That's a helluva lot of monsters hunted

Capcom's best-selling release of all time, Monster Hunter: World, continues to rake in sales almost four years on from its original release. The publisher revealed that the open-world epic has surpassed 20 mill??ion shipments and digital sales.

Released in January 2018 on PS4 and Xbox One, before being ported to PC the following summer, the long-awaited sequel was an immediate hit, bringing longtime fans back to the fold while opening up the legendary franchise to a veritable army of new hunters across the globe. With challenging, deep gameplay; a beautiful, fascinating world; and a roster of both intriguing and terrifying beasties, Monster Hunter: World ??saw the cult series become practically a household na??me.

Capitalizing on this newfound fame, Capcom released a hefty DLC expansion in the form of Iceborne in the fall of 2019, while also introducing Monster Hunter to other audiences via a variety of cute crossover events and a dopey movie. Today, Monster Hunter: World is Capcom's crown jewel �its sales having surpassed those of titles from the Resident Evil and Street Fighter series. This year saw the universe expanded in the form of Monster Hunter Rise, which has a??lready shifted 7.5 million copies on Nintendo Switch, with a PC port? scheduled for release in January 2022.

From its humble beginnings, Monster Hunter has grown to become a global phenomenon, a trend only set to?? continue.

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Captain Artemis joins the fight

Well, this is pretty nifty. Capcom has announced that it will be adding a pair of limited-time quests to its blockbuster title Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, in order to celebrate the premiere of the upcoming Monster Hunter movie.

The "Artemis Monster Hunter Movie Quest" is a two-part adventure that will go live in-game on December 2 and then be available for an entire year. The single-player mission will task Master Rank 1 hunters with tracking down an?d tackling dangerous behemoths Black Diablos and Rathalos, with the reward of an exclusive Artemis layered gear set and a selection of movie-themed backgrounds, titles, and poses.

Of course, being based on Paul W.S. Anderson's cinematic adaptation, what would the movie quest be without the film's star, Milla Jovovich, also putting in an appearance? Jovovich has lent both her likeness and voice to the quest, recreating her role of Captain Artemis, a highly decorated military veteran who is thrust into Monster Hunter's weird? and dangerous world. Check out the new content?? in the video below.

The Monster Hunter movie is tentatively scheduled to release in?? theaters on December 4.

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Zinogre wins

Back in May of this year, Capcom held a Twitter poll to gauge the most popular monsters in Monster Hunter World. Some of you may recall that Safi'jiiva won, with Yian Garuga coming in dead last. With Iceborne&nbs??p;in the mix though, things have been shaken up ??quite a bit.

With four options in the new poll: now, Zinogre is in the lead as the most popular and most-hunted creature of Iceborne. Safi'jiiva is now rocking second place, with Velkhana in third and Fiercewater Nargacuga as the fourth-most popular.

As far as the least-popular monsters go, Brute Tigrex came in dead last on a separate poll as fifth place in the loser's bracket. Third place is Shara Ishvalda, second place is Scarred Yian Garuga and first place is Viper Tobi-Kadachi. For reference, the polls ran through 17:?00 ??JST today, and just concluded around the time of publication.

If you're interested in comparing and contrasting the poll options for yourself, just head here and copy/paste the Japanese script into your search bar on ?t??his page??. This handy database ??lists monster names in both languages!

While Zinogre is a fine creature to win the ??poll, I'm stil?l partial to Safi'jiiva.

Monster Hunter JP [Twitter] Thanks John!

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I heard you like announcements so I put...

[Update: The 2020 roadmap for Iceborne is up!]

Monster Hunter World is in a pretty good spot. It sold like crazy, it hosted its Iceborne expansion recently (it just came out on PC!), and everything is going great in terms of fan reception. So what's next? Well, you?'re going to have to wait on that.

Outside of the recent PC Port launch all is quiet on the Monster Hunter front, but Capcom does have some plans in mind. As announced on their official Monster Hunter Twitter account, "the PS4 version" of Monster Hunter World: Iceborne will get a 2020 roadmap on January 19 at the Monster Hunter Festa 202?0 event. Capcom is quick to point out that they will stream the event, so you can get a chance to peer in even if you're not ?present.

As of mid-2019, Capcom says that Iceborne will be "the only expansion" for Monster Hunter World. Now that could change, or Capcom could just be planning to unveil Monster Hunter World 2 using the same engine at some point in the future. I think I'm fine either way. I've gotten a lot of play out of World already, but I can't say no to more free stuff on top of the premium Iceborne.

Monster Hunter World Official [Twitter]

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New gear, new locations, new monsters, new ways to die

We are just one day out from the arrival of the huge 12.01 update for Capcom's uber-popular adventure title Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. The publisher has released two videos? to get the community geared up for the deadly confrontations awaiting in the frozen tundra.

