Monster Hunter Tri (Wii)

I have been lucky enough to have been playing an advance copy of this for about two weeks now. So first things first...

BE WARNED! This is NOT a pick up and play game.

Much of the Wii's success has been based on the availability of games which are family based, or easy to pick up and play in short doses, you know what I mean? Sure there are some exceptions, but to my knowledge there have not been any exceptions such as this. This is a BIG game, demands exceptional time spent on it, exceptional patience and nerves of steel! I strongly recommend you get the classic controller version (if you don't already have one) as that does make the fighting experience that wee bit easier. And it's the battles that will pin you to this game. They are huge and difficult and you will fail and you will scream with frustration and you will go back and try just that once more it is that addictive. You want to BEAT those beasts good and proper and when you eventually do win you wipe the sweat from your brow and feel kinda good. There are no energy bars or the like, you have to look for clues in the beasts' condition to work out how close to victory you may be.

That's the best bit.

Now for the "Marmite" bit. Everyone will love the battles but the RPG elements will either be loved or hated. They are a large part of this game, both in one player mode and more so in multiplayer online. You can't run out and partake in epic battles until you've put in a lot of time elsewhere, mining, bug-catching or hunting smaller monsters for the materials to make better equipment or sell for money. Any significant hunt is preceded by sometimes hours of preparation. In Moga Village (your starting point) itself there's loads to do - for example, there's a farm to cultivate valuable plants, mushrooms, insects and honey to save you from gathering them in the wild. You can however also head out to the Moga Woods at any point without taking a quest to practice against medium-size monsters or gather up ores etc. It is vital that you put these hours in though, because if you venture out into the wide world under-cooked you will get duffed up good and proper.

And that leads us to the online content. The one player game is awesome enough but the online game is even more huge and I have only dipped a toe into it and ran away screaming for my mum. More hardened gamers will no doubt castigate me for the wimp I am but there is loads to do, there are quests galore and you need to be at the top of your game to even survive far less prosper in that environment. I can see many sleepless nights ahead if you get engrossed in this.

Even if you don't like this sort of thing you will still marvel at the audacity of putting this out on the wii. The graphics are superb, the sound is spot on but as I say get the classic controller as the wii mote is not accurate enough in battle when you meet the big boys.

If you have the time and are prepared to put in the effort you will find this one of the most rewarding games on any console, however if you want quick playability and instant gratification this is not the game for you.

Monster hunter is a huge success in japan and its easy to see why. The game is fast paced, fun, addictive and very very hard. It is effectively a game comprised completely of boss fights. Each monster you hunt has its own particular quirks which you must learn to survive and one mistake can mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Gameplay 10/10
The game is all about survival, Outside of hunting you will be mining, gathering herbs and bugs and crafting items for use in the hunt. After each fight you can carve parts off the dead monster for use in making armor and weaponry to give you more defense and attack power. However this means nothing if you do not know what to do against a particular boss. Most of your early attempts at fighting said bosses will result in you dying but each time you learn a little bit more of when to dodge, block and attack. Even when you get used to their basic moves they throw in a berserk mode every now and again so you have to be extremely quick on your toes. Eventually the satisfaction of beating the monster is very rewarding. After the boss is down you go on to the next big nasty. The variety of weaponry available is jaw dropping to say the least everything from lances and sword and shield, to the new slash axe which is amazing fun to say the least. Controls are easy to master and intuitive, however i would advise starting the game using a great sword if you are unfamiliar with the series, as they have a much shallower learning curve than the other weapons.

Graphics 9/10
The games graphics are amazing for a Wii game. As someone who owns all 3 next gen consoles it is obvious how the Wii's hardware is miles behind the others however capcom have excelled themselves in making a top quality graphical project for the Wii. Creature design is amazing and the terrain is beautiful to explore.

Sound 10/10
Another point where capcom have excelled themselves, everything sounds as it should do, the wind whistles the crickets croak and the monsters truly howl.

Overall 10/10
If your a fan of action games, RPG's or just gaming in general, do not miss Monster Hunter Tri, it is without a doubt the best game on the Wii. Its easy to see why in japan the game is the biggest franchise around. However it is not for the weak of heart, casual gamers may be put off by the complexity and difficulty of some of the encounters, However it is an extremely rewarding, fun and all round addictive gaming experience

I've never played a role-playing game before, so I was worried I might not enjoy this game. How wrong I was proved once I played it for several hours! I've been converted to the role-playing genre from playing this game.

