Monster Hunter was a series I've heard of, but have never dived into. That was, until I heard about this game. I don't remember where I heard about it first, but I think it was on a facebook ad. I looked at the page, and hey, the game looked pretty cool! Heck, it even came for the system I had! So I decided to look a little more into it and keep my ears open.
Man, I didn't expect what happened next. Suddenly, dozens of review came, some even from my favorite channels, and they all said the same thing...BUY THIS GAME!!!! Everywhere I looked, 9/10, 9.5/10, 10/10, everyone was rating this game unusually high. I heard one specific review from the guy known as ProJared, and I was hooked. Sure enough, a couple weeks ago, I obtained this game.
Monster Hunter 3: Ultimate is a game centered around boss fights. But first, you got to get materials. This game is like Legend of Zelda is where it has RPG elements, but is really an action game. You have to get materials to make stronger armor, weapons, items and such, but there's no direct level system, and everything else is action-based.
Before you go on a hunt, you need to gather materials. After all, potions don't make themselves! Gather mushrooms and herbs to help make potions. While you're at it, mine a little bit, as you're going to need some ore for making weapons are armor, as well as catching a few bugs too! Kill a few weaker monster to get some more materials as well. Don't worry, it sounds tedious, but it's really easy, and if you know what you're doing, it won't take very long. It gives a more realistic feel to the whole game, but not in such a way that it bores you to death. You can also eat beforehand, which choosing the proper ingredients will give you different abilities as well as a boost to certain stats.
Then, you must grab your weapon. There are about 10 different kinds, including the Sword and Shield, Dual Blades, Great Sword, Longsword, Lance and Shield, Gunlance and Shield, Hammer, Horn, Light Bowgun, Heavy Bowgun, and Bow. Each weapon is quite balanced with the other, and which you will do best with completely depends on your playing style. Then, you choose a cool suit of armor you made with good abilities, and you're ready for the hunt!
My favorite weapon has got to be the Bowgun (I am not actually a female in this game, I just needed a picture of it). It's not better than any of the other weapons, I just have the most fun with it, which is exactly how you should choose your weapon. Try out all the options, and pick the weapon you have the most fun with!
As you would hope for a game that focuses around the boss fights, the developers put a lot into the boss fights. This game probably has around 100 bosses in total to fight, and each of them quite different. There are a few monsters that appear twice with slight look variation, but their moves are often quite different, and you never really feel like you're fighting the same monster twice.
The monsters themselves are freaking awesome. When they say monster, they mean MONSTER.
Before each boss fight occurs, you get a short cutscene showing just how much trouble you've gotten yourself into. Often it involves a common monster being absolutely mutilated by the boss. It's a nice touch.
Now, more about the boss fight. As you would imagine, these are not simple fights. Each boss has a ton of health, and each attack they possess does lots of damage, often with side effects as well. But don't worry, that doesn't mean they're impossible.
Strategy is actually an important part of this. Each boss monster has what's called "break points". These are parts of a monster's body that breaks off when damaged enough. Not only does this give each fight more of a realistic feel, but it often affects the monster's attacks. Break the lightning crystal on the Lagicarus's back, and it can no longer use it's lighting attack! Cut off the Barioth's tail, and it can no longer hit you with it. And to top it all off, you get some bonus materials from completing the quest if you do.
To add to the realistic sense a bit further, different parts of a boss's body have varying amount of hardness. The weapon you possess (besides bows and guns), have a sharpness level. Each part of a boss's body requires a certain level of sharpness to hurt, or the weapon will simply bounce off. If you use a blade, you'll have to quickly use a whetstone to sharpen your blade again
The music is well done, but that's what you'd expect from Capcom, right? In all, it makes each boss fight quite the experience. Each boss fight will leave you feeling accomplished, and it keeps the game from getting boring. This is one of those games where it's difficult enough that normal gamers will probably have trouble with most of the fights at first, but after a couple tries, you'll do it in. If you still can't, that's because your armor and weapons need an upgrade, and if you don't have the materials, kill bosses to get them!
This game gives you a constant feeling of improvement as you get stronger armor and weapons from killing bosses and are able to kill stronger bosses, and that's one of the reasons this game is so good. Not to mention the fact that you have so many different weapons to choose from as well as being able to customize yourself. When you finally kill that tough monster, you get the feeling that YOU did it. And that feels great.
Then there's Cha-Cha and Kayamba, your two companions, and the game's mascots. As you play through the single-player mode, you'll eventually encounter both Cha-Cha and Kayamba, two mask-wearing forest faeries that are searching for the ultimate mask. They both talk in funny ways, and are rivals on the quest for mask, both much like children. Cha-Cha is more cheery and energetic, while Kayamba is more prideful (calling you his minion despite you being about 3x his size). Not only are they comical humor, but they are helpful in battle as well. While their damage is mediocre, they have two major advantages. They count as players, meaning that the bosses will have equal attention towards all of you, meaning that 2/3 of the time, while both of them are out, the boss will not be focused on you. The second advantage is their dances. Occasionally, they each will do a dance that gives you a random status boost, depending on which dance you chose. It becomes really handy as you can get a small attack or defense boost, quicker recovery time, or even free healing, something never to be taken granted for.
Also, as you might expect, the game is multiplayer, with up to four people playing together at once. On the 3DS version, only wireless play is available, but on the WiiU, you can do it with friends on the console, or over the internet. As you might expect, you team together to take down the monstrosity, making it all the more fun. In fact, you can even bring Kayamba and Cha-Cha along with you as well, making for really fun hunts.
The only real negative aspect of the game is learning it. If you've played a previous game in the series, there's nothing really new gameplaywise, but if you've never played it before, it will take some time to learn all of the buttons and features of this game. While you do get some instruction, it's probably not as much as you'd like, something the whole series has always suffered from. From what I've heard, this is the easiest of all of them to get used to, which is good. It didn't take me too long to get used to it, but then again, I'm a serious gamer, so that might have something to do with it.
Really, that's the only issue with this game. It's a decent enough issue to deduct some points, but it's really not that big of a deal. Everything else about the game is completely awesome. There isn't too much story, but that's okay, because you're here to have awesome fights, not go through a long story. If I needed a reason for you people to buy a 3DS, this game here would be it. Yes, I know, most of you don't have these systems, but that's part of why I do these reviews. For some of you, I'm not expecting you to care, but others, I would really encourage to look into the 3DS. It is my honest belief that if the system keeps making the games it has been, it might just be the most popular portable system to exist PERIOD. Bravo, Capcom, you did a wonderful job here.
Final Rating: 9.7593587321984720094892019/10
