Monster Hunter: World is the next installment in the long-running Monster Hunter franchise. This installment will take the series off the handhelds and move them to the home consoles, which allows it to escape the 240p of the Nintendo 3DS, and become an HD title.
Monster Hunter: World retains many of the mechanics the series is known for but also introduces additional features, such as stealth. New monsters, such as the one shown off in the gameplay footage, and items are also available with this installment, making it feel like a brand new installment.
Areas are still separated into numbered areas but instead of having load screens separate them, Monster Hunter: World features seamless transitions between the zones, making it feel like one big area. It’s not exactly the open-world fans were predicting but it definitely is something new for the series.
Something else new to the series is the ability to see how much damage you are inflicting on the monster. Monster Hunter purists probably won’t like this change as much as newcomers, so you will be able to switch off the damage numbers if you choose.
You can check out the full gameplay video below. Monster Hunter: World will be coming to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in early 2018. A PC version has been announced but will be coming after the console release.
When Monster Hunter: World was announced, there was a lot of confusion from fans of the series. For a series that has traditionally appeared on handheld consoles for the most part, the exclusion of a Nintendo Switch version left many fans baffled. Capcom has confirmed that World is not a spin-off but it is indeed a main entry, meaning the Nintendo fans are being skipped entirely with the installment, at least for now. There were even rumors floating around that Sony paid Capcom to keep the game off Nintendo platforms.
It’s not all bad for Nintendo Switch owners, however. Monster Hunter Double Cross (styled Monster Hunter XX) is coming to the Switch. The game itself is an expanded version of Monster Hunter Generations from the Nintendo 3DS. As for now, the game is set to release in Japan only but the Switch is region-free, so you can import a copy if you please. You just have to brush up on your Japanese.