/vr/ - Retro Games

>>10658989
It's DD but MH is maybe my favorite series ever, at least until world/rise.

>>10650247
You've barely played Monster Hunter I see. You spend a lot of time fighting small monsters and a lot of time dealing with small monsters while you are fighting a big one.

>>10599665
That was me who compared it to WoW, but I was comparing modern Monster Hunter as being more like WoW than it used to be. I may have spoken out of turn since I'm not actually familiar with WoW specifically, but I do know other MMOs so I just picked that as a popular example.

Anyway what I meant was the multiplayer focus has grown more and more as the series has gone on. The first game had multiplayer, but it wasn't necessarily the focus. When the first PSP game came out they made it much easier partly because it was assumed people were playing mostly solo and then with their friends when it was possible.

But as it's popularity grew they also realized most people liked playing in groups more than solo. For one, so long as someone doesn't suck and lose the mission, fighting the big monsters is far easier with multiple people. Not just because there's more DPS being dealt making the fight shorter but with 2-4 targets the monster is distracted by it makes it much easier to heal, sharpen etc.

Then with MH3 they introduced companions so that even playing solo you didn't really need to solo because there were other things to draw the mob's attention. To most that was a great thing and made the game more accessible, but to some older fans it was one of the things that started to throw the balance off who liked the feeling of one-on-one boss fights.

Another thing to speak to this >>10599602 is that yeah the upgrades aren't all that amazing because that's part of the point. You're not playing so you can get the Master Sword that lets you kill everything with ease. The whole point is it's a challenge and the reward is the fun of the fight itself. When you beat the hardest mission in MH3, soloing Alatreon literally the most reward you get is a "Wowie kazowie!" That's why I love it.

>>9629926
Mostly this, but I would actually say the control scheme of the original is the only reason to play it at this point. Many shit on it because it's so unique and has a pretty deep learning curve until you're used to it. But once you are, no other game is like it. You really feel the difference in the weapons, swinging back and forth with the greatsword versus stabbing up and down with the lance. I understand the people who didn't like it, but to me it's sublime and the thing I missed most about the game on it's sequels.

I am a monster hunter super fan though, it's probably my favorite series of games ever. I maxed the clock at 999 hours on the original long, long before I stopped playing and other than Tri on the Wii and the World/Rise games I've put at least several hundred hours into every one.

Playing the original now would be kind of sad because the online was such a major component but it's still an awesome game regardless and the offline game is quite a complete experience in it's own right. If you like it there's plenty more Monster Hunter out there to jump into including Generations Ultimate which is basically the best the series has ever been and still has a decent player base.

That said, the player bases as in all online games are always a little funny. One thing we still joke about is the first time I actually got my PS2 hooked up online. I almost always use greatsword, but happened to have a hammer on me when I came into the hub. I was HR1 so an online newbie, and the first thing said was "hey welcome to MH! Hammers suck btw" because there was an early (wrong impression that they did) but neither happened to notice the hammer I had was the Breathcore which is the most powerful one in the game.

>>9416425
Yeah I don't really like to think how much time I've spent on that series. I maxed the clock on the first game long, long before I stopped playing and other than Tri on the Wii I played every one all the way through until World/Rise which I only dabbled with and somehow doesn't feel like MH to me.

Those moments though, you are right. There's nothing else like them. Finally beating Alatreon solo in whatever game that was, what an incredible fight.

>>7153957
Monster Hunter is one of my favorite series ever. I maxed the clock 999 hours on the original long before I was done playing it and 300-800 hours on every other game in the series except World.


I think the original is very worth playing partly because it has a really unique control system that the series never uses again. But the downside is that much of it was multiplayer focused and I don't even know if you can do online missions solo at this point.

The PSP games are decent in that they're more single player focused and easier which is good for beginners, but the game controls horribly on the system due to how few buttons it has and their layout. Playing well pretty much means having to hold it "claw style" which is really uncomfortable. They're still good because it's Monster Hunter but also the only entries in the series I never ever return to playing.

MH Tri on the Wii is decent, it's not a port of the first game it's the third in the series.

In my opinion the best jumping in point would be one of the DS or 3DS entries. All are solid and the touch screen and gameplay refinements are great additions. Any of them is a good choice but personally I think MH Generations is the best game in the series and still has active online which is a major part of the experience.

