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With the top of 2023 simply across the nook, I really feel assured in saying that Monster Hunter Now is considered one of my largest surprises of the 12 months. It’s simply Niantic’s greatest Recreation since Pokemon GO, and with the Recreation’s first main replace on the horizon, it’s trying just like the title will keep related heading into 2024.
For these simply tuning in, Monster Hunter Now is a GPS pushed augmented-reality Recreation based mostly on Capcom’s Monster Hunter sequence. Whereas this looks like an odd pitch, it’s an entertaining idea that stays remarkably true to its supply materials. Although the fight naturally makes concessions to play easily on contact screens, Niantic’s tackle the components does seem to have resonated with gamers since launch.
That stated, there’s actually room for enchancment right here in plenty of methods, which has raised questions on what the Recreation’s future will appear to be. Certain, we’ve had a number of occasions pop up, however will the Recreation ever see greater than a sluggish drip feed of recent monsters and quests?
Happily, we received’t have to attend lengthy to see the reply to the query. On December 7, Monster Hunter Now will launch its first main seasonal replace: Fulminations within the Frost. Amongst different enhancements, this replace will embody 4 all-new monsters to hunt and two new weapon varieties. Forward of the replace’s launch, I used to be capable of attend an occasion hosted by Niantic and take a look at Fulminations of the Frost for myself. And whereas I’ll have to spend extra time with the brand new content material to see the place my emotions in the end land, what I’ve performed to date has delivered on what I’ve needed to see from the Recreation because it initially launched, albeit with a number of issues.
4 new monsters
Throughout my hands-on time, I used to be given entry to a take a look at account with paintballs spanning the 4 new monsters in Fulminations within the Frost. The brand new beasts are Zinogre, Banbaro, Barioth, and Radobaan. Niantic additionally confirmed that we’ll see Cortos and Wulg as new small monsters. Even when these final two simply exist as extra fodder to cost my particular gauge, I’ll respect the range nonetheless.
I acquired to face every monster a pair instances, and, truthfully, I don’t have so much to say about them. That’s truly a great factor in my ebook. These are all fierce trying baddies on the bigger facet, so that they’re nearer in really feel to late-Recreation monsters like Diablos as an alternative of, say, Nice Jagras. Nevertheless, their assault patterns don’t essentially resemble something within the Recreation proper now, apart from a number of round tail swipes we see monsters like Paolumu use. Whereas I did my greatest to dodge between strikes, I did get smacked extra instances than I’d wish to admit.
I’m frankly blissful that I couldn’t absolutely be taught these new fights in a few makes an attempt. Just like the core Monster Hunter video games, battles in Monster Hunter Now keep participating since you be taught to optimize every encounter with repeated makes an attempt. To say it is advisable to repeat fights so much to craft all of the tools you want is an enormous understatement, so actually, mastering every monster is a Recreation unto itself. I appreciated the fights based mostly on what I performed, so I think about I’ll get into repeating these encounters when the replace formally launches.
Happily, you don’t must be max rank to face off in opposition to the brand new monsters. Judging from what I noticed, the brand new monsters appear to begin showing at both 4 or five-star problem. That is across the level when development hits a wall, however simply unlocking four-star monsters isn’t a very robust problem. So even should you’re comparatively new or early within the Recreation, you possibly can nonetheless take pleasure in Fulminations within the Frost.
Two new weapons
Conversely, I do really feel comfy giving agency emotions on the 2 new weapon varieties: Lance and Twin Blades. I used them completely throughout all of the battles I attempted, and I felt I acquired a fairly good really feel for a way every performed.
Lance seems to be a weapon greatest fitted to gamers in search of an actual tanky playstyle. It’s sluggish, with fairly a little bit of attain for a melee weapon, however your mobility actually falls with it geared up. Motion and dodging change into very temporary sidesteps, so closing the space on far-away monsters generally is a actual problem. That stated, it did look extra defensive than the Recreation’s Sword and Defend, so I think about Lance can be an important match for multiplayer events. For instance, you would use it to get safely in a monster’s face to stun it and break its head whereas your folks hack away on the legs and tail.
