While researching good PSP games to play I found many posts about Monster Hunter Freedom Unite and other Monster Hunter games. They are beloved by the community but after doing some reading/watching it’s not clear to me what the appeal is. I would appreciate if someone could tell what the goal is and what you love about the game. Apparently they are very long games (I think I read 100 hours or something along those lines) which is really great if I can get into a single game for that long. Thank you!
It’s a tough and punishing game where 100 hours of grind means MAYBE the latest boss won’t KO you in a single hit.
It has 18 different weapons that each require a 20 minute tutorial from some guy on YouTube, and each requiring 20 hours to master. It’s a “the wand chooses the wizard Harry” and everyone is going to have their own favorite weapon. I myself ended up being a Charge Blade user, which is the most technical weapon in the game. Using it is like performing a Japanese Tea Ceremony whilst battling a 15 foot long alligator in a small room.
Melee weapons need sharpening mid battle, range weapons need ammo you have to craft before entering battle else you are SOL. Your stamina requires that you eat a large steak every 5 minutes or you will be constantly exhausted.
There is no twitch. Every action needs to be deliberate. A monster takes minutes of constant fire to stun or paralyze, during which time someone with a large weapon administers the tea he has been brewing. It’s called a Super Amped Elemental Discharge.
Loot is random but the part you want can only spawn when you damage the proper parts with the proper weapon.
So what makes me like this game? This kinda gameplay loop means Losing is par for the course. No “git gud” or “skills issue” kids are ever going to play this game. A skilled healer/buffer is treated as a god among men, unlike Overwatch where it’s your fault the team that spread itself all over the map got wiped out.
Tldr. Playing 100 hours of monster hunter filters the player base down to a group of Zen Monk Masochists that enjoy 2 things.
Spending 40 minutes taking down a 4 winged dragon that farts lightning every 10 seconds.
Each other’s company.
I hope this makes sense.