Ask a particular sect of handheld gamers what game they’ve put the most time into on their 3DS or even PSP and you’ll hear the same answer over and over again – Monster Hunter. The original release on PlayStation 2 has been followed by numerous home console releases, but the series’ true calling seems to be on handheld devices. Hunting a gigantic beast on console is all well and good. Hunting a gigantic beast on the train, then on the bus, then on the toilet is just something that seems to fit the franchise beautifully. Can Capcom’s latest entry, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, find success on the 3DS too? Well according to the demo, the answer is a definite yes.
The demo for Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate itself is a fairly barebones affair at first glance. You’re invited to engage in one of three hunts (two if played on beginner mode) with any weapon of your choice. As far as monster hunts go, the available three are a fairly even spread over what one might expect to find in any romp through a Monster Hunter entry. First in line is the frill-sporting Great Jaggi. This overgrown Velociraptor/T-Rex/Dilophosaurus type beast is a simple yet engaging nemesis whom Monster Hunter fans will already be accustomed with.
Backing up the Great Jaggi we initially have the Tetsucabra. This hulking great monstrosity looks like a cross between a hippopotamus and a monitor lizard on steroids. A thick neck combined with two enormous tusks allows what looks like a sluggish lumberer to pull rocks from the ground itself, before hurling them with great force at any would be attackers. As the first new creature Monster Hunter fans are likely to be seeing in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate so far, the Testucabra sets the bar pretty high. Watching a monster literally use the earth you’re standing on to kick your ass makes the fight feel very much like a battle for survival rather than simply dodging abilities.
It’s at the top end of this demo that many western players (because Monster Hunter 4‘s been available in Japan since 2013) will meet the menacing Gore Magala. This winged shadow follows in the gigantic footsteps of the Lagiacrus and Tigrex before it as the flagship monster of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. With good reason too. Battling against the Gore Magala is one of the most exciting experiences of the franchise to date.
Right off the bat, it has to be said this thing looks like it’d kill your cat then flay the very skin from your bones as you weep over poor Snowball. A nearly jetblack skin protects the soft flesh of this embodiment of evil while feathery wings adorn its back, spreading a crippling virus with each breath of wind. The damn thing even manages to evoke H.R. Giger’s classic Xenomorph portraits by having no clearly visible eyes and hidden appendages (horns in the case of this creature, no snappy mouth-in-a-mouth situation).
In battling against the Gore Magala it becomes clear that combat in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate sticks pretty close to the precedent set by most of the series so far. You have to slip into attack range whenever the wyvern isn’t about to eat you alive, made easier with noticeable movements that telegraph upcoming attacks, then make merry with the damage until it turns around again. So that all sounds like pretty standard Monster Hunter fare right? It is.
And yet very close to the action something becomes obvious, there’s a difference to the norm here. Verticality.
Yep, you read it correctly. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate has varying environmental heights. This has the potential to add a great deal to the strategic nature of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate from the eyes of a ranged hunter, although the demo doesn’t really show that off. What it does show off is the implementation of a new feature which takes a much-loved idea from Shadow of the Colossus and Dragon’s Dogma, then slots it beautifully into the world of Monster Hunter.
By running toward a ledge and leaping off it, then hitting X, the hunter can let loose a diving attack. That in itself isn’t much to write home about. Until the camera viewpoint changes directly after the attack. Your feet are no longer on the ground. You are instead clinging for dear life to whatever monstrous menace you pounced upon, and are able to stab at their squishy bits with ease. Add into this the thrashing of the unexpected mount and you’ve got a full on monster rodeo on your hands.
Only one thing has to be said for this, it’s amazing. Attacking from a distance or close up has kept Monster Hunter going for the past decade, but a little something had to be done to freshen the formula. This is it. It’s not going to be frequently available, it’s not going to suddenly change the game, and yet it is worth writing home about.
Another welcome addition to the franchise comes with two new weapon types both are presented in the demo. The charge blade is an unassuming sword and shield combo with an interesting twist. At the hit of a button, it can be turned into a brutally powerful axe which rivals even the franchise staple Switch Axe in both majesty and strength. To effectively use the Charge Blade though you’ll have to keep your eyes on the prize. As damage is dealt in sword mode, the weapon charges up Phials. These Phials can be unleashed by switching into Axe mode to deal horrendously devastating amounts of damage to whatever monster crosses your path.
While the Charge Blade gives you the prospect of a highly charged weapon along with the use of a shield, it does require a little care to use efficiently. If the filled Phials are not stored or used in Axe mode, the Sword mode will begin to overload, causing attacks to rebound off of enemies with nothing more than an unsatisfying thud. It isn’t a case of you can switch it up, you have to switch it up to maintain effective damage. It almost looks as though this weapon is built with solo players in mind. That being said, it could easily be used in multiplayer to great effect.
Second on the list of new fangled weapons of monster death in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is the curiously named Insect Glaive. This isn’t a staff made of bees (sadly) but it still finds a happy home in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. In its most basic operational capacity, this is basically a quick Long Sword which also allows the hunter to pole vault up into the air. The insect factor comes in the form of a bug which can be launched towards the enemy. Now this can be free-fired in the hope of landing on the monster or sent to latch onto a creature with the use of a pheramone bullet. When fired, this makes the insect grab onto a specific part of the monster you’re hunting, draining its essence.
What’s the use of it? That little bug buddy will drain an essence which can be used to augment your hunter’s abilities in combat. It can drain defensive, mobility, damaging or even health energy from the beast and bring it back to you. This means you’ve in theory got a minor self heal which can be swapped out for a boost in damage or a faster movement speed, all with the simple act of insectoid falconry. The essence it collects depends on which part of the monster you launch it upon, bringing an additional tactical level to the already strategic battles of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate.
As far as demos go, this Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate demo is one of beauty. It doesn’t give away a huge lump of the game or lock the player into playing just the first hour. Instead, a full armory of weapons is available to players along with a small but impressive selection of creatures from the upcoming handheld release and the ability to play with other demo owners in multiplayer combat online or locally.
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is penned in for a full release February 13th 2015.
Have you played the Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate demo? Maybe you’re still trying to get a code. Let us know in the comments down below.
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