In the meantime, Twin Blades are nearly all the pieces I hoped they might be. These are simply the quickest weapons within the Recreation, letting you pull off fierce combos with tons of hits. You do must be a bit cautious along with your combos, as these sick flips and spins your character pulls off do put you in animation lock. Happily, outdoors of that one caveat, Twin Blade customers are very adept at dodging. In truth, you possibly can truly assault whereas dodging with these weapons, which I didn’t know I needed till I noticed it. Even your particular transfer vaults your character proper over the monster you’re preventing whereas slicing and dicing them to bits. Actually, this gave me related vibes to the brand new Thief class in Capcom’s Dragon’s Dogma 2, which is a very good factor.
General, Lance seemed to be a extra area of interest weapon choice, whereas Twin Blades had been simple to play and seemed anime as hell in motion. I’ve mained Sword and Defend till now simply because I like quick weapons, so I 100% plan to modify to Twin Blades. In fact, gamers should begin from scratch crafting the brand new weapon varieties, so you could want to contemplate whether or not you wish to make that materials funding. This received’t be an issue for brand new gamers, however for these deep into their development already, I like to recommend stocking up supplies now should you plan to make use of the brand new toys.
Different adjustments to return as properly
The brand new weapons and monsters had been clearly the principle draw, however the replace will include a number of different changes as properly. One factor I observed as I poked across the menus is that weapons had been extra clearly sorted by kind. Whereas the Recreation already sort of does this, having clear sections that say “Hammer” or “Bow” cuts down on litter. Some weapon rebalancing was teased as properly, which ought to reward melee gamers a bit extra. The Twin Blades felt fairly highly effective throughout my testing interval, so I do surprise if that was partially as a result of balancing adjustments.
Niantic additionally teased a minimum of one different characteristic that may supply “an thrilling new looking expertise.” We’ll be taught extra about this as we get nearer to the replace’s launch. That stated, based mostly on this small morsel of data, I do respect that we’re seeing extra added to the Recreation past new weapons and monsters. I’m personally hopeful {that a} “new looking expertise” might make enjoying multiplayer simpler. I’m nonetheless attempting to rope family and friends into enjoying this Recreation with me, so I’ve my fingers crossed.
I additionally do wish to point out that, with the additions of the brand new monsters, there are of course new armor units and new styles of the prevailing weapons as properly. Notably, a minimum of one monster’s supplies could be crafted into weapons that inflict sleep. I can’t decide the viability of the brand new tools, however a minimum of those that don’t wish to soar into the brand new weapon varieties should have some gear to chase.
Lastly, there was additionally a word of accelerating “the utmost variety of objects you possibly can maintain at one time,” which may doubtlessly be an enormous deal relying on how that is rolled out. I’m lastly beginning to wrestle with the merchandise cap now that I’m going through 6-star monsters, so if this implies a rise to the default cap, it is a very welcome change. Nevertheless, since gamers can simply pay outright to extend their max merchandise cap proper now, this might additionally merely imply that the paid merchandise cap will enhance as an alternative. I actually hope the previous is true, however I suppose we’ll know what Niantic means by this quickly sufficient.
I’ve some reservations, however I like what I see
Other than the merchandise cap level, my one fundamental reservation about Fulminations within the Frost is that I don’t know if any of this content material is time restricted or not. Niantic is asking this replace a “season,” which usually refers to restricted time content material in free-to-play video games. FOMO is one thing that basically will get to me, and one of many issues I’ve appreciated about Monster Hunter Now is that it usually hasn’t inspired obsessive play.
As it’s, I haven’t precisely cherished that monsters like Black Diablos solely seem for very restricted home windows. Monster Hunter Now works properly as a sluggish burn, so I hope I can take pleasure in this new content material at my very own tempo. I reached out to Niantic for remark, however I’ve but to obtain a response as of writing.
Regardless of that concern, I’m total more than happy with how Fulminations within the Frost appears to date. Getting a handful of monsters and new weapons and doubtlessly a brand new Recreation mode is truthfully far more substantial than I assumed we’d see at this level within the Recreation’s life, and I can solely hope that is the precedent for all of the Recreation’s future main updates. If Niantic can constantly launch updates of this measurement each few months, Monster Hunter Now will basically double its present content material inside a 12 months’s time.
All the things I demoed felt stable, so right here’s hoping that any future updates will retain that degree of ardour transferring ahead. And even when the Recreation stumbles, a minimum of I’ll have my Twin Blades with me to maintain me entertained.
Monster Hunter Now: Fulminations within the Frost will launch on December 7th.
Extra Tales by Timothy Monbleau
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