The hub world in the game is Moga village, which has been attacked by a monster. You arrive in the village, and are immediatley hired to track down the Lagiacrus that destroyed the village (final monster in the game). In moga village you are able to forge and upgrade weapons and armour, buy and sell items at the market place, farm vegetables to recover health, go to your bed (which automatically saves the game), and finally sign up for quests at the Hunter's Guild.

The game comprises completing hunting quests, which are given to you by the 'hunting guild'. There are main quests, and sub-quests. If you complete all the sub quests first, then the main quest you get maximum reward (money, items etc). Some main and sub-quests require you to obtain an item, like a monster's horn. You then place the items in a red box, and when all the items are in the box you complete that quest/sub quest. Before you embark on a quest, you may have to forage in Moga Woods for items, such as bugs, herbs and so on. In one quest, you are required to stun a 'deer-like' animal, which requires combining a bomb casing with a flash bug, to give you a flash bomb. After each quest, you can 'level-up', which means you can forge new weapons and armour if you have the raw materials (taken from monster kills) and money. You can also upgrade your weapons and armour, which is sometimes better than forging new weapons and armour. There is an arena mode which allows you to practice slaying monsters before you go into combat for real, always good to be prepared!

It must be pointed out, this game has a very steep learning curve. You wont be able to master the basics in just 2-3 hours, it will take longer to get things rolling along and pick up some pace. You've been warned.

When you collect resources from Moga Woods and get kills, you can then convert them into resource points. Resource points allow you to grow herbs and mushrooms in a plot of land that is eventually given to you (after completing some initial basic quests). You can then harvest the herbs and so on after a while. The herbs can be used to increase your health.

When you have completed some initial tasks, and have levelled up to some basic armour and weaponry, you are able to access the Quest Guild, and take on more substantial quests. There are about 45 main monsters to defeat, but don't think that's not much, as there will be plenty foraging, farming etc to keep you busy inbetween quests.

The game can be played with either the Wiimote and nunchuck combination, or the Wii Classic controller pro. The classic controller pro provides a more comfortable control option, as you will be playing for extended periods of time, and the Wiimote and nunchuck are very physical so you get tired quicker. The game provides full tutorials when you start the game, and there's a monster hunters notebook which describes all you need to know to control and proceed in the game. The in-game control description menus are comprehensive enough so that you don't need to read the manual, or at least I found that to be the case!

There's not a lot to say about the music, it's atmospheric enough, but not very varied, sometimes there's no music playing atall, but this doesn't detract from the game atall. The graphics are very good, but to be honest I thought they would be slightly better given all the hype about them in the run up to the games launch. Anyway, the graphics are good enough to make the game a treat for your eyes.

There is a local multiplayer option (split screen) that allows you to team up with friends or family and hunt in packs. Hunting in packs allows you to take on monsters in a whole new way. You can develop strategies for attacking and it makes it more manageable too. There is of course online multiplayer, where you can simply 'walk' up to another player and join a quest without the need for friend codes! Wii speak is also compatible with Monster Hunter, and is much easier than typing commands. You can talk to other players in a 'conference style' chat to issue commands, tell others to back away and develop your own team strategies, most satisfying and the best online gameplay I've seen for the Wii (with exception of Mario Kart Wii and Animal Crossing: Let's go to the City). Also, there are no online fees, unlike in Japan! There are also online quest events, which are weekly online only quests, which are seperate from the main quests, so this will extend the longevity of the game.

If you're a role-playing fan, you've probably already bought this, so I don't need to convince you that it is good. As I said above, I wasn't into role-playing games before I heard of Monster Hunter, but now I'm right into it! It goes to show, that If you were like me, you could be absorbed by this game. I would recommend this game, if you have any sort of role-playing ability in you, it's not just a game for hardcore gamer's, so you should be able to get into this game.

In Summary:

Graphics: 8.5/10 Superb visuals add to the atmosphere of the game, although I was a little disappointed given the hype about them before the game was launced.
Sound: 8/10 The music adds to the atmosphere, but there's not a lot of it. The sound effects are top notch, you can even customise your character's grunts and roars!
Gameplay: 9.5/10 The gameplay is supreme, levelling-up of armour and weapons, collecting items, combining them, good combat system (if a little slugish at time) and very addictive too.
Fun: 10/10 Monster Hunter 3 is fun, fun, fun!
Overall: 9/10 If you're a role-playing fan then you don't need convincing, if you're not but aren't a 'casual gamer', then I recommend this game, it is very rewarding.