The first video is a developer diary, and sees producer Ryozo Tsujimoto, director Daisuke Ichihara, and art director Kaname Fujioka discuss almost every element of the update, interspersed with footage of the new content in action. You can check out the description on the YouTube page for?? timestamps, if there is a particular aspect of the patch you're int??erested in.

The second video features the delightful and fearless warrior Aloy (from Horizon Zero Dawn) demonstrat??ing her new gear, also arriving as part of the new update. This includes new bespoke armour and the devastating looking Adept Stormslinger which, as you might expect, is capable of charging powerful bolts of lightning, powerful enough to almost blow o?ur girl off her feet!

Accompanying the videos, Capcom has released the full patch notes for Update 12.01, detailing all technical tweaks to the game world, UI, hub world, as well as a huge list of bug fixes and balance tweaks. You can find these notes right here. Once you're fully briefed, you can start preparations to take down the scary Stygian Zinogre??, who is waiting to confront you in the Guiding Lands?.

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is available now on PS4 and Xbox One. The Iceborne expansion will arrive on PC in early 2020.

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne update 12???.01 detailed [Gematsu]

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Tons of Great Jagras have been slain

We already know that Monster Hunter: World is massively popular, but it seems the momentum hasn't stopped just yet. Capcom recently announced that the game has managed to ship 14 million units between retail and digital sales, likely helped a little by the recent release of Iceborne. It looks like everyone has been bitten by the Monster Hunter bug.

While I'm still waiting for the expansion (damn you, PC version!), I'm happy to see a game made with clear passion and care become so popular. After playing the travesty that is Ghost Recon Breakpoint, I just want to return to Monster Hunter: World and experience a game with an actually ??rewarding gameplay loop. I can only hope other developers and publishers see the success Capcom is having here and decide to? return to the old way of making titles.

MH_official_JP [Twitter]

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X gon give food to ya!

Capcom is continuing its trend of crazy crossovers in Monster Hunter games. Coming next month, Leon and Claire from Resident Evil will have armor sets available in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. Not content to just include the duo, it looks like a sp??ecial mission with zombies will task players with fighting for survival amidst the wilds of Hoarfrost. You can also become a zombie, which is pretty awesome.

What I like, though, is the tease at the end. Whether unlockable or as cosmetic DLC, it seems ??a Mr. X skin for the Handler will be available. I can't tell you how happy that makes me. The Handler is such a pain in the ass, but changing her to Mr. X would be incredible. I'd certainly be willing to tolerate his crap, at least.

We'll have more info as we get closer to the event, but November is looking to be a wild one for Monster Hunter World fans.

Monster Hunter [Twitter]

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Hulk Smash

Game Informer continues to roll out information on Monster Hunter World: Iceborne and I'm utterly amazed at this latest bit. In a new interview with Capcom, the studio revealed that it created sound effects for the new elder dragon "Velkhana" by smashing things in a basement. Similar to how the Red Hot Chili Peppers performed the drum solo on "Breaking the Girl" with junkyard equipment, C?apcom took a sledgehammer and destroyed things to craft Velkhana's distinct sou?nds.

As seen in the video, sound designer Wakana Kuroiwa demonstrates how s?mashing a giant block of ice created some of the crunching noises that Velkhana's attack exhibit. A box of cornstarch was used to simulate snowy footprints, and wind chimes are even used to create that distinct windy effect that snow has in the Winter air. It's all very fascinating and I love the ingenuity behind it all.

How Capcom Created Velkhana's Sounds And Iceborne's Music [Game Informer]

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Regular updates planned for the DLC

The upcoming Iceborne expansion for Monster Hunter World will be the game's only expansion, according to producer Ryozo Tsujimoto. In a recent rapid-fire interview video from Game Informer, Tsujimoto stated that the developers at Capcom view Iceborne as the piece that completes World's story, which is what has led to the decision? for this to be the only DLC expansion. Along with that tidbit, some other details for the update have been revealed.

Around half of Iceborne's plot will take place in the brand new "Hoarfrost Reach" region. The other half will reuse existing areas with new quests and monsters to hunt. Tsujimoto also confirmed what many had speculated: Iceborne's "Master Rank" will be equivalent to the "G Rank" from classic Monster Hunter entries. Not content to unleash the update and be done, Capcom will support Iceborne with regular updates and e?vents much as it has with the? standard game's release.

As a reminder, Iceborne will be launching on September 6, 2019, for PS4 and Xbox One. A PC releas?e is planned for Winter 2019.

79 Rapid-Fire Questions About Monster Hunter World: Iceborne [Game Informer]

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Capcom looks back at blockbuster brand

Capcom has released a video for the 15th anniversary of their track-and-trap adventure series, Monster Hunter. The clip looks at the slew of titles released over the past de??cade and a ha??lf.

From 2004's Monster Hunter to 2018's Monster Hunter: World the franchise has spanned several generations and appeared on multiple platforms, including PC, consoles, arcade and even mobile devices. Outside of video games, Monster Hunter has also taken ??the form of a card game, an anime series, and an upcoming Hollywood feature film.

