Why is Monster Hunter so successful?
The saga created by Capcom has has had an incredible evolution over the years, so much so that it seems unthinkable that until recently it was considered a niche in the West. On the other hand, it is no coincidence that it even received a film adaptation in Hollywood, by the couple Paul W. S. Anderson and Milla Jovovich, who had already brought another famous Capcom saga to film: Resident Evil. If the results of the Monster Hunter movie are very questionable, it is undeniable that this represents the sign of a success that has made the saga recognizable all over the world.
The reasons for the success Monster Hunter was born on PlayStation 2 with the first two chapters released on the Sony console. In the West, only the first arrived, among other things also with a demo attached to Devil May Cry 3, to promote the series, but then the title did not attract gamers. The explosion of the saga came instead thanks to the portable titles born on the historic PSP, which then also arrived in Europe and America under the name of Monster Hunter Freedom.
These were improved and enriched versions with much more content of the first two chapters for Ps2 and in Japan the Monster Hunter craze broke out: thousands of players brought their PSP with them every day to face adventurous hunts together with others unknown during long journeys by urban transport in Tokyo and other cities. Even at work, during breaks, there were employees who met to take down a monster together before returning to their usual duties. The PSP titles sold a lot, so much so that the Portable 3rd was the third best-selling title in the history of the Sony laptop, behind only the GTA, and it should be noted that this title was only released in Japan.
Let's go back eleven years for what is considered among the best PSP games that can be recovered thanks to emulators. It takes 150 to 230 hours to complete the story. He impersonates a Pokke hunter who must carry out missions in the woods and mountains with ever higher rewards From the third chapter the saga moved to Nintendo consoles, and Monster Hunter 3 and 4, released on 3DS, managed to have some success also in ours continent. The real world boom of the saga, however, came with Monster Hunter World released in 2018 and followed the following year by the Iceborne expansion. World sold a total of 18 million copies, making it the best-selling Capcom game ever, even more than holy monsters such as Street Fighter and Resident Evil.
The reasons for the success are probably related to a style of play that hardly tired. All you do, in a nutshell, is hunt monsters by choosing from many different weapons which to use, so as to obtain materials to build more powerful weapons and armor with which to hunt even more fearsome monsters. What makes this loop irresistible is the fact that each monster hunted represents a unique experience.
Capcom Every creature has its characteristics, its strengths and its weaknesses, all aspects that must be studied carefully to be able to complete the hunt effectively. In practice, a series of increasingly exciting boss battles as you go through the game. To this we must also add a large variety of weapons, each with a unique set of attacks that entice the player to improve more and more in their use. In short, despite the simplicity of the formula, its effectiveness is undeniable, as demonstrated by the success achieved.
From Rise to Sunbreak The new chapter is now at the center of attention, namely Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak, an expansion that adds the eagerly awaited Master Degree. Do not make the mistake of believing that, being Sunbreak an expansion, there are only a few more missions and monsters: the contents of Sunbreak are so many that you can practically consider it a separate game and to get to the end of the new main campaign you will need dozens and dozens of hours. This without counting the endgame contents, which can take away an incalculable amount of hours of play.
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For those who do not know , every Monster Hunter has always had a base game expansion since the very first chapter. In these expansions, the Master Degree is usually added, once known as G-Rank, which is a new level of difficulty that allows you to face even more powerful and lethal monsters, monsters able to give even the most experienced hunter a hard time. Sunbreak is also no exception, with over twenty new creatures to hunt, including brand new monsters and welcome returns from the past, a new story and new weapons and armor.
The original Rise had revamped the gameplay of the series thanks to the introduction of the Wire Insects, which allowed them to move with much greater agility than in previous chapters of the saga. Thanks to these creatures, which acted as living grappling hooks, players could perform many more actions, including climbing almost any surface on the map, dodging faster and making multiple jumps even while hanging in the sky, not to mention their role in the acquisition of new moves for each weapon.
Capcom Sunbreak further expands this mobility, allowing players to climb without consuming Thread Bugs and thus further speeding up the movements. In addition, each of the 14 weapons in the game will have new abilities, and this time it will be possible to equip up to two sets per weapon, so that you can exchange them at any time during the battle by expanding your attack options.
The ability to control monsters by riding them, so as to engage in fierce fights against other creatures present. Again, there will be new options, including several additions to the endemic fauna, i.e. pets like the original Rise's Puppet Spider, which will make the hit monsters immediately rideable and further enhance them. Facing a monster while controlling another is always a spectacular experience, on the other hand it is undeniable that these creatures are the real stars of the game.
Frankenstein, the wolf man and Dracula Speaking of monsters, Monster Hunter Rise : Sunbreak introduces three very special new entries. If the creatures of the base title drew inspiration from the legendary monsters of Japanese folklore, this expansion totally changes target, turning to the classic monsters of the Western tradition, in particular the cinematic one. Thus we will have the Garangolm, inspired by Frankenstein's monster, the Lunagaron, similar to the werewolf, and the Malzeno, referring to vampires like Dracula.
Capcom These three creatures are the main additions to the fauna of Sunbreak and they are all very successful, precisely because of the characteristics that are reminiscent of the monsters they are inspired by. The Malzeno, for example, will be able to use small insects similar to butterflies to absorb the energies of the prey, energies that will then strengthen it by making it take on a new shape, while the Lunagaron will be able to vary its posture from four to two legs, and this the latter will make it even more resistant and dangerous.
In addition to these three new monsters there will also be highly anticipated returns, such as the ancient dragon Gore Magala, which has not been seen since the fourth chapter, or the monsters with the Ceanataur carapace and Hermitaur, absent for a long time.
Capcom
