Monster Hunter: World is finally an mainstream console game for PS4, and Xbox One for the Monster Hunter series since the Nintendo Wii. Many fans have been hoping for a main console version since the recent trends of 3DS releases. Producer Ryozo Tsujimoto is changing the controller layout and adding new game functions to appeal to potential new audiences.
With a hope of breaking further into the Western audience and making it easier for new players, Ryozo Tsujimoto, stated
“We’ve taken a broad look at what we can revise and change and improve in Monster Hunter. Like maybe the bits that were harder to understand or not as smooth. We can improve those things so that players who didn’t get on with the series until now and weren’t able to get past some outer shell of the clunkiness, or difficult-to-process information.”
Fans of the games can keep their controller layout but new controls have been added similar to modern games. Running or dashes can be changed to clicks on the stick rather than R1. Third person shooting in Monster Hunter: World can now be controlled with the thumb-stick similar to third person shooters.
“It’s made the guns so much smoother that even the director was saying he normally only plays a couple of different sword weapons, but this time around, he’s added the guns to his repertoire because they’re just so much easier to get on with and so much more fun,” Tsujimoto said.
With the move to bigger consoles, the map has increased as well. With more vertical space and broader horizons, green clouds of insects will lead players to areas of interest or create trails to follow monsters. Tsujimoto said “it isn’t like a UI GPS marker. It blends in with the world, and yet it functions as something which tells you, ‘This is where you should be going next.”
Monster Hunter: World will also include better starting area. Many players have complained that it takes too long to get into the exciting parts of the game. This often pushed newer players away from enjoying Monster Hunter as you had to find resources for new weapons and armors that often felt dull. Executive Director, Kaname Fujioka, said
“We’ve put a lot more action up front so that even when you’re opening with the story scenes and the tutorial scenes, they’re actually live-action gameplay,” he said. “They get you kicking off playing the game much faster than simply watching cut scenes happen or, you know, talking to people and seeing pages of text.”
Older fans of the series won’t have to worry if Capcom is changing the formula. Tsujimoto stated that “We want to make the game that you love better than ever and bring more people on so it’s got even more fans.” Although there have been complaints that the Monster Hunter series will become too easy, I believe Tsujimoto has the right intentions to improve the game for all types of fans.
Opinion:
Monster Hunter: World seems like a great jumping off point for interested players in the Monster Hunter series. I believe everyone has a common agreement that the game, monsters, weapons, and setting was appealing but the hurdle to climb was too high. I With the new controls change and the promise of improved changes to the intro, I would definitely start playing Monster Hunter games. Monster Hunter: World releases January 26, 2018.
The Gaming News Corner 