To date, Monster Hunter has shifted a massive 50 million units, around 12 million of which are entirely from Monster Hunter: World, Capcom's best-selling video game of all time. No doubt the incredible success of MH:W has secured the series future for many years to come. Monster Hunter: World is available now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Its first major expansion, Iceborne, is expected to launch in Fall.

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We can finally sort our investigations

It's a heck of a week for Monster Hunter World. Capcom is prepping a free update for April 18 at 5:00pm Pacific that adds the shiny Elder Dragon Kulve Taroth. The beast will only be around for a limi??te??d time as part of a new Siege quest type, and it's going to require a team effort to take it down.

Players will need to group up in the Gathering Hub for the Siege on Kulve Taroth. "Up to four parties of four hunters each can team up and contribute progress, work together to collectively break more parts, and reap greater benefits of hunting the same Kulve Taroth," according to Capcom. Th?e game mode balance is the same "regardless of the hunting part?y size," and SOS Flares can't be used.

Along with golden armor, there's also new layered armor sets up for grabs.

Capcom has a number of enhancements and tweaks, too. Highlights include sorting options for investigations, the ability to cultivate ivy at Botanical Research, and a less jarring camera that won't force you?? to look at your Scoutfly trail when you're fast t?raveling or returning to camp after fainting.

Oh, and Flash Pod?s will have diminishing returns when used against Tempered Monsters. Good luck!

2nd Free Update [Monster Hunter World]
Monster Hunter: World Debuts New Elder Dragon To??morrow [PlayStation Blog]

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Fight a giant Kulu-Ya-Ku and get its head

Despite the recent arrival of Deviljho, I've been hesitant to dive back into Monster Hunter World.

I went from playing it every single day since launch to taking a now much-longer-than-expected break. The other day, I logged on with the full intent to fight the pickled monster. But once I got in, I fumbled with the controls and decided "not tonight." I need to set aside enough time to find my groove and build up my muscle memory -- if not for Deviljho, then for Capcom's new round of event quests.

Not to alarm you, but with?? the Egg Lovers United quest, you can cr??aft a Kulu-Ya-Ku head piece.

Birds of a feather flock together. "Egg Lovers United" quest coming soon~ pic.twitter.com/BjIy4fPz8K

— Monster Hunter (@monsterhunter) March 29, 2018

This is everything. And,? best of all, the quest pits you against a large??-gold-crown Kulu.

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'Give us a shot'

A few major studios have emerged from the mass Switch port rush of this past year, most notably Panic Button. They've ported over a few major releases like Rocket League and Doom, and are poised t??o be one of the most in-demand developers in the coming year.

But Bethesda commissioned another outfit to handle Skyrim -- Iron Galaxy -- and they're attempting to take on their next big job via Twitter. This past weekend CEO Adam Boyes just tweeted at the official Monster Hunter account, noting: "Dear [Monster Hunter team] at Capcom - we understand that porting the game to Ninte??ndo Switch is challenging...but this is exactly what [Iron Galaxy] does. Give us a shot & we won’t let you down ;)."

It ?remains to be seen if this actually tu??rns into anything, if Capcom isn't secretly working on porting it to the Switch already, but since they've said time and time again that they didn't plan for it, this port is probably a ways off and a "super" incarnation away.

Adam Boyes [Twitter]

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An outfit and bow

The Palico portion of the Horizon Zero Dawn and Monster Hunter World crossover is old news. Phase one has come and gone, and now we're e??ntering phase tw??o soon, which includes gear for your hunter.

Starting? on February 28 you're now tasked with getting to Hunter Rank 11 (a little past early game) and hunting an Anjanath (T-Rex) to? earn Alloy's bow and outfit. It's not an automatic get either, you have to pick up the quest called "The Proving."

Again, you have until February 28 to reach Rank 11, so mark your calendars. Beyond Horizon Zero Dawn, which is a PS4-exclusive affair, there's also crossover content from Capcom franchises like Mega Man and Street Fighter.

Monster Hunter [Twitter]

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I'd totally do this if I had the opportunity

I have a lot of great memories involving LAN parties. Big games, obscure one??s where I had to hunt down people to play with, creating my own CAT-5 cables from scratch that would reach long enough to hook up two Xboxes on different floors -- lots and lots of memories.

I'm sure these four are building new ones right now based on this awesome Monster Hunter World setup. It's simple, but elegant. Four TVs, four PS4s, one table. You have to giv??e it to them for setting it up in a photo-perfect symmetrical fashion too! Sadly it's not for "LAN" play per se (rather all gaming online in the same party) but still!

Given how World incorporates single-player and multiplayer in?? the same seamless mode it's also a perfect candidate for multiplayer. If o??nly I could find three local hunters.

