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PLATFORM
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3DS/Wii U
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BATTLE
SYSTEM
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INTERACTION
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ORIGINALITY
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STORY
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MUSIC
& SOUND
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VISUALS
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CHALLENGE
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Moderate
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COMPLETION TIME
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20-40
Hours |
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OVERALL
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+
Large number of
improvements and new content
+ Single player no
longer feels secondary
+
Brilliant multiplayer
-
No online
multiplayer on 3DS
-
High learning
curve to advanced play
-
Grinding for materials can
get repetitive
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Click
here for scoring
definitions
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Monster Hunter 3
Ultimate is the latest entry in Capcom's
long running action RPG series. An updated version
of Monster Hunter Tri, which originally
appeared on the Wii, the game brings the series'
unique brand of action to both the 3DS and Wii
U. More than a simple port, Monster
Hunter 3 Ultimate brings a hefty list
of additions, including a swath of new monsters to
fight, local multiplayer for both the 3DS and Wii
U versions, and an additional rank of quests in
multiplayer. Perhaps the biggest addition to the
game comes in the form of an extra high-rank
single player campaign after the initial one that
finally brings the single player Monster
Hunter Experience nearly on par with the
brilliant multi-player. There are some quirks in
the experience, but on the whole this is the
finest entry in the series yet.
The Monster Hunter
series has never been known for story, but Monster
Hunter Tri tried to change this a bit by
adding more of it to the single player experience
so it isn't just taking on increasingly difficult
quests. This is kept intact in Ultimate,
as the player's customized hunter is tasked with
saving the remote Moga Village from a series of
earthquakes that seem to be caused by a monster.
There's some dialog, a lot of which is funny and
well localized, but largely it stays out of the
way. It does feel nice to have some motivation for
progressing, even if it doesn't get more fleshed
out until near the end of the game. The new
high-rank single player doesn't expand this story,
which is a shame, but given that the story is
resolved well in the original campaign this never
feels like an issue.
Moving on to the realm of
gameplay, the Monster Hunter series has a
name that very accurately describes its primary
focus. Players take on quests to hunt huge
monsters, hunt large groups of smaller monsters,
or sometimes to collect resources. There are also
missions requiring the player to actually capture
a monster that provide some added variety. There
are eleven different hunting areas in the game,
though the majority of the low-rank action takes
place in only five. These areas aren't simple
arenas; they feel alive with varieties of monsters
roaming them and scores of resources that can be
gathered. There are also some environmental
hazards that can get in the way of hunting, such
as extreme heat or cold. Learning the environments
is an important part of successful hunts, as other
monsters in the area can and will attack players
while they're hunting something else.
Multiplayer
provides some of the game's most
exciting moments |
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It sounds like a
simple setup, but the devil is in the details as
they say. Players choose from twelve different
weapon categories to take on a hunt. These choices
aren't simply cosmetic; most of the weapons play
drastically different from the others. For
example, the lance allows for strong blocking with
a shield and only has a backstep for dodging,
while the longsword allows rolling for skilled
dodging but cannot block. Being more on the action
side of the action RPG spectrum, Monster
Hunter requires the user to learn and become
skilled in his/her weapon of choice. There is no
character advancement in the series outside of
making better equipment. Players have a set amount
of health and stamina that don't ever permanently
increase, though they can be augmented before
quests by visiting the cook in town. Since making
better equipment requires succeeding at taking
down monsters and harvesting materials, there's no
avoiding the requirement to become somewhat
skillful at one of the game's weapons. The one
bright side is that since there is no character
advancement outside of equipment, players can
easily switch weapon types at any point in the
game by simply crafting a weapon of a different
type with no need to start the game over from
scratch.
