Monster Hunter

"Live the life of a civilized caveman."

Monster Hunter is, at first glance, complex, but is actually really fun. You play the role of an up and coming Hunter, who seeks out and battles many perilous foes, ranging from small deer-like animals, to giant and fierce dragons.

Graphics: 10/10
The graphics are extravagent and lovely, though there is a few instances where the turfs clash and you can see into walls, and other things. The graphics are nearly comparable to Resident Evil 4, which was also quite lovely. Everything from the mountains, to the backgrounds are detailed, and the Wyvern details are purely perfect.

Sounds: 8/10
The sound could be never better, it is brilliantly composed. Every area has it's own "Wyvern Theme", which help set the mood for the battle. While voices are numbed down to mere grunts and yells, they still help liven up the game. The monster sounds are extremely good, from the Kelbi's... sound, to a mighty Gravios' Roar. You can literally hear the world around you in this exquisite game.

GamePlay: 10/10
The gameplay is like no other, you use the Right Analog Stick to control attacks, which is fun for all things. You pretty much choose your own path, and your own equipment set. The game literally never ends, as you can repeat every quest, and gather more parts and pieces from monsters to better your equipment.

AI: 9/10
The game's monsters are a bit flawed at times, ranging from lagging wyverns, to dumbed out prey. Wyverns at times will get stuck in mid-flight for a few seconds, or will manage to get onto a platform inwhich it shouldn't be able too, and at times will completely surpise you, by landing on glitched areas that you couldn't possibly reach. Other than that, the monsters are actually quite tactical, watching and waiting, ready to counter-act your moves, as most Wyverns can easily kill you if your not on your toes, it is likewise you can easily slay them by taking into mind their manuevers and their paths.

Online Play and Community: 7/10
The Play-Online feature to this game is awesome, allowing you to team up with three others and embark on quests, Online. There are also event quests online, which are mighty fun, some of which require competent thinking and pre-planned strategies to behold. However, the community is filled with many different kinds of people, from racial people, to everyday idiots, but don't let that stop you. While it is hard to find any HR 1's to ever help you anymore, it is still possible when you are first starting out. Most HR 20s are glad to help, but there are a few who are jerks, and ignore you, acting as if Hunter Ranking is a social symbol of superiority.

Replay Value: ??/10
The game technically never ends, so you basically replay it all the time. It gets funner and funner, experimenting with new equipment and weapon setups.

Rent or Buy?
Definately Buy it, it emcompasses many hours of fun and avid gameplay to behold, and is extremely fun.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 01/08/07