@marutirun [Twitter]

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Tempted to make some of it

Given that my wife is in the later stages of pregnancy I've been cooking more often than usual, and I'm pretty proud of a recent sauteed spinach recipe I've concocted (she needs more iron!) among other main courses. But this series of Monster Hunter dishes from Twitter user Ki-Ki's wife deserves a legitimate chef kis??sy fing?ers emote in real life. I just did it.

Modeled after an in-game dish (you can see the comparison in the gallery below), they go above and beyond and even add in various odds and ends to spice up the presentation a bit. That konpeitō? It's thematic scout flies.

If you're curious the meal has a lot of info attached to its Twitter post, including its cost (roughly $36) and prep time (three hours). That's not bad at all since this could feed a family of four handily. I just spent an hour and a half the other day making al dente pasta and ??homeade sauce for two people!

Ki-ki [Twitter via Siliconera]

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You'll be carving in no time

Monster Hunter has made the jump to modern consoles, and with it comes a brand new audience. I love seeing more and more people experience the series for the first time, just as I did not too long ago.

Where do I even begin? There is a lot to take in while playing Monster Hunter in any capacity, and there can seem to be an endless string of tutorials thrown at you early on. Many of those things will?? eventually seep into you??r brain, but for now, here are some tips to help you along the way.

Join the Destructoid Squad -- Palico Patrol!

You can mess?age Striderhoang (Marcel Hoang) to get into the PlayStation squad. This way,?? you'll have people close at hand ready to help you out!

The PC version is out now! Join the Destructoid Steam group to meet up with other hunters and display the Dtoid ???logo in-game!

Your "Pre-Quest" routine should look like this

Got a new monster to take out? Great! But before you head out, there are a couple things that you should always do. Here's the basic breakdown:

• Accept quest
• Eat food
• Clear/change items

The best thing is, all of the required locations are right next to each other. After choosing your quest from the lady, turn around and ?grab a bite to eat. Early on, choose something that you think you're lacking. Tons of attack with little in the way of armor/defense? Order a meal to add more defense. As you become more comfortable and knowled??geable with the monsters and worlds, you'll know exactly what you should be eating before heading out. Similarly, you should start experimenting (eventually) with the "create your own" option.

Clearing your items isn't as important as it once was since this can be done in your camp, but it does save a headache later. You're bound to pick up tons of items during your time outside of Asteria, and those things take up inventory space. Before heading out, it's a good idea to store things you won't actively be using in the field. Again, you'll soon learn that Nulberry is always worth carrying??, as are things like Honey that can be used to craft important items.

Utilize the environment during hunts

Th?ere are a lot of ways to use the world around you to create a successful hunt. Take a look at the clip above where I use a Paratoad to get in some free hits. There is more to hunting than just wailing on the monster: jumping off ledges or walls for aerial attacks, utilizing the toads, or shooting at the flash flies are all impor??tant to note. 

Use your Hunter's Notes

Monster giving you a hard time? Or is it your first tim?e on a specific hunt? 

• Press Start
• Go over to Info
• Open your Hunter's Notes
• Open Monster Field Guide

Here you have descriptions of monsters and a section called "Useful Information." This information is useful, read it! It will give tips on how to best approach the monster, as well as if it has any specific weaknesses or patterns. Obviously, the best way to learn is to actually fight it, but there are som??e really simple tips listed here that everyone should know before heading out. It also includes possible drops of monsters -- check here if you're looking for a specific part to craft weapons or armor.

Also important: your Hunter's Notes gets updated! Elemental weaknesses will not be there on you?r first hunt, but once you've figured it out, the page will be updated.

The Hunter's Notes also has an exhaustive list of weapon controls -- LOOK AT THEM! As Brett brought up to me, there may be button combinations you don't even know about, 20 hours into using a weapon!? No?t that Brett would know from experience or anything...

Experiment with weapons in the training area!

I'd recommend this? for new and veteran players alike. I've seen so many old-school players find a new love with weapons like the bow, thanks to the traditional controller and analog sticks.

If you ente??r your room and speak with the Housekeeper Palico and select "Go to the training area." While there, you can change weapons at will from the box and go nuts! The game will give you the breakdown of what the various inputs do, and you could always head into your Hunter's Notes to see a control bre?akdown of each weapon, as I mentioned above.

Understand how mounting monsters works

There's a couple of things that are not immediately obvious when mounting monsters. The first is that you can move positions while on the monster's back. This helps when the jerk goes to headbutt into a wall to knock you off -- if you recognize this you can hop to the back ??of it and brace for impact.

The second thing is that the game highlights what you should be doing while up there. Look at t?he upper right of the video -- notice how it h??ighlights Brace as the monster prepares for an attack? Also notice how I don't do shit about it because I did not know about this tip at the time? 

You can pin items on the map to be guided to them.

It's easy to understand how to "pin" a monster on your map and be led to it, b?ut the same can be said for harvesting items as well! It's important to explore around the map and find all of these locations, because one day you may be in need of something specific, and this is by far the best way to get your item. It works the same way as pinning a monster: ??open up the map, find the item you need around the map, and pin it! 