Despite the action skill
required to take down Monster Hunter's
various dragons and other beasts, there are plenty
of customizable elements here. In addition to the
defense and attack boosts from upgrading weapons
and armor, equipment also contains various
elemental affinities and skills. These can be
further augmented by added decorations which
enhance or in some cases unlock the skills in the
equipment. Skills can range from basic attack and
defense boosts to a high level ability that can
unlock extra elemental damage in some weapons. In
this way players can gain boosted attack and
defense power to help make hunts easier, and even
build multiple sets of gear specifically for
dealing with different types of monsters. Though
the shop in the town does sell some weapons and
armor, these are only the very basic types and
most players will need to make use of crafting of
new equipment to progress through the game. The
depth to the system is fantastic, but the game
doesn't provide a great amount of info on the
various skills, so learning the ins and outs of
gear in Monster Hunter can be quite
daunting. In addition, grinding for materials can,
at times, make the game feel a bit repetitive as
well.
Though the series has always
been known for quality multiplayer, Monster
Hunter 3 Ultimate's high-rank single
player makes the offline experience nearly on par
with the brilliant multiplayer. Players can fight
monsters with two customizable helper creatures,
up from only one in the original version of Monster
Hunter Tri. The second companion doesn't
arrive until very near the end of the low-rank
campaign, so it mostly is an addition that helps
balance the high-rank quests. Fighting giant
monsters alone can often even be a more exciting
experience with no one to help the player in a
jam. The single player is worth it even for those
more focused on multiplayer, as it provides a
great way to learn the patterns of monsters and
the layout of the game's hunting grounds without
the pressure of others wanting to complete quests
quickly. New to this version are even higher rank
multiplayer quests which include monster variants
not in the original version of Tri. All in
all, both single player and multiplayer feel like
complete, in-depth experiences, even if a player
only sticks to one of them.
There's
nothing quite like facing down
the beasts of Monster Hunter.
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Controls
are an area of some infamy with the series. The PSP
Monster Hunter games had a bad reputation for
difficult controls. Thankfully, things feel a bit
better on the 3DS and Wii U, even without the Circle
Pad Pro attachment. On the Wii U, all control
methods have dual analog sticks so the camera is
easy to control. On the 3DS, the D-pad placement
feels more natural than it did on the PSP so quickly
moving from the Circle Pad to the D-pad to adjust
the camera isn't a nuisance. The only area of
concern on the 3DS is the underwater areas that
occasionally show up in the game. Because they
require heavy adjusting of the camera, this is the
one area where the Circle Pad Pro will be missed if
it is not present.
In the realm of audio and visuals, Monster
Hunter 3 Ultimate shines on both 3DS and Wii
U. On the 3DS, the graphics don't seem to have lost
any luster in the transition from the Wii. The 3D
effect mostly works well, but didn't seem to add
enough depth to the difficult underwater areas. On
the Wii U side of things, the game looks great for
the most part, but has a feeling similar to that of
PS2 HD updates on PS3 where it feels like an
upscaling of an older game. It's not a major issue,
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is a fantastic
looking game, but players will be able to notice
that it is not taking full advantage of the power of
the Wii U. Monster Hunter's monsters and
locations have a great style to them, which comes
through clearly on both systems. On the audio front
Monster Hunter produces a great selection of
sounds from monster roars to weapons bouncing off
the tough part of a monster's hide and more.
Musically the game has a number of orchestral themes
to match each situation. When exploring a hunting
ground softer environmental music plays, quickly
changing to exciting battle themes once a large
monster is encountered. This is the kind of game
players will not want to turn down the volume on.
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
feels like a complete and very compelling package on
either platform even with the lack of online
mutliplayer on the 3DS. The single player is the
best the series has produced yet, and with a good
group of friends or anonymous hunters online on the
Wii U the multiplayer can provide hundreds of hours
of entertainment. There is enough new content here
to draw in even those that sunk many hours into the
original version of the game, though they may be
disappointed that there is no character import
option. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate,
despite some control quirks and a high learning
curve, is not just the best Monster Hunter
game yet, but one of the best action RPGs on the
market.
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