Monster Hunter Generations Review

The Monster Hunter franchise has had a long and storied past that spans over twelve years now. First debuting on the Playstation 2, the franchise eventually found it’s home on Nintendo platforms for reasons that were never really elucidated on. From that point on it’s grown into a much larger franchise than it was previously, finding international success. Monster Hunter Generations is an interesting beast itself – it’s not an entirely new game but it’s not a re-tread either. Instead, Generations acts as a sort of “Best Of” compilation of the series. And it’s a pretty strong offering too.

Monster Hunter has never quite been about the story and Generations is no different. You begin your adventure in Beruna Village, which is filled with the pretty typical RPG fare. You’ve got quest givers, shop keepers, people who can craft you new equipment and some people who will teach your how to play the game. It’s pretty standard stuff – but Generations offers something else to players. It offers them the ability to open up other villages to explore, modelled on previous locations from previous Monster Hunter games. They’re nice nods to previous games, though this reviewer is slightly ashamed to admit he didn’t recognise a few from some of the later PSP instalments of the series.

For those who have yet to head out on the hunt, Monster Hunter is an action game where you head out on quests to battle huge monsters. When we say huge, we mean huge – with deafening screams and larger than life wing spans. Each monster is designed differently and a such usually needs a different approach. Some will require you to set traps to debilitate them. Others will require you to mount the monster itself and attack a key weak spot.  There’s a variety of ways to take on enemies and it’s even more enjoyable when you’re joined by a group of other players online.

After you’ve slain a beast you’ll be rewarded with loot that is presumable carved and moulded from the parts of its body you’ve pilfered. It’s a bit macabre, but it’s just how things go in Monster Hunter. Parts can be used to create new weaponry or gear, or simply sold for cash if you have no other use for them. Slightly different from other RPGs, Monster Hunter doesn’t exactly level up your character – instead you get stronger by improving your equipment. It sounds like a rather grindy experience but thanks to the variety in combat and the variety in creature designs it rarely out stays it’s welcome.

It’s definitely true that Generations has a great variety of creatures. The major new ones on offer here are cleverer variations of the series mainstay, the Wyvern. There’s a large beast that can best be described as Monster Hunter’s take on the woolly mammoth. There’s a colossal owl with blue claw laden wings. A serpentine leviathan that attacks with bubbles. There’s even a dragon covered in bones of its previous kills. All the designs are amazing stuff – one of the wyverns looks like an insect more than a dragon, for example. But they’re some great designs fortified with great abilities and combat mechanics that makes each one of them a joy to take down.

One of the more publicised additions to Generations is the ability to finally play as the Felynes, who previously only appeared as NPCs in the other games. Called Prowler Mode, the Felynes can undertake quests just like hunters along with some exclusive quests designed just for them. They’re not as powerful as the regular hunters but make up for it with a few little abilities that set them apart from the others. The most obvious one is unique skills – including the ability to dig underground to dodge attacks and use a new class of boomerang in combat. They can also revive themselves in battle and can gather at a much faster rate than other hunters. They’re different enough to warrant a try, through some may prefer the brute force of normal hunters.

Generations doesn’t include a lot of brand new content beyond a few monsters, but the weapons that have appeared in previous games have instead been retooled to work with the new gameplay systems that have been designed for Generations. Split into Hunting Styles and Hunting Arts, these change up the way Monster Hunter is played – adding further customisation to how your character behaves and plays.

A style system of sorts, you can create a character who charges up special moves quicker than a character who might specialise entirely in aerial attacks. Others put an emphasis on countering and parrying attacks. Combining a hunting style with your own weapon to create a characters that is truly tailored to your own style is something that many players will appreciate and another step in making the sometimes obtuse system of Monster Hunter more accessible to newcomers. Of course, those intimidated by it can play the all-rounder like previous games as well.

Hunter Arts are a little bit different, and I dare say a little bit out of place. Taking cues from Capcom’s other franchises like Street Fighter and Marvel vs. Capcom, these moves are flash and dramatic abilities that deal out huge effects to enemies and/or players. Performed using a gauge that fills with successful attacks on monsters, Hunter Arts can boost healing properties, deal massive damage to enemies or even stop your stamina from depleting. Some are general and others are weapon specific – and while the melodramatic presentation is a bit over the top they are incredibly useful during combat. While they might sound like they make things too easy, they must be timed well as they can easily be whiffed.

Those wanting to take on the hunts solo are able to do so for long amounts of time, but it’s playing the game with friends where the appeal of Monster Hunter, and by extension, Generations, really shines through. Through either local or online play, you’ll be able to party up with up to three players to take on hunting trips and research expedition. While completely doable solo, some of the larger creatures you’ll encounter are better approached as a team who work together on little tasks in each battle to come out victorious.

Don’t expect any voice chat capabilities though, as despite the day and age we’re in there’s still no sign of it ever coming to the series. There is a keyboard and some pre-written emotes that can be belted out when playing with friends, but they barely make up for it.

The entire experience is slightly shorter than what you’d come to expect from other Monster Hunter games, but that’s not to say that Generations is anything less than its predecessors. While not as lengthy or as in-depth as Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate that came before it, Monster Hunter Generations can easily wring over fifty hours out of players. As with other Monster Hunter games, Generations really begins after the main quest line is over, with a wide array of side content to dive deep into.

Monster Hunter Generations runs on the same engine as Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, so it’s pretty standard what is to be expected for the game’s graphical performance. As with the previous title, those playing on the New Nintendo 3DS consoles will be privy to some minor enhancements – improved framerate when playing in 3D as well as camera control with the C-Stick. The 3D works well here, but it’d be remiss to not mention just how poorly the Nintendo 3DS’s visuals are beginning to age. It’s not bad looking, but the cracks are certainly starting to show.

4 / 5