Animations like mining and gathering can be sped up, and certain cutscenes can be skipped.

Just about every non-combat animation can be sped up??, and certain non-essential cutscenes can be skipped. The animation for mining, harvesting, etc. can be sped up by simply hol?ding the harvest button. It may not seem like much, but when you're constantly digging through bonepiles and picking mining deposits, it saves a lot, trust me. 

Additionally, the cutscene of the monster ??dying can be skipped by pressing Start (or whatever these stupid consoles call it). It's not the biggest deal in the world, and I kind of like running around in the background while watching the cutscene, but sometimes lots of ?other shit is going down and having a cinematic camera angle is not helpful. You can also skip the cutscenes for making food and weapons. I tend to watch the cats making food, since I'm waiting for the mission to load anyway, and it is amazing.

Monsters have different "states" and it's important to know which one they're in.

Have you noticed that, sometimes, the monster is suddenly kicking your butt? It's not just you, the monster is likely in an enraged state. While there are visual tells to indicate when this occurs (generally some flaps becoming unf??lapped, or a new visual effect), it's also possible to look at the lower left of the screen to know. See the heart beat looking thing? When there is very little time in between beats, the monster is enraged. Generally, this means to pick your hits very carefully and play way more cautious than normal.

AHB: Always Have Bounties

Okay, I admit. I made that acronym up. But the idea is pretty straightforward: between every mission, re-up any bounties you may have completed at the Resou??rce Center. There's no reason not to!

Weapon-Specific Tips

Now, I'm not here to give you tips for every weapon: that's beyond me. I am here? to give you some Hunting Horn tips. I asked my fellow Destructoid writers to share their expertise with their weapon of choice, and here's what we came up with:

Hunting Horn - Patrick Hancock

Ah, the best weapon for people who like to play Bards in their RPGs, Supports in any team-based game, or any Rock Band fans. This weapon was completely designed for someon??e like me, who loves all three of those. I've been using it since I first got my hands on it, and never looked back.

The first thing is to understand how your songs work. Every horn has Self-Improvement, and that's a song that should always be up. It only affects yourself, but the increased movement speed and prevention from deflection are crucial to play HH. Most songs are rather straightforward based on their name, but some may not be. For example, there is a difference between a healing song and a health boost song. Boosting health means adding more maximum health (which is also very good!), but it will not heal your teammates. Sonic Waves is also obtuse -- it brings monsters up from under the ground (only useful fo?r specific monsters). Know your songs, and bring a horn that will fit the job.

As a Hunting Horn user, you will be loved by your peers. I've just been joining SOS Flares and buffing the crap out of people and I love it. Plus, you're bound to get the end-hunt reward for supporting everyone, proving how awesome you are. Ideally, you can play songs while fighting, though as you move up in the ranks this becomes hard?er and harder. 

After playing a song with right trigger, you can play encores as noted next to the note sheet in the upper left. Be aware of what is up there and string together some hard-hitting enco?res to please your fans, err, I mean teammates.

Switch Axe - Jordan Devore

For Switch Axe, remember to ABS (always be sheathing). I've had much better luck running up sheathed and launching right into axe mode (right trigger) for a few safe hits as opposed to sta?rting out in sword mode and transforming to the axe form mid-combo. There's a time and place for everything, but this method generally lets you get in and out in a hurry while still quickly building your amp meter for those sweet Elementa?l Discharge explosions.

Insect Glaive - Salvadore G-Rodiles

Do you love wielding a weapon that grants you your ow??n pet? If you answered “y?es,” then the Insect Glaive is your calling.

Ever since its debut in Monster Hunter 4, the weapon wielder’s goal is to use their bug partner, the Kinsect, to obtain buffs from the opponents. The important ?thing is that red is power, white is mobility, and orange is defense. As long as you ?understand this rule, you’ll be a master in no time.

As for the spots, go for the head when you want red, legs will give you white, and the body is orange. In some cases, other body parts can give you these colors so you’ll have to launch your Kinsec?t to find out. Also, you can heal with green nectar from your opponent’s tail. Even if it’s a little bit, it can save your life in some cases.

If you have trouble with launching your bug at the target, you can fire a pheromone that lets it home in. In previous games, it was a bit counterproductive since you could get it faster if you learn how to aim. Fortunately, there’s a new benefit to sending your pet through this method. Depending on your bug, the special spot will cha?nge into an insect swarm that creates an effect when you attack it. Some of these benefits include healing people or creating a purple gas that may poison the monster.

Remember how you had to harvest nectars from specific plants to improve your Kinsect? Well, that feature is gone in World and you use materials instead. To top it off, the bug is now separate from the equipment so you can use the same one on each Glaive. In other words, one of the time-consuming parts of upgrading the weapon is gone. Hopefully, future Monster Hunter titles will follow this trend.

