A lot of Monster Hunter fans, including those more inclined toward the older entries, dismiss this game as a withered old fossil, something to pry at with curious fingers but ultimately leave in the dirt where it belongs. Not I.
I came to Monster Hunter at a youthful age, piddling around in Monster Hunter Tri with basically no clue what's going on. I hit a wall on Barroth and only much later managed to progress, but by then, 3 Ultimate was on the horizon. It was then that I became completely hooked on Monster Hunter. Most of my time spent was totally alone, though I did have extensive experience in 3 Ultimate and 4 Ultimate multiplayer. To this day, I consider myself almost exclusively a solo Monster Hunter player, and judge the games as such. Eventually seeking new territory, I traipsed over to Freedom Unite without much in the way of expectations. I was blown away. The struggle, the triumph, the absolute madness of that game inspired me, and I had a blast. The older design philosophy certainly resonates with me; I don't want too many conveniences, I want an ample supply of unfair, janky, ludicrous bull to overcome. I want money to feel earned and valuable, I want inventory space to matter, I want meaningful and impactful decisions to make in regard to my preparation before a fight and my arsenal. There are monsters that a Greatsword is really going to struggle with, fights that better suit a Longsword or the Dual Blades. I don't want an even playing field, I want to persevere, to survive. Anyone who's fought a Plesioth knows exactly what I'm talking about. The guy's like 30 feet tall, so weapons that can consistently attack high might have an advantage. He spends a million years just swimming around, wasting your time, so you'd better bring sonic bombs. You must assume that around every corner, after every moment, a hipcheck is coming. And when you conquer that beast, the feeling of victory is immeasurable. Through these challenges, these inconveniences, Monster Hunter becomes a game of patience, of strife, of survival.
In no entry is that more true than in Monster Hunter 2004.
This game goes whole-hog, full-blown, heavy-metal. It's serious. This is not a joke. Yian Kut-Ku will kick your butt like it's got something better to do, Gendrome will not face you without a swarm of Genprey backing it up. An area full of Bullfango poses a greater threat than the Cold War. The slightest miscalculation, the most minute of mistakes, and the bombs drop. Your pickaxes break instantly and you will never, ever have enough money. It took a vast, concerted effort to craft my first armor set, and each piece felt like I'd climbed a mountain. It's such a thrill to play a game that actually wants to challenge you - truly challenge you, not just with difficult tests of reflexes or complex strategic situations, but genuinely test your will, your drive, your desire to succeed despite the world being against you. I just spent two hours trying to beat Rathalos. Each time, I thought I had him on the ropes. But there he goes, flying around, wasting minute after minute after minute. Every time I thought I was just a few slices away, he persisted, and my mistakes and poor preparation finally exhausted me. I have to go to bed tonight knowing the taste of failure. But that flavor is best followed up with a dessert of vengeance.
Ask yourself; when's the last time you truly felt the spark in you to overcome adversity?
This isn't some Dark Souls game where rolling makes you invincible, where every challenge is surpassed with a momentary test of reflexes. This isn't a game where your skill alone carries you, either; you need to work. You need to get on your knees and pick up 3 Blue Mushrooms before finishing that quest, or else you're gonna run out of health juice. Don't wanna do it? Don't feel like it? Well then. When Rathalos decides to pay you a visit, I hope those 4 Herbs are good enough to last you through the poison.
This is Monster Hunter in its truest form. The most streamlined incarnation of this series' beautiful mechanical systems. This is Monster Hunter, but you are an actual monster hunter. Not some moneybags superhero swimming in mass-produced Mega Potions.
Attacking with the analogue stick kinda sucks though. 7/7
I came to Monster Hunter at a youthful age, piddling around in Monster Hunter Tri with basically no clue what's going on. I hit a wall on Barroth and only much later managed to progress, but by then, 3 Ultimate was on the horizon. It was then that I became completely hooked on Monster Hunter. Most of my time spent was totally alone, though I did have extensive experience in 3 Ultimate and 4 Ultimate multiplayer. To this day, I consider myself almost exclusively a solo Monster Hunter player, and judge the games as such. Eventually seeking new territory, I traipsed over to Freedom Unite without much in the way of expectations. I was blown away. The struggle, the triumph, the absolute madness of that game inspired me, and I had a blast. The older design philosophy certainly resonates with me; I don't want too many conveniences, I want an ample supply of unfair, janky, ludicrous bull to overcome. I want money to feel earned and valuable, I want inventory space to matter, I want meaningful and impactful decisions to make in regard to my preparation before a fight and my arsenal. There are monsters that a Greatsword is really going to struggle with, fights that better suit a Longsword or the Dual Blades. I don't want an even playing field, I want to persevere, to survive. Anyone who's fought a Plesioth knows exactly what I'm talking about. The guy's like 30 feet tall, so weapons that can consistently attack high might have an advantage. He spends a million years just swimming around, wasting your time, so you'd better bring sonic bombs. You must assume that around every corner, after every moment, a hipcheck is coming. And when you conquer that beast, the feeling of victory is immeasurable. Through these challenges, these inconveniences, Monster Hunter becomes a game of patience, of strife, of survival.
In no entry is that more true than in Monster Hunter 2004.
This game goes whole-hog, full-blown, heavy-metal. It's serious. This is not a joke. Yian Kut-Ku will kick your butt like it's got something better to do, Gendrome will not face you without a swarm of Genprey backing it up. An area full of Bullfango poses a greater threat than the Cold War. The slightest miscalculation, the most minute of mistakes, and the bombs drop. Your pickaxes break instantly and you will never, ever have enough money. It took a vast, concerted effort to craft my first armor set, and each piece felt like I'd climbed a mountain. It's such a thrill to play a game that actually wants to challenge you - truly challenge you, not just with difficult tests of reflexes or complex strategic situations, but genuinely test your will, your drive, your desire to succeed despite the world being against you. I just spent two hours trying to beat Rathalos. Each time, I thought I had him on the ropes. But there he goes, flying around, wasting minute after minute after minute. Every time I thought I was just a few slices away, he persisted, and my mistakes and poor preparation finally exhausted me. I have to go to bed tonight knowing the taste of failure. But that flavor is best followed up with a dessert of vengeance.
Ask yourself; when's the last time you truly felt the spark in you to overcome adversity?
This isn't some Dark Souls game where rolling makes you invincible, where every challenge is surpassed with a momentary test of reflexes. This isn't a game where your skill alone carries you, either; you need to work. You need to get on your knees and pick up 3 Blue Mushrooms before finishing that quest, or else you're gonna run out of health juice. Don't wanna do it? Don't feel like it? Well then. When Rathalos decides to pay you a visit, I hope those 4 Herbs are good enough to last you through the poison.
This is Monster Hunter in its truest form. The most streamlined incarnation of this series' beautiful mechanical systems. This is Monster Hunter, but you are an actual monster hunter. Not some moneybags superhero swimming in mass-produced Mega Potions.
Attacking with the analogue stick kinda sucks though. 7/7