>>6153780
I feel like it was mostly in the marketing and the tone the games set because as you say, though it is punishing with mistakes, if you're careful they're really not that hard. At least Dark and Demons which are the ones I played, nothing in them is even in the same ballpark as doing something like the offline Alatreon fight in Monster Hunter 3 for example. Which is why for some of us who have been playing it since the ps2 days are such rabid fans. But it's difficulty wasn't marketed in the same way.

>>5645243
I haven't really played MH World though I've heard decent things from MH buddies. But I have played every other version except the Wii one for between 500 - 2000 hours each, it's possibly my favorite series ever. So that said I think there's two options.

The original is still fantastic in many ways if you're into playing PS2 stuff. It has a unique control scheme that they ditched in future releases but it works fantastically with how the game is designed. It's also the version where raw skill is the most important compared to your armor and weapons and everything is a little less extreme. So if you know what you're doing it's still viable to fight late game monsters naked with joke weapons. That said, it has some real balance issues and stupid shit. Like end game armors needing rathalos plates which you can only carve from a tail and has a 1% drop rate.

Otherwise, one of the 3DS games either 4 Ultimate or Generations. Generations is slightly better and has more people online but they're both well worth playing. I was skeptical and angry when Capcom moved the series to 3/DS but it ended up working very well. MH is farily complex and having the touch screen to organize things really helps. They have masses and masses of content and some ofbthe DLC (free) especially is very challenging.

>>4846798
I didn't like the bits of DS I played, but that is why Monster Hunter is among my favorite series. There is always new equipment to strive for, but it's all for ancillary skills or small bonuses. The game itself is all about skill and even in the best armor you can die in a matter of seconds if you suck, or win playing naked if you're skilled enough.

It also has one of my favorite last boss fights, for which the reward is pretty much just someone saying "wowie kazowie"

>>4189659
While you're right that I do solo a lot and don't like using cat companions, and that if you're playing in a good group it's possible for someone not very good to keep going so long as they know not to die. But that's an issue common to most games with co-op multiplayer.

I think many people overrate the difficulty of many old games, and on average Monster Hunter is very challenging if you're really playing it. It's much more challenging than Dark Souls for example, which is one of those games that's held up for it's difficulty.

Weapon types are pretty balanced now.

>>3729806
They were using one of the limit skills I think and it has a build up to it. Not actually all that useful practically, that's just the first gif that popped up. On the whole Teo is still pretty nasty this time around. They've casualized it in a lot of ways to make the series more accessible to people who haven't been playing it for over 10 years. But there's still plenty of room for challenge if that's what you want out of the game. MH has always been good for that.

>>3643242
Going by the rules here it's about 50/50. I just like games and there are games from every year I like, it just depends on my mood and what I'm looking for do decide what to play on a given day.

>>3643295
>>3643543
Monster Hunter is still pretty rad while being challenging.

>>3601013
Monster Hunter is heavy action and virtually no story. This is as much "story" as you get for beating the final (incredibly hard) mission.

>>3566078
Monster Hunter makes Dark Souls look like a baby game btw.

>>3531829
>Yeah and that's why I have a right to be annoyed. I preferred when devs actually catered to me.

It's nice to feel that way, but no one else in the world cares. Also, if you can't find games you like I honestly think you're either not looking or just don't actually like gaming.

As for calling each other casual, I'd like to see you try to get your wowie kazowie in Monster Hunter 3. Or are you going to embarrass yourself?

>>3485292
There are still plenty of gameplay focused games, you just have to be willing to look for what you want and try out things on your own. Games are just way, way bigger than they ever used to be. Can't rely on developers or even critics to be your curator anymore. You have to go out and find what gets you excited.

>>3340582
All the ones on PSP sucked in my opinion because of the controls. People who started on that system tend to prefer it though which I find weird.

Tri and 3rd were somewhat casual, though there are some good challenges in there like pic related. But 4 is the hardest it's been since the first game.

>>2457823
I didn't mean to imply it wasn't refined, of course it is, but it's essentially the same type of game From has been making for a long time. Which isn't to say it's bad.

For myself though, I hate the aesthetic of it. The unending dreariness is one of the reasons I don't like the games. Though that's not saying it's bad in any way. I'm glad that it exists and has as many fans as it does. For my tastes Monster Hunter is the perfect blend of high difficulty, silliness and cat puns. Great games for all!