One important thing as a Glaive user is not to rely on leap attacks. Yes, they can help yo??u mount the monsters, but there are better ways to do damage. In fact, you’re better off connecting two triangle attacks with two circle ones. Since this move can chain into infinite?? strikes, you can mix it up with other moves. If you don’t want to combo through the target, pressing back and circle will let you do a cool backflip, which lets you land some hits while you gain more range to do fluid attacks. Then you can link it with a circle move.

While we’re on the topic of jumping, be sure to air dash if you’re about to run into a target’s attack. Compare to the other installments, this is one of the best additions to the weapon. If you plan to take to leap, the Glaive’s ne??w circle attack can be connected with the same m??ove or the triangle button strike. If you utilize these tips well, you’ll become a master at beating down monsters with your trusty stick.

Dual Blades - Marcel Hoang

I've always gravitated towards the ease and mobility of the dual blades. In World, the DB have been retuned very subtly so that on the surface they still look like the same dual blades but on the inside they can feel quite different. There's no longer mega dash juice and even dash juice only functions l??ike wiggly litchi; dash juice only halve?s your stamina depletion unlike unlimited stamina from before. Thankfully, the stamina drain from dual blades' demon mode is slower and easier to work with compared to before.

Still, using every bit of stamina you have is important. Using (circle)/(B) p??erforms the classic spin-it-to-win-it, forward whirlwind attack which covers a lot of ground while attacking. Following up with repeat performs the vertical windmill slice. Alternating between this and the (triangle)/(Y) attack allows you to slide a?round a monster like some deranged ankle biter. It's also worth noting that the previously mentioned attacks plus the demon dance all have automatic mind's eye, that is to say, these attacks will not bounce off hard parts no matter what (note: you’ll eat through your sharpness this way). That's great for brute forcing your way into breaking monster parts!

One balance change to offset the slower stamina drain is the loss of the demon dash dur??ing archdemon mode, so you'll have to get used to only having access to that during demon mode. It is worth mentioning that since you'll be switching demon mod?e on and off more often now that mega dash juice isn't an option how the demon mode trigger works. Using the switch raw allows you to continue moving slowly but the switch is slow. Using the switch during a combo is much faster.

Several weapons have new sliding attacks as well, and ?the dual blades are similar to other weapons with hidden sliding attacks due to their unique mechanics with overlapping buttons. Anytime you're going down a slope but are in demon mode, just press (circle)/(B) to initiate a slide with a brief slicing attack. The next attack input causes you to fly off into your heavenward sky slas?h.

Charge Blade - Josh Tolentino

I love the Charge Blade because it's s?o overcomplicated it barely makes sense. The Switch Axe makes sense: It's two weapons in one. But the Charge Blade, wi?th its off-hand sword-and-board transitioning to a big effin' axe? It exists because it's freakin' cool and looks great in motion, that's it.

It's also one of the more complicated weapons to master in Monster Hunter, thanks to its mode-changing gimmick. Moreso than the Switch Axe, using the Charge Blade requires some awareness of when it's best to to be in one mode or another. The most basic pattern would be to bat away at a monster in blade mode, then, when the "charge phials" are filled, transition to a powerful axe-mode strike to deliver big damage as well as a secondary effect. Charge Blades are very strong at knocking monsters out, provided you can land the last big blow. Monster Hunter World hasn't changed the Charge Blade substantially since the last couple of games, so if you grew accustomed to using it in then, you're already off to a good s??tart. What is new, however, are a few new moves seemingly designed to increase the utility of the weapon's Sword Mode.

As ever, the Charge Blade's main pattern would be to bonk the monster using the Sword Mode to charge up your phials, and, once positioned, going to town on it with the Axe mode and the stored up energy. Monster Hunter World has added a set of sliding slash moves to sword mode to help you do some damage and close gaps. Execute them by inputting on a direction after a basic attack in sword mode. These moves increase Sword Mode's mobility and allows practiced players to "stick and move" more effectively and keep up the pressure. They've also returned the ability to transition quickly from sword mode into the? Amped Element Discharge (aka the super finish) by way of the trusty Shield Thrust. Just move from a weak slash to a shield thrust, and hit the same buttons again to go straight to the discharge. It's a good way to bleed off some extra energy if you just charged up and need to let it out right away.

You can also charg??e up your shield, which toughens it up when you're blocking as well as enhanc?ing any output from your Axe Mode attacks. Just cancel out of the discharge mode above using an elemental roundslash. Axe Mode also gained a distance-closing Dash Slam attack, so you don't have to morph back out of Axe Mode if a monster jukes away at the last second.

The last bonus added to World for would-be Charge Blade masters is the ability to charge your sword, to get a fast, lower-output version of the Axe Mode's beloved energy blasts.The trick is to extend the standard phial charge m?ove by holding Weak Slash. This transfers phial energy to the Sword Blade, making all moves for the next few moments do the same energy bursts. 

