In this Monster Hunter Generations, fans of the first hour should not be disoriented by what surrounds them, while neophytes will have the opportunity to quickly catch up by discovering certain essential areas of the saga. Thus, the players will travel between the cities of the previous episodes, while discovering some new zones as well as a new village. If it's a real pleasure to be able to go back through the places that made the success of the license, it is especially impressive to realize how much the creators of the game have respected the coherence of the Monster Hunter universe. Indeed, in addition to finding known geographical areas, players will also have the opportunity to meet NPCs who have marked the history of the game; which makes exploration even more enjoyable while remembering certain passages from previous episodes. This feeling of nostalgia is also reinforced thanks to a high-flying achievement on Nintendo's portable console. Some panoramas will make you want to stop and simply contemplate the details that swarm among the different areas of the game. To top it off, loading between areas is very fast and does not break the player's immersion in any way, despite the fact that these areas are not very large. On the other hand, in terms of 3D relief, players will quickly pass their turn if they want to play the game for a long time and keep their eyes in good condition. If the feature is nice to use for a few minutes, it becomes almost impossible to play long session with it, and this because of a capricious camera which will force your eyes to regularly focus to adapt to 3D. It should also be noted that the camera is still as impractical to use as in previous episodes, and you will often have to stop in the middle of the map to be able to replace your camera correctly. If this defect remains minor in terms of the qualities of the game, it could make the adventure much less catchy for those who do not have a New 3DS or a Circle Pad.
IT'S ALL IN THE STYLE
For this best of episode, Capcom has completely overhauled its combat system by offering four hunting styles, thus allowing you to vary the way you play each time. Among them, we find the “Guild” style, which allows you to use two “arts” of hunting or the “aerial” style which is an aerial combat mode where players can lean on monsters to jump over them. above, while mastering three “arts”. The most discreet will fall back on the “Bushido” style which is mainly based on dodging and the generation of attack bonuses, while the most naughty among you may find their account with the “Striker” style, ideal to launch devastating attacks. Thanks to its four combat styles, Monster Hunter Generations becomes much easier to learn. Game veterans can easily find their mark thanks to the “Guild” style which has been present since the beginning of the saga, while beginners can fall back on the other styles which offer more dynamic fights, with a grip in immediate hand. However, if these new styles are intended to make the game easier to access, it will take many hours of play before you really master your character. Indeed, depending on the style chosen, it will be important to use weapons that are in line with its mode of combat. Thus, if the Bushido prefer to use light weapons, the Striker will refer to them on imposing weapons with high damage. Finally, during your progress, you will have to choose different “Arts” which allow you to obtain new abilities, such as the possibility of performing a jump to retreat or even increasing the effect of healing. Again, it will be important to choose an art that complements your fighting style since depending on the style chosen, you can then master up to three Arts. With these new additions, Monster Hunter Generations has gained depth in its gameplay, giving players the freedom to choose a style of play that suits them best. More nervous and dynamic, the fights have gained in intensity although the targeting system remains to be perfected since very often, we find ourselves hitting next to our target.
CATS, HUNTERS' BEST FRIENDS
In addition to completely revamping the combat system, Capcom also looked at companions to make them more interesting to use. If it is still possible to go on a mop in the company of our two felynes, it is now possible to embody them directly! Each of them has its own skill tree and thus offers players several possibilities during the games. Don't expect to go hunting with your felines, they won't last long against gigantic opponents. On the other hand, the use of your companions makes sense during harvest missions. Indeed, the Félynes can run in an unlimited way or even hide underground in order to avoid confrontations. It then becomes much more pleasant to browse the areas of the game to find the various resources you need to progress. In addition, the Felynes can always accompany you to serve as support during your fights, and it is also possible to send them on an automatic mission to bring back the components necessary for the evolution of their equipment, or to find certain objects for your hunter. . If this new feature mainly adds fun to the adventure, it is above all an excellent way to separate the fights from the collection of supplies, without suffering the inherent constraints of the hunter. From now on, players will be able to move more quickly through the zones and above all, the Felynes do not require any tools to be able to harvest your resources. We can only welcome this initiative which makes the adventure a little less linear while facilitating the search for components.
If the gameplay of Monster Hunter Generation has been drastically changed, the crafting system has remained quite close to what was done in previous episodes. The players will therefore not be too disoriented, since the arsenal of weapons is almost similar to that of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate and it will always be necessary to go in search of the components necessary for the development or the evolution of a weapon. Despite this, the system has still undergone a slight overhaul and from now on, it will only be possible to create so-called “basic” weapons such as an iron sword or a bone club. It will therefore be necessary to develop them later, by gradually choosing the components to add to your weapon. Always very easy to learn, the equipment creation system remains one of the big strengths of the game since even neophytes can find their way around quite easily. And it's important to use it regularly so you don't get stuck in certain areas because of equipment that isn't up to standard. In short, Capcom has remained very classic here but it is for the greater good of the players.
MONSTROUS CONTENT
If all the gameplay improvements made to the game have given the series a boost, it is above all the gargantuan content that will delight players. In addition to the solo adventure, adventurers can fall back on guild quests, side activities and arenas to easily reach a hundred hours of play. In addition to all these missions, players will have something to hunt since we find no less than 71 monsters in this adventure. It's still four less than in the previous episode, but that doesn't take away the pleasure we have from hunting monsters. On the OST side, the game does not fail in its duty and offers an epic soundtrack that will make the fights much more intense, while offering a feeling of calm when walking around town. Finally, the most committed players can also play online (up to four players) to go in search of overpowered monsters. The online mode also takes on a whole new meaning thanks to the different fighting styles that allow you to create complementary teams, where each style will have a different influence on the fight. Between online confrontations and an ever more complete solo adventure, Monster Hunter Generation should keep its players busy throughout the summer and even until the end of the year!
