STACK #159 Jan 2018

GAMES FEATURE

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Listen up, greenhorns.There’s a new Monster Hunter on the horizon, and for the first time ever it’s getting a simultaneous worldwide release. Monster HunterWorld is here. Words Alesha Kolbe A Whole NewWorld

W hy should you care? Ever since 2004 on ye olde PlayStation 2, the Monster Hunter series – developed and published by Capcom – has wooed hearts around the world thanks to its excellent graphics and tough gameplay. Until now, it’s been skewed more towards portable hardware releases, and these handhelds are far more popular in Japan than they have been in other parts of the globe; consequently this is where the franchise has achieved the most traction. Despite being well-received critically, Monster Hunter hasn't gained the same interest in the West. With Monster Hunter World , Capcom are hoping to change that. They’ve revamped

don’t feel like they’re missing out if they haven't played the originals. Monster Hunter World removes the load screens between locations and makes for an overall more encompassing experience, and one that’s more appealing for novices of the franchise rather than veteran fans. If you’ve got no idea what Monster Hunter is, it’s actually pretty

All your damage and stat buffs come through your weapons and gear. The weapons you buy or craft will all have different buffs and elemental and/or status effects that will impact how well (or poorly) you’ll do in battle. You can also equip what’s known as a mantle, that have bonus effects; for example, waterproofing, that will allow you to easier traverse aquatic

self-explanatory. You play as a (fully customisable) hunter, charged with hunting down and killing or capturing the nefarious monsters that are plaguing the land. It’s a third-person, fantasy, action RPG. The difference here, though, is that your player character doesn’t actually receive any stat changes themselves.

[Capcom has] revamped the series in the hope of making it more accessible to newcomers

the series in the hope of making it more accessible to newcomers, starting with not calling it Monster Hunter 5 so folks

006 JANUARY 2018

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