Further Research

You will soon outgrow this guide. When that happens, congratulations! You'??re on your way to becoming an expert. To help you along the way, here are some outlets that I think will help you grow.

• ProJared on YouTube

ProJared does lots of stuff with his YouTube channel, but is a huge Monster Hunter fan and a lot of his content revolves around the series, especially after a big release. Above i??s the link to his multi-part guide on the series. Despite it being created for the 3DS entries, much of what he says applies universally.

• Gaijin Hunter on YouTube

Gaijin Hunter is my favorite content creator for Monster Hunter. I love his voice, and he explains things in such an approachable way. I really do owe a lot of my success to his videos, so check out hi??s channel! He makes a lot of quick videos on how ??to do specific things, like the one above, and also makes weapon-specific tutorials.

• /r/monsterhunter

A subreddit for a specific game or franchise is usually kind of terrible and filled with memes and shitposts. The subreddit for Monster Hunter is actually quite good, and is a general reflection of the community itself. Lots of tips are offered, questions are answ?ered, and everyone is just all-around helpful. If you have a specific question, it can't hurt to ask here.

Got any tips of your own? Share them in the comments to help out other hunters! Everyone is in this together!

The post A Beginner’s Guide to Monster Hunter: World appeared first on Destructoid.

Iron Chef Palico

I don't know if any of you are aware of this, but Monster Hunter World is pretty god damn amazing. It's my first big dive into the series and in between carving up Jargas I started to really enjoy watching those Pal??ico Chefs prepare my monstrous meals.  

Looking back cooking has always played an important role in Monster Hunter, but with a game this visually impressive it looks like Capcom decided to go the extra mile and make it as over the top as possible. That Palico chef makes a mean grilled Rathalos, and with cooking of this caliber, there's only one logical next step. We need a Monster Hunter cooking game. 

I'm talking full-on Iron Chef Palico. Rivalries between cooks, knives flying across the kitchen and crazy competitions to see who can prepare the best skewered  Anjanath. Of course, it would all lead up to a showdown with the best character in Monster Hunter World, the Meowscular Chef. 

Combine some simple Cooking Mama style mini-games for food prep and add a dash of the Overcooked style kitchen management to run food out to hunters. Top it off with a story centered around becoming the number one Palico ch??ef in all of the new world. 

Allez Cuisine! 

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Finally, a whole new world

Chop, cut, mince, craft, b??oil, eat, repeat. The life of a hunter is hard. Especially if you’re a vegetarian cont??rolling one.

Monster Hunter's core since 2004 has been predicated on grinding and discovering its own esoteric rules and principles. That hasn't change a lot in 14 years, but Monster Hunter: World’s sleekness makes it a whole lot easier.

Monster Hunter: World (PC, PS4 [reviewed with a PS4 Pro], Xbox One) 
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom 
Release: January 26, 2018 (PS4/Xbox One) / TBA (PC)
MSRP: $59.99

Despite some concessions best epitomized by fireflies (known here as scout flies) assisting in lighting the path to your prey, this is still very much the same punishing Monster Hunter. There's lots of repetition stat-studying and grinding, all so you can get one piece of coveted armor at a time. That's basically been Capcom's philosophy?? on the series for over a decade: give 'em?? incremental quality-of-life upgrades that are usually standard in other games (lock-on being a highly contentious addition for some reason) and keep the old school base intact.

That's mostly worked for me, having played most of the series throughout the years, but at some point around Monster Hunter 4 I yearned for a new coat of paint. Most iterations, including the myriad "super" editions over the years, just felt too similar to one another. World finally overhauls nearly everything from an artistic standpoint and brings it into the current generation. The main camp of Astero looks stunning and picturesque, like a fully-realized Rufio camp from Hook. Each location, from the lush Ancient Forest to the desolate Rotten Vale, differentiates itself from the pack. But World doesn't take itself too seriously -- there's a lot of heart and silliness to it all too, perhaps best encapsulated by the classic absurd Palico (read: cat) cooking sequence.

The shift to more open maps makes everything feel like less of a corridor simulator without moving directly into the rote "map full of icons" open-world setup that's commonly found in a lot of western games. There's still going to be repetition in the sense that you're re-visiting the same areas, but World generally does a good job of mixing up the enemy layouts or times of day to freshen up repeat excursions. Bringing back expeditions, which are free-roam sessions with no time limit or requirements, was a good decision. They're an excellent way to remove some of the stress of the standard Monster Hunter grind with activities like fish??ing and capturing, with unlimited? lives.

World still has that rewarding conquest loop. I got my ass kicked by a T-Rex, so I basically re-evaluated everything that led me to the moment where he burned me to a crisp. I swapped weapons (which is easy to do since you can downgrade and get your materials back), upgraded a few armor pieces, crafted some more items, g??rinded out some ingredients for nutrients (potions that increase your max health), and ate some Good Food. Bam! Dude was dead.

