Monster Hunter: World
Monster Hunter World, the next main installment in the long-running series, is out now and for the first time in a long time, it isn’t on Nintendo consoles. This time around PS4 and Xbox One owners get a shot at the series. A PC release has also been announced but that isn’t coming until much later in the year.
As a result, Monster Hunter World will attract long-time fans of the series along with a brand new crowd who are likely experiencing the series for the first time. There is a lot to take in with this iteration but it is also arguably the most accessible of the series which should be a delight for many players.
As veterans of the series know, the game is pretty much an endless grind and while you may see a set of armor you like early on, the real journey doesn’t begin until you reach the high rank parts.
High rank begins once you hit the 6-star missions which means you’ll be fighting tougher versions of the monsters you’ve already fought, including Anjanath, and you will be getting better drops as a result. You’ll start collecting similar sounding items but you’ll notice a “+” appearing next to the items which means you’re getting higher quality gear.
You get to high rank by just progressing naturally through the story so you don’t have to worry about missing anything. It’s pretty hard to miss because the game throws a bunch of info in your face once high rank begins.
Unlocking the high rank part of the game also opens up a whole new host of items you can craft. You’ll quickly see that the low rank armor you have been grinding for has basically become obsolete in the blink of an eye and the new grind has begun.
While these high rank monsters do represent a bigger challenge than their lower ranked counterparts, they don’t act a whole lot different so they will still give you largely the same fight as they did before with some added twists, like an increased health bar.
Monster Hunter World allows players to drop into sessions seamlessly with the options to use SOS flares which means if you’re ever having trouble you can send out a distress beacon and hope someone sees it and comes to the rescue. Of course you’ll also have to watch out for someone who comes in and quickly uses all of your carts.
Our best advice once you hit high rank is to focus on a new set of armor and farm whatever monster drops the material for it and get that built up. These monsters will require you to have a high defense while also dishing out some additional damage so it’s not a bad idea to think about upgrading your weapon as well.
The first DLC coming to Monster Hunter World is Deviljho, a Monster Hunter regular, which will be a true test of your skills. What better way to be prepared than to wait with a full high rank armor set and weapon to go with it?
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