Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate

I will be getting this on the 3DS day 1.

.....If I can find a retailer who will have it in stock and won't go out of business in the next week

Have you guys played the demo at all? Just curious if that's a decent example of how the game plays out not. I was less than impressed with it!

Banjo wrote: »

Same here, played the 3ds one last week, wiiu last night. The look the same. They play the same. Slow, clunky and its as if the camera and combat controls were contrived to artificially make the game harder. What am I missing?

Japanese ancestry?

I don't really get it either. The demo just seemed poor to me, there's no way I'd be able to stick with it if that's what the full game was like.

Disappointed in the 3DS demo, too slow, very flashy made me feel dizzy. I now need to cancel my fully paid off bundle.

He makes it sound awesome. And it looks awesome. So why does the 3DS demo suck? And the WiiU demo? What do they have in common?


Me.

Hmmmm....

Monster Hunter zealots - I implore you! Talk me through the two Demo hunts. What weapons are appropriate for each beast? What tactics should I use? How do I make my game play like that dude from the video's game?

In the demo, I had no issue with the fact that there was no grinding/levelling/collecting, as I wouldn't particularly expect that in a demo.
However, the game just felt, for me, to be awkward to control, difficult to play, and incredibly difficult to keep the monster in my sights, and it generally felt that when I was hitting the monster, that it was having no real effect...

Monster Hunter is an amazing game series. It's already one of my all time favourites, even though I only discovered it recently. The problem with it is that Capcom are TERRIBLE at making game tutorials or explaining complicated mechanics in a way that is digestible to new players. I was incredibly disappointed with the demo's accessibility for newbies. This is a problem in their fighting games too.

Every single person I know who loves Monster Hunter is a person I sat down and explained the game to along the lines of "Skip all this NPC dialog, it's bollocks, just listen to me and we'll have you understanding it in no time". Not one single person didn't love the game.

Monster Hunter scratches the same gaming itches as Phantasy Star Online, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, and (I hear) Diablo. If you like those games, you'll love these ones.

At it's core it's an action game, where success is dependent on your own personal slider of three elements: Player skill, inventory preparation and character equipment. You can beat any encounter you want with only one of these three if you're good enough at it; or go all out with all three.

The demo for example has a decently prepared inventory, with high attack power weapons, but NO useful armour skills or abilities (the heart of the game).

Player skill can't be emphasised enough. I really love the Lance weapon class in MH, and I feel over the last few games I've gotten really good with it. I feel SO confident in fact, that I believe I could beat the entire early/mid-game, based purely on my player skill with the worst Lance available, an empty inventory and naked.

I'm considering only using new weapons that I am unfamiliar with early on, so as to not be unfair to the game.

And really, the weapons are more like RPG classes than they are weapons, since every one completely changes your buttons and your playstyle. I know a lot of people who gravitate strongly towards just one, and maybe have 2 or 3 "sub" weapons that they like to use for variety, but will never be as comfortable with as their main weapon. In that regard it's very similar to picking a "main character" in Street Fighter. It doesn't matter if it's not the "best" weapon class, as long as YOU, the player are good with it, you will be wrecking monsters.

DamoElDiablo wrote: »

However, the game just felt, for me, to be awkward to control, difficult to play, and incredibly difficult to keep the monster in my sights, and it generally felt that when I was hitting the monster, that it was having no real effect...

Protips:

• Controls: No controls listed in the demo (because: Capcom), but if you press the home button on 3DS or Wii U, you have a full manual to accompany the demo that explains the buttons
• Difficult to play: Understanding the weapons and understanding the monster you're fighting are two key components of gameplay. It is unreasonable of Capcom to expect any new player to have either =/
• Difficult keeping monster in sights: When you see the monster, tap it's icon on the touch-screen (3DS or Gamepad) and this changes the L-button to be "Centre camera on monster". This is very helpful for new players, and for any player during an underwater battle.
• No effect from hitting monster: A certain amount of damage to an area of the body will stagger the monster, knock it over, break/sever a part of their body. This isn't easy to do as you have to focus on one area and be accurate with your blows, and you shouldn't expect to do it as a new player. One of the most advanced/difficult to use weapons is the Great Sword, and it is very good at doing specifically this, but you need to be a badass like this guy:
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9NYYewCSxo

I can safely say that as good as I think I am, there's a level of player skill in that video that is simply beyond me. But you can always pursue being more skilled, that's one of the hooks that separates this game out from RPG/turn based combat with "accuracy" and "evasion" stats...

Solution to every problem in Monster Hunter: Be more of a badass!

EDIT: Just spotted this

Banjo wrote: »

Can I ask, is there a weapon in the demo that doesn’t require any great level of MH experience to appreciate and that conveys what the hunt is about?

Sword and shield. It's one of the only weapons that you can block AND do a dodge roll with, it has a fast footspeed, easy enough combos, and is the only weapon that lets you use items when it's drawn (Block, then press the item button).

DamoElDiablo wrote: »

I'll give the demo another go with all that in mind!

If I could give you one simple tip it would "Roll out of attacks", either to cancel the recovery animation of the swing, or if it looks like the monster is going to hit you while you're pounding on it: the first few frames of a roll (or Lance sidestep) are invincible.

iirc correctly, this applies across the board to every weapon. No real reason to ever sit through a swing recovery animation, just roll!

The more I read about this (and the more videos I watch), the more I think I'd like it.

I'm going to move this to the Games forum (since this forum is for discussion of the consoles, services, etc.)

Banjo wrote: »

It was exactly the same experience as before - chase the giant bunny, hack hack hack, get killed, try again.

Except it was fun.

I *was* learning.

MH now has its hooks in you, and thus I have ensured your doom!

Banjo wrote: »

Edit : Damn, that "advanced" hunt guy is a pain. It doesn't tell you in the game but you can dive underwater using B and holding down on the controller. And if you don't dive you'll never get close enough to hit him. I'm guessing the sword and shield are not going to be as useful on this chap...

Plesioth has always been an annoying jerk. He's actually much easier in this game than in previous titles that featured him, because there was no swimming mechanic so you just had to stand by the shore, getting sniped by water jets and hope he got bored...

You could at least "encourage" him out with consumables, but they'd eventually run out, and he never stops being a jerk...

Anyway, speaking about the current game: Water combat can be really confusing, and Plesioth is quite a bit harder than the Monsters they used in the previous game to ease you into the mechanics. So the difficulty is definitely ramped up a few levels here all at once. Don't forget to use the "target" camera.

A lot of people like the Lance for underwater combat because of the precision and powerful blocking (I use it always anyway so I can't say). Personally I also like the hammer because the charge move (hold R for a bit, let go when its fully charged) has a pretty big blast radius that means you don't have to be that accurate with it in water.

Pro-Tips:

• His weakest point is his belly/underside, but you're going to have trouble hitting it with most weapons unless you work on a leg for a bit first to knock him over. With the hammer/hunting horn go for the head because you can dizzy him, then hit his weak point for massive damage
  
  
• If you're using a weapon that can block, be aware the stupid water jets are unblockable (Like Lagombi's snowball). You could negate this in the actual game with a skill that overcomes unblockables, but since the gear is preset you just need to dodge (which isn't hard to be fair, he telegraphs them fairly obviously)
  
  
• He tires pretty easily on land, so if he goes nuts attacking you'll notice him standing still to catch his breath. Attack!
  
  
• Flash bombs don't work on him due to poor fish vision, but you can use sonic bombs when he's in water to stun him.
  
  
• In the area you start in there is both a shortcut to area 9 (dive into the water and swim down) and a blue box. In the box you find a frog. If you can get to the area containing Plesioth (10 I think?) quickly enough, and run to the right side of the shore without him seeing you, there's a fishing point. Press Y to use your frog (not A, which uses your infinite supply of worms). By doing this you can fish Plesioth up onto the land and leave him helpless for a bit. You can be extra sneaky and once you see where he lands, place large bombs there on future attempts in advance and explode them. Bombs do fairly hefty damage.
  
  
• Nothing you can really do when he swim limps away except chase him with your woefully inferior swim speed. Sometimes he even tricks you into changing areas, then doubles back to go chill on land. This is because he is, and forever will be, a jerk.

Never got quite 'got' the Monster Hunter games tbh, had the original on the PS2 but it just felt a little slow and clunky and never quite felt any reason sense of reward or fulfillment for completing the quests which made you wonder why the hell you were playing it.

Maybe time has exaggerated my disappointment with it but I know those who do actually enjoy the games, absolutely love them, but for everyone else they're a bit meh. The marmite of the gaming world I suppose.

If anyone is heading in to pick this up today (particularly in Gamestop), ring ahead first. My local Gamestop (Parkway in Limerick) only got one copy in and sold it this morning.

I called the Crescent and they have one copy too, but it's a preorder.

He said they'd be getting new stock in on Tuesday or Thursday.

I'll probably hold off now and just grab Luigi next week instead.