Boss fights still range from epic, larger-than-life confrontations against insurmountable creatures to mild tedium. While the larger romps are mostly engaging battles featuring ghoulish designs only the Monster Hunter team could come up with, some of the medium-to-large-sized denizens annoyingly run away and force you to constantly babysit them. This is much easier to deal with when you're playing with friends, as various ranged and swift builds can catch up with them or cut them off, but going at it solo it can be painstakingly slow. Luckily this sort of thing doesn't happen that often, but when it does, expect to groan audibly (until you return and start to crush bosses like normal enemies, then it feels incredible; battling ??them in the arena also eliminates the whole chasing step).

What wows me the most is that it feels like Monster Hunter has finally entered the modern age. Now I don't mind the old visuals, nor do I require the cutting edge to play something, but the constant re-hashing of engines and iterations was really getting to me. Capcom is the king of re-touching and re-selling the same "ultra" or "super" editions, and the Monster Hunter series saw plenty of "Ultimate" and "Freedom" versions. We're probably going to get Monster Hunter Universe at some point, t??his is true, but ri??ght now it's still crisp and hot out of the oven.

It hasn't shed its skin fully either. The sheer breadth of playstyles is staggering, from the quick dual blades, to the multiple bowgun ranged options, to the tough but rewarding hunting horn. It's a science at this point, but you can also opt to jump into a stabby or shooty combat style if you want. When you really dig though and start getting to the point where you need to optimize to best some of the bigger beasties, you'll probably be taken aback by some inside baseball type stuff, like the endless pit of bowgun ammo types. There's no new weapons in World, ?which is a bummer, but given how well all of the existing ones mesh together I don't necessarily need more.

Crafting has become more convenient, not necessarily outright easier. There's a wishlist feature to notify you when you have the proper materials required to create something, and gathering locations are a little more obvious. That's no better typified than with the aforementioned firefly highlights, otherwise known as "bread crumb trails" in the industry at large, Monster Hunter World's most contentious mechanic.

While some may feel like this "dumbs down" the flow of the game, I dig the idea of gaining research progression (non-traditional experience that can be spent on things l?ike meals) when locating points of interest such as footprints or scents. It adds to the whole "hunt" feel. It's also a little more inviting when you need to hunt down a certain enemy type over and over when you can track them directly.

This is still Monster Hunter. You'll hunt, upgrade, hunt some more, and basically repeat until you're done with the campaign, then you can choose to do it some more with extra quests. Capcom is promising more content for the long haul, but as it stands World feels just?? as full as any othe??r core release.

As for multiplayer, we didn't get much of a chance to extensively test it out -- so we'll be mostly reporting on that post-launch. Right now lobbies seem to be stable and the chat/squad system is well-implemented (you can emote/message people even during cutscenes and connect with people through groups), which is a good sign. I had a limited pool ??of players to choose from, but I could join quests in progress and fire off SOS flares to signal other people that I nee?ded help. This series is still fun as hell to team up in.

If you've been skipping out on Monster Hunter games for a while because they seem to blend together, jumping into World i?s your ?chance to get in. Just know that Capcom hasn't really shaken up the formula enough to piss off veterans or appeal to people who don't welcome grinding with open arms.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Monster Hunter: World appeared first on Destructoid.

Maybe a theoretical Monster Hunter [Universe] could though?

At this point, "Switch port when" is going to be a thing. While people laughed off the idea of many major multi-platform relea?ses hitting the Wii U, we're already seeing huge players like Wol?fenstein and Doom arriving on the Switch, so it's only a matter of time for a lot of publishers.

For Capcom, Monster Hunter World on the Switch right now just isn't an option. Speaking to IGN, directors Kaname Fujioka and Yuya Tokuda explain that they "don't have any plans for the Switch at the moment," mostly because of how much time it took to develop World in the first place. According to Capcom they've been working on the project for almost four years, and had to commit to specific hardware, and they decided this "before the ??Switch was even announced or on sale."

So there you have it. With the PC release delayed until later in the year as it is, Capcom has its hands full already. Now I still think that there's a distinct chance for the Switch to get in on the fun with the inevitable "Super Ultra X" type release, because you just know Capcom is going to iterate on World as long as they worked on it.

Monster Hunter World Devs on Switch Rel?ease, And Pleasing Hardcor?e Fans [IGN]

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The game's director confirms

I was sufficiently impressed by the Monster Hunter World beta, and I'm looking forward to playing a Monster Hunter experience that isn't some sequel, spinoff, or new "EX" iteration again. It'll be a lengthy romp too, as game director Yuya Tokuda informed Mein-MMO that World will sport a campaign tha??t's roughly 40 to 50 hours lo??ng.

Tokuda explains that the real length will "depend on the player," but there will still be a huge post-game to partake in, as well as weekly event quests and free updates, which have already been confirmed.

Monster Hunter World wi?ll arr?ive on PS4 and Xbox One on January 26, