The Ultimate Hunt: Why You Should Play Monster Hunter

Capcom’s Monster Hunter Tri servers shut down in April, but the upcoming release of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate for Wii U and 3DS on March 19 promises to invigorate the series. As a veteran hunter who started fighting dragons and other beasts on day one, I’m here to tell you why this series should be on your radar.  

Beware the Yian Kut-Ku.

Monsters

The monsters, unsurprisingly, steal the show in Monster Hunter. Ranging from winged, fire-breathing behemoths to gigantic mammals, the animals of the world prove to be deadly, but also beautiful.  The recognizable crimson scales of the Rathalos have made it the series’ most iconic creature. Clever, subtle design choices keep each creature unique. Every monster is also designed in such a way that players can instantly identify it. 

Players don’t need to see Deviljho to know he’s entered the battlefield – his roar serves as his introduction. So too does his exclusive, now-you’re-in-for-it theme music. Even powerful hunters become paralyzed with a moment of fear when Jho – a much too affectionate nickname – enters the hunting ground. 

Though not as readily apparent as appearance and sound, monster mannerisms count just as much in the design. Barioth, a giant cat, acts differently than the aquatic Gobul. He’s quick, pounces around erratically as if chasing an imaginary ball of yarn, and is almost playful in the way he attacks his future meals – namely, you. A Gobul, while not as helpless as a fish out of water, is much less nimble on land. He seeks to use blinding light from the lure on his head to stagger foes, while also paralyzing them via spikes he puffs out of his body in a more defensive display.

Monster Hunter can change drastically when battling elder dragons like Jhen Mohran. Not simply another tough foe found on battlefields, fighting Mohran is an event spanning around 30 minutes. The beginning of the battle has hunters commandeering a desert warship and all of its weapons, and then transitioning to a more traditional brawl with the mountain-sized dragon as players try to repel or slay the beast.

Each monster provides a new experience, and is also an intricate part of the next reason you should be playing. 

Equipment

Monsters are not just used to create great battles and look fantastic; they are also meant to wear – and not to make a fashion statement. The most satisfying part of Monster Hunter is what happens after you smite enough beasts: the creation of armor and weapons. Felled monsters provide a set number of “carves” such as horns, tusks, or claws, which are used to make equipment. 

Those horns on your switch axe? Yeah, those were the same Lagiacrus horns impaling you as you ran for dear life three battles ago. Now you use them – and their thunder element – to take down bigger and deadlier enemies much more efficiently. 

There are no insipid designs when it comes to weapons and armor; most pieces reflect the beast they came from, but never come off as tacky. For example: Barioth armor will contain a headpiece with two tusks that rest on your hunter's cheeks. Gigginox armor emanates the same kind of creepiness as the creature it’s modeled after, giving off a baroque vibe unique to the cave-dweller. Its Unnerving Talons easily earn their name as they bizarrely hug your character’s body.  

Armor doesn't always match the animal it’s from, but each piece has character – even the obscure Jaggi Mask, hip Shadow Shades, and out-of-place HellHunter Jacket. It’s odd to wear a dinosaur head as a helmet, and use a weapon aptly named the Kut-Ku Jaw for use as a hammer. However, smashing a dead animal’s jaw against another massive monster – one that makes the dead wyvern’s noises – is a part of the series’ quirks.

[Next up: The joys of hunting cooperatively with friends]

Cooperative play

Playing with a group of friends is the only way to truly enjoy Monster Hunter. Seriously – try to take on any of the large animals alone and you're in for a terrible, though brief, battle. Bringing down gigantic monsters capable of killing hunters by walking into them requires good tactics and sound teamwork. Organizing well before a battle is part of the fun: it takes a while to know who has the healing potions to use on the entire party, who has traps, and what weapons each person is using.

As there are limits to how many potions of each type can be carried – not to mention the time that it takes to acquire the ingredients to create them – it’s devastating to use one at the same time as a partner. Communication is vital. The same can be said about placing a trap. Nothing is worse than setting down two traps, only to watch the monster retreat after falling into one and taking too much damage. It can make killing a creature more difficult, but can ruin a capture quest. 

Weapon types are important as well. Each monster has its set of weaknesses, and everyone bringing a water weapon to smite a fire dragon is a good idea. However, if everyone has a greatsword, it may make cutting the tail off easier (a part of the monster that can be carved, and also contains different drops at different drop rates), but makes breaking tusks, horns or anything requiring blunt force that much more difficult. 

Choosing the correct weapons becomes essential, and is a strategic part of the game. Different weapons damage in different ways, and also offer a multitude of abilities and skills to take into battle. Some let your hunter block all damage, while others make him more nimble.  

Though it seems like a daunting task as first, planning out hunts, coordinating roles, and creating a strategy ahead of time is immensely rewarding in the long run. The fear of letting the team down makes each encounter an exhilarating one. It takes time and dedication to become a master hunter, but the community is generally friendly online, and willing to help those just setting out. It is hard to leave the game’s world after a successful hunt; players will want to stay to create the ultimate hunter.  

What do you like about the Monster Hunter series? Why haven’t you jumped in? Leave your hunter’s name if you would like to get some quests in before Monster Hunter Tri no longer has running servers!