Review: Monster Hunter (PS2)

Graphics- 7/10
Sound- 8.5/10
Gameplay- 8.5/10
Replay Value- 9/10
Overall- 8.5/10

Monster Hunter by Capcom is an RPG in which hunt monsters, like the title implies. However, the main premise of the game is to carve dead monsters for parts which the player uses for weapons and items. This system, whether it sounds like it or not, works very well, and creates a fun and unique experience.

As soon as I heard about this game, I was excited. The whole monster-carving thing seemed like a cool idea. Thankfully, it worked very well, because now that I think about it, it could have been horrible. This game has both single-player and online multiplayer. At the time I got the game, I didn't have online, so I played offline. The offline part is okay. You talk to the town elder to get quests. They start off incredibly easy, and gradually get harder. The difficulty is rated by stars, with 5-star quests being the hardest. The thing is, in the first 2 stars, you barely hunt any monsters that can cause you significant harm. But in 3-star quests you get to fight more deadly prey. Unfortunately for me, I was really bad at first and had horrible weapons and armor. If I were to have reviewed it then, I probably would have given it a 5 or a 6.

But then my friend encouraged me to get the online because he said he was getting it, so I decided to finally get online for my PS2. This move was well worth it. The online portion of the game is very well done. First of all, there are more monsters you can fight. These are mainly ones that would be too hard to fight offline by yourself. This brings me to my second point: more materials to carve. These are used for the third point: more armor and weapons. The variety is truly incredible. The weapons get more powerful and the armor protects more. Also, there were a ton of people online to play with. Another advantage of online play: playing with someone better than you to get better stuff for yourself. Most of the quests from offline are here, but the game gets right to the action with some hunting quests in 1-star. There are up to 6-star quests online, with the 6-star ones being near impossible to beat alone, and still hard to do with 4 HR 20's (HR = "Hunter Rank" = level of character; 20 is the highest level). There are some quests that are very easy for 6-star (kill 20 ioprey), but also some that are very hard (powderstone, four horns).

The graphics in this game are decent; they sure could have been a lot worse. But there is so much clipping in this game that it's a little distracting. The soundtrack however, while a little repetitive, is very well done. It is orchestral, and fits the mood of the game very well. The sound effects also work well, although they are repeated for several different weapons.

If this game doesn't sound like a game for you, it might not be. It does take a while to get a very good character, especially if you play offline. The game also gets repetitive, even with all of the different weapons, armor, and enemies. Also, the game has been out for a few years. While there are still people online, there are only about a third of the amount at the game's peak. That doesn't mean you won't have fun, though, because the game is fun. It just means there is probably a different game you will like more. Also, a sequel has been out in Japan for a while, but it doesn't seem like the sequel is coming here to the States. Strangely enough, though, Monster Hunter Freedom has been released for the PSP, and a sequel is scheduled to be released later this year.

Pros: Lots of monsters, tons of upgradeable weapons, orchestral soundtrack, online.
Cons: Gets repetitive after a while, graphics could be better.

Review: Eric