “auto-crafting“, helpfultips, and upcoming in-game previews ofMonsters‘ weaknesses andcarvings, many players worried that the game would lose its original hook. But, as LucentMoon says: Underneath all of the updated graphics,Monster Hunter Worldis still at its heart, aMonster Huntergame. Although the game did not introduce any game-changing features, it improves upon everything else instead. This is extremely important, because this has allowed Monster Hunter World to make a smooth transition while somehow still managing to remain as the series that we know and love.
I loved the Beta, every second of it. I laughed, I ran for my life, I rooted for my little palico in his small monster mount. I quickly built comradery and belonging with members of my party, and was satisfied to find the world a simultaneously completely new yet familiarly beloved experience. Monster Hunter: World looks amazing, plays amazing, and will certainly deserve a day one launch!
Check outgameplay footageofMonster Hunter: World‘scombat, these collection ofshort but sweetnature clips and all of theNEWstuff coming to the game.
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Fexelea
MMO raider by day and guide writer by night, Fex enjoys multiplatform gaming, good books and animes, and streaming with a cold beer.
10: I’m REALLY liking the verticality, especially how it felt natural. In the Ancient Forest, it was convoluted and twisting and, well, tall like a tree. Some of those jumps gave you up to 10 seconds of air time! While the Wildspire Waste was much more flat with sudden cliffs, just like a real desert would have.
9: I spent several hunts with my bow, attempting to gather resources to make coatings the beta didn’t give me. (Got 18 blast coatings on the Wastes, and boy, are those fun) There’s so much to see, it was easy to forget I was supposed to be hunting!
6: That Grimalkyne in the pic looks so done. Lol. I agree, they nailed the cats this time. They are adorable and amazing.
2: WHAT!? The Pukei-Pukei could spawn!? Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa I wish i found it! I had heard the Rathian could spawn in the Wastes, but I never heard about the Pukei. That’s actually really cool how the random monsters can change like that.
