Monster Hunter 3 Demo Impressions

BY ARCHON

So by now I've put quite a few hours into the Monster Hunter Tri Demo and feel I have a pretty good feel of everything, well enough to give my impressions on it. Keep in mind that these are the impressions of the demo and of course not the final game. Just to give you an idea of where I am coming from on this, though I'm very excited for this version, it is my first ever Monster Hunter experience.

My first two hunts I tried my hands at the wiimote-nunchuck control scheme. No doubt this would get easier with practice, but I had a really hard time with it. I think that might be a combination of my inexperience with the game, the complexity of the controls in general, and the control scheme itself. You move your character using the joystick, move the camera (an essential and constant function in Monster Hunter) using the D-pad. A-triggers your attacks, and twisting the wii-mote left and right changed your attacks. I might give this control scheme another shot sometime, but I have a classic controller, so I plugged that in and have been using it ever since. For some reason mapping the camera to the second joystick (I did have to invert both x and y axises on the camera controls for it to feel right) makes all the difference. I recommend this over the wii-mote and nunchuck setup. If anything this has solidified my decision to spring for the classic controller pro bundle version of the game.

I started out with the sword and shield (the first option it gives you) since that seemed like a good balance of defense and offense. I walked around the starting area pressing all the buttons just to see what they'd do: I drank three potions in a row, swiped my sword madly in the air a few times, dove to the left, threw a flashbomb, then set down to roast a steak...yeah...it was productive.


Thinking I had a handle on the controls I rushed into battle, taking a look at the map in the corner of my screen to direct me to my target. It indicated a blue dino-shape a few fields off so I headed that way in earnest.

I have to say that the visuals in this game are breathtaking. I mean really really gorgeous. I think its the beautiful backdrops that first caught my eye with towering mountains and hazy oceans stretching before you. I also noticed that the character models are fantastically smooth, very detailed and fluidly animated. That goes for the monsters as well.

It is games like this that really highlight how lazy most other developers of wii games are. The price of the beauty I suppose are the load times while traversing in between the different areas of the map. As soon as you leave one area for the next you are confronted with a loading screen. It only stays up for one to three seconds but it really serves to break up the experience, which is too bad. After sinking many more hours into the game I have to say that the loading screens became less annoying. I just sort of feel them as part of the rhythm of the game at this point. If the load times are the price I have to pay for the amazing graphics, I'll happily pay.

Gameplay is engrossing, rewarding, but perhaps most noticeably, VERY challenging. At least for a Monster Hunter newby. Getting a handle on the controls for ridiculously huge and lumbering swords and hammers; and knowing when to dodge and how not to put away your weapon on accident (I did this SO many times) was a huge challenge for me. After my 4 or 5th failed battle I really started to get the hang of it and I have to say, successfully landing a huge blow to an enemy and watching him stagger back is fantastic! I think my advice on this front is to stick with it, as once you get the hang of controls everything starts to flow and the game really opens up and is really incredibly fun.

The single player is certainly a blast, but it is easily apparent how this game is even better while playing with friends. There was many a battle when I needed to run off to the side to sharpen my blade or down a potion only to get knocked over by the monster. Having a friend to two to distract and keep up the damage for these times would be a big help.

Overall I am really pleased with the demo and have gotten a ton of time out of it. An amazing value considering the price (free). So if you haven't already, go pick up a copy at your local Gamestop (the demos are free to all no matter what they tell you) and start hunting. My only hope is that the full game eases newcomers into the experience a little better (it no doubt will) and has a stronger emphasis on exploration and crafting, of which you only get a taste in the demo.

Well I've written far more than enough on this. If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to use the comments section on this post.