24 minutes of Monster Hunter World gameplay show why it could be the best entry yet
Seamless maps, dynamic environments, and new mechanics offer a major evolution for the series.
Capcom revealed 24 minutes of Monster Hunter World gameplay during a Japanese livestream earlier today.
YouTuber and Monster Hunter aficionado Arekkz Gaming offers an English language synopsis of the developer walkthrough after having seen the same presentation at E3.
In this upcoming entry to the fantasy hunting series, maps will be large and you'll be able to seamlessly transition around the field, unlike the series' previous entries where you have loading screen between each section of the map.
Interestingly, main mission monsters will go about their business irrespective of your presence, until you attack them. An early example of this is the player stalking a Great Jagrass, who swallows an Apinoths whole.
A cool thing about the new open terrain is that there will be a dynamic ecosystem in terms of the food chain, so you can see some monsters fight each others based on their diet for one another. Leading your prey to an even bigger, badder beast is always an option to get someone else to do your dirty work.
If you need some additional help, you can fire a flare to open up the game's multiplayer lobby so someone else can join you mid-mission. You'll still have the option to group up with friends in a hub before going on a quest, as one could in the past.
There will also be some light stealth mechanics this time around, as you can crouch and hide in tall grass to get the drop on your prey. Creatures can be lured around by tossing rocks to make noise as a diversion.
One small, but massively more convenient change is that you'll be able to grab items while running, as opposed to the previous Monster Hunter games where you'd have to stop dead in your tracks to undergo a lengthy pick up animation.
Another change is the way tracking works. You'll now be able to examine traces of the monsters, like footprints or trails of mucus, to level up insects that track your prey. Once you have these enabled you'll get a glowing green trail leading you to your target.
Monster Hunter World also introduces actual damage numbers, so you can see how much you're hurting a beast, based on your weapon, type of attack, and where on its body you've made contact.
Unlike previous entries, Monster Hunter World will let you quick travel to a base camp mid-mission to swap out your gear. This way if you start a mission with a weapon you later deem not a good fit for the job, you'll be able to change it without forfeiting your quest.
All in all, Monster Hunter World looks like a lot more than just a coat of new paint, but rather a major evolution for the series. It's due in early 2018 on PS4 and Xbox One with a PC port set to arrive in the months to follow.