If you’re new to Capcom’s unique game franchise, Monster Hunter, it may be hard to consider buying their latest entry, Monster Hunter World. But MHW is one of the best games I’ve played this year, and I’m going to explain why.

Starting with the eye candy: MHW’s textures and lighting are nothing special. But the environments are tremendously detailed. More on that later. The style is very surreal, and the world of MHW feels quite inspired.

The sounds are diverse and unique, which was likely a difficult task to achieve given the variety of sounds needed throughout the game. I’m especially fond of the music. Not every song shines, but there are some that are wonderfully memorable.

I really wanted to like this game’s story, but unfortunately, it is not that good. Be that as it may, there are things it does well. MHW has a cast of characters that each have a unique look, dialogue and personality.

The voice acting is well-executed, and the facial animation successfully displays  emotion. Sadly, the story has difficulty giving the characters deep moments, and when it does, there’s no buildup.

I’m sure you get the point. You won’t be playing this game for the visuals or the story. It’s the gameplay that you’ll be paying for, like the chocolate at the center of a tootsie pop.

I’ll start with the tools. MHW gives the player access to fourteen weapons. This includes, but is not limited to: a sword and shield, a bow and arrow, a katana, a glaive that controls insects and bagpipes. Each one has a different moveset with possible combo moves, but some weapons are easier than others, something beginners can be thankful for. Additionally, they’re all ten times the size you would expect, probably to be effective against monsters.

And the monsters are a critical part of the game. Each monster is a unique and special snowflake, y’know, just like everyone else. This is to say each one has a unique visual design. Lamentably, some designs blend together in memory as many of them have a dragon-esque style to them. This is only slightly disappointing.

When hunting a monster, you start by finding footprints. The tracking in this game is regrettably simple. Rather than skillfully identifying footprints and eyeing clues, tracking boils down to following the mass of glowing green “scout flies” who do all of that stuff for you, until you find the big baddie.

Fighting monsters is not easy. Just like your weapons, they have a set of moves as well as their own strengths and weaknesses. Luckily, their attacks are well-telegraphed, so if you have a perceptive eye, you’ll know when your prey is going to strike back. Most monsters do this well; very few of them frustrate me with their nonsense abilities.

After dishing out some decent damage, your opponent will flee. This is understandable, as dying is an undesirable development, even for monsters.

When this happens, you are free to heal up, sharpen your weapon and/or track the monster down before it takes a nap of mortal terror and regains health points. If you’re a PETA advocate and you don’t feel like killing such a poor, innocent (and hostile) creature, you can always capture it insteads. This still requires stabbing it senseless. Actually, if you’re concerned about the well-being of these creatures, maybe this game isn’t for you.

Another unique feature of the game is that players have palicoes, or combat assistants. Palicoes are these weird cat people who do all the labor jobs throughout the world of MHW. They’re also the natives of the “New World” in which the game takes place, which sounds like some disturbing historical commentary.

Anyway, your palico’s main purpose is distracting the monster, allowing you time to get a few hits in, or to slurp up a much-needed potion. You can also dress up your palico in different sets of gear, with varying effects of protection and hilarity. I dressed mine in armor twice its size, and now it looks like a spherical astronaut. Did somebody say PETA?

With the word “World” in the title, you’d think this game would be an open world, but… nope. Rather, the game is divided into open levels separated by loading screens, the levels themselves being composed of numerous linear pathways and clearings.

Where Capcom sacrifices quantity they gain quality. Each biome is full of individual, recognizable locations. In each, players will find resources, smaller monsters and “endemic life” which is another word for saying “the thing that isn’t trying to kill you.” They’re so well done, I was still finding new things thirty hours into my playthrough.

A couple more things to mention before I conclude:

• This game has co-op multiplayer. You can join servers of up to sixteen people. Fellow Hunters get to join in on your quests by accompanying you before it starts or dropping right in as backup (Only available once you have fired the “SOS flare”). This game is an absolute blast with friends, so keep that in mind when deciding to get this game or not.
• One major gripe I have with MHW is that you can’t pause the game, even in offline mode. This is significant, because life doesn’t stop for Monster Hunter.

In conclusion, Monster Hunter: World is a phenomenal video game. I give it a 90/100. If you’re aching for a new experience and don’t mind a steep skill curve, you can end your search. You’re welcome, and HAPPY HUNTING!