Review – MONSTER HUNTER 3 ULTIMATE
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is a game for the Nintendo 3DS, and Wii U. The 3DS version was released on December 10, 2011 in Japan & March 19th here in the US and features local wireless play. The Wii U version was released on December 8, 2012 as a launch title for the Wii U in Japan, and March 19th in the US. Famitsu announced that Monster Hunter 3G was confirmed as an expanded Monster Hunter Tri. The Wii U version, which features revised HD graphics, full online, local multiplayer, and the ability to import game progress to the player’s Nintendo 3DS. I am a huge Monster Hunter fan, and watching Japan get all of these Monster Hunter games killed me while we didn’t have any in the US. Happily that changed with the release of this game.
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate lives up to its name. It links together monsters and weapons from Monster Hunter Portable 3, Monster Hunter Tri, and Monster Hunter 3G. Previously, these multiple games were released only in Japan, except Monster Hunter Tri which came out on the Wii a few years ago. If you are a Monster Hunter fan, the formula is still here. You start off in your hometown, and you will have your beginner armor, and weapons.
Weapons include all weapons you have seen in previous installments, with the inclusion of the Switch Ax which was originally only in Monster Hunter Tri. You will notice a change in gameplay for some of your weapons. Some weapons have new attacks such as the Great Sword, Longsword, Hammer, and the Blademaster Class. As for the Gunner Class youhave new Bullets, and coatings can be found for your ranged weapons.
You accept missions from the Village which vary between gathering missions, fishing missions, and of course taking down monsters. New monsters from all the above mentioned games are present. Learning monster attack patterns and weaknesses is crucial. Taking down monsters will allow you to carve them, receiving materials that will allow you to make new weapons, and armor. The more missions you do the harder the new missions get.
Some gameplay changes that you will also need to master are traps and bomb placement. Essential to hunting, once you learn these you will find your hunting missions easier. Another mechanic in this game is underwater combat. Most of the monsters you will hunt are amphibious. Not only will you have to fight them on land, you will eventually have to fight them in the water. It takes awhile to learn how to fight these monster underwater since their tactics change.
Multiplayer is something that Monster Hunter thrives on, and fans love. I rather enjoyed playing this with friends. Monster Hunters Co-op is still awesome, playing this game with people definitely make this game more enjoyable. For the 3DS version you can only play with people in your vicinity. But on the Wii U version you are able to play online, however online play can be annoying because playing with random people can hinder your experience as different players have different hunting styles. Not really the game’s fault, but I’d rather play with friends. Also in a few instances I have dealt with lag or missions canceling due to dropped players, but it’s rare, so not that big of a deal. I really love the fact we got a Monster Hunter game, even after so long. And it’s a really amazing game. I recommend picking this game up, especially if you a long-time fan of the franchise, you will not be disappointed. Or if you are new to Monster Hunter, try it out. I give Monster Hunter a 4 out of 5. Here is hoping that one year we will get Monster Hunter Frontier for next generation consoles.
