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Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (NS) - the best of the old world

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (NS) – the best of the old world

The Nintendo Switch gets its own Monster Hunter game, but will it be the same breakthrough hit as Monster Hunter: World was?

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We have been very slow to come around to the charms of Monster Hunter. The series is over 14 years old now, and when it started out it seemed just a clunky attempt to recreate Phantasy Star Online on the PlayStation 2. Along with most Western gamers, it took a long time for our opinion of the game to change beyond that – even when it became the killer app for the PSP in Japan. But with each iteration the game has gradually become more refined and more welcoming, until finally – unexpectedly – this years Monster Hunter: World became a worldwide hit. But this is not that game.

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate is in fact a remaster of 2017 3DS game Monster Hunter XX, which was only released in Japan and is in turn a minor expansion of what is known in the West as Monster Hunter Generations. This was all from back when the mainline games were Nintendo exclusives, an unusually aggressive move for the company that may have single-handedly doomed the PS Vitas chances in Japan.

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Not that Monster Hunter Generation was technically a mainline entry though, with Capcom characterising it at the time as a celebration of the series so far, and a chance to bring back various fan favourite monsters from previous entries. That means theres a lot of content here that wasnt in Monster Hunter: World and a much greater number of monsters overall. But at the same time theres a lot of quality of life features options that are sadly absent.

For those not familiar with Monster Hunter (or Phantasy Star Online) its a third person action role-player that does exactly what it says on the tin. Weve previously described it as Sub Quest: The Game, and although storytelling has become more important in recent years the emphasis is still on picking up a quest in a village and going off to hunt whatever monster youve been assigned. Ideally youll do this with three friends via offline or online co-op, with each bringing a different set of weapons and equipment to the fight.

Long term fans may be disappointed to find that Generations does not introduce any new weapon types, but there are lots of changes based around new combat abilities and special moves. You can also now play as the cat-like Felynes, which is a great way for new players to get to grips with the game. Felynes cant use items but that means they can gather resources on their own, and they have unlimited stamina. So even a complete novice can join in with a fairly high level group and still be useful.

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There is a lot to learn in Generations, with the games tedious tutorials failing to do much more than tell you to read the in-game manual. But Monster Hunter can also seem frustratingly unhelpful even beyond that, with monsters having no health bar – despite some battles going on for 15 minutes or more – and few clues as to how to tackle them. Its not that the Monster Hunter games are especially hard but, like Dark Souls, they expect you to work out how to beat them yourself. Or at least they did until Monster Hunter: World came along.

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (NS) - the only option for Switch owners

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (NS) – the only option for Switch owners

One of the biggest problems many Western gamers have with the series is the combat, which is extremely slow and measured. And so pretty much exactly the opposite of what youd normally expect from Capcom. Its essentially the opposite of button-mashing, where every move and attack is expected to be deliberate, and ideally based on a learnt familiarity with the monster and the various tells that proceed its own attacks.

The new combat abilities do help to make things more dynamic though, with the Hunter Arts introducing a range of more traditional fighting game style special moves, from auto-combos to emergency health and stamina refills. These work off a power meter that builds up as you deal normal damage, and how many you have access to depends on which of the new Hunting Styles you choose.

The Guild style is basically the standard Monster Hunter experience, but Striker is designed to use as many Hunter Arts as possible and charges them up more quickly, Aerial gives you the ability to jump, and Adept is for expert players who get a damage bonus when pulling off a perfect guard or dodge. None of which is in Monster Hunter: World.

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In terms of basic gameplay Ultimate and World are still very similar, but there are significant differences in terms of presentation and accessibility. There are no scoutflies in Ultimate to show you the way, no lock-on camera option, and the crafting is almost impenetrable without outside help.

And theres also the fact that the open world isnt one contiguous area but broken up into smaller sections with a brief loading pause between them, an unwanted tradition of the series that was only done away with in World. And while the monsters in particular have scrubbed up nicely the fact remains that this is a high res 3DS game and most of the time it shows.

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Theres also no online chat and a continued disconnect between single-player and multiplayer – where even though theyre the same quests you only get to see the story content and other villages when playing on your own. These were problems two years ago, but they and all the rest are magnified greatly by the release of World.

This is still arguably the second-best Monster Hunter game ever made, but the gap between gold and silver now feels dangerously wide. If youve only got a Switch then this is still a perfectly entertaining game but if youre a new fan attracted by the most recent game youre unlikely to want to leave your World for this one.

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate

In Short: Still one of the best entries in the series, but the comparisons to Monster Hunter: World are not kind – especially as this is essentially just a 3DS port.

Pros: Mountains of content (much more than Monster Hunter: World) and a great portable experience, especially for those already familiar with the older games.

Cons: Even ignoring Monster Hunter: World the tutorials are unhelpful, the interface is clunky, and the graphics are low-tech. Limited online options are a real handicap.

Score: 7/10

Formats: Nintendo Switch
Price: £49.99
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Release Date: 28th August 2018
Age Rating: 12

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