Again within the PSP days of Monster Hunter, I used to be fairly irritated by the necessity to grind and farm the farms to actually maximize development between one hunt and the following. Greater than 15 years later, I would like them again… elsewhere.
The concept of completely completely different city areas which you needed to micromanage and have been cozy at first survived till the 3DS entries of the sequence, nevertheless it’s one thing that is been progressively pushed apart in favor of extra streamlined searching experiences with little to no fats. As Monster Hunter Wilds prepares to pounce on us in late February with extra instruments of killing and methods to navigate the wilds seamlessly, one has to marvel how lengthy it will be earlier than the idea of a everlasting city/village is dropped altogether or lowered to a extremely brief downtime.
Disclaimer: I do not thoughts Monster Hunter’s huge current steps in direction of changing into extra accessible. The builders have really excelled at making the sequence extra palatable through the first 20 hours or so with World and Rise, and the brand new entry is doubling down on such additions and QoL modifications. It is a good factor so long as it does not dilute what makes the core video games so distinctive.
This method, nonetheless, instantly collides with the aforementioned ‘farming’ facet components of older video games. Monster Hunter has all the time been about mankind’s relationship with nature and the frictions born out of it even when it takes place in a completely completely different world that is not impacted by rampant industrialization (but). Even when the precise farming components have been a little bit of a slog, particularly after dozens of hours of playtime, they’d a spot inside the sequence’ voice and really soul. Whereas my ‘gamer mind’ appreciates having much less busywork so I can spend extra time smacking wyverns on the pinnacle with huge weapons, my extra considerate facet is sorta bummed out by the shortage of farmsteads within the newer installments.
A possible answer? Placing a small city sim spinoff in improvement. It is a style that is been booming for fairly some time however fairly often lacks an id past ‘have a look at the lovable artwork type’ and riffing on Stardew Valley with small twists. Monster Hunter, alternatively, looks as if the proper match for the essential premise of cozy life sims. The worldbuilding and philosophy are already there, and we have performed a primary model of that potential recreation earlier than. A number of instances, really. Let my Felyne work extra jobs than administration, searching, and cooking once more!
The Monster Hunter IP isn’t any stranger to off-beat spinoffs both. Monster Hunter Now seems to be thriving on cell; Monster Hunter Puzzles is a pleasant little experiment; and Monster Hunter Tales has already change into a decent RPG subseries of its personal. At this level, a city sim does not sound like a distant risk. As a substitute, it is the form of venture that must be imminent if Capcom is being attentive to the proper developments.
That is when the Monkey’s Paw curls and we do get a MH city sim… only for cell. Nah, I need a absolutely featured, premium recreation. Give it a definite artwork type, work exhausting on the visible presentation, give you an attractive loop that makes the many of the universe’s uniqueness and wackier facet. Searching does not even must be omitted of the method. What about hiring some veteran hunters to guard the city from wyverns and different monsters? Allow us to enhance and customise gathering halls! There are such a lot of prospects past farming, mining, fishing, bug gathering, beekeeping, and whatnot as offered within the basic titles.
Rejection of cellphones as goal platforms and gacha-like components apart, it is the form of pitch that will be killer for moveable {hardware}, sure. With the mainline Monster Hunter entries now specializing in the ‘robust {hardware}’ Xbox-PS-PC trio, might such a recreation be a implausible third-party Nintendo unique? Animal Crossing’s reputation is at an all-time excessive after New Horizons, and I’ve little doubt we’ll see one other entry for the Change 2 sooner slightly than later, however that does not imply there isn’t any house for one more winner.
I may be wading into ‘armchair developer’ territory right here, positive, however hear me out: I am simply an excited fan who’s not simply occupied with what’s in entrance of them, but additionally concerning the doable futures of a franchise that is given them nothing however happiness. I like Monster Hunter and would like to see it develop not simply as an action-RPG sequence. It is definitely in the proper path to changing into larger and extra appetizing for all, and the previous spinoffs talked about right here show that in addition to my fundamental level.
Or maybe I am simply utterly misreading the franchise’s present standing and the precise impression its spinoffs have had on the overall sentiment. Perhaps of us would slightly stick with killing mighty beasts and outsized pests. However it is a bit of a miserable thought. I consider Monster Hunter is way more than that, and I will be first in line and able to bat for extra peaceable makes an attempt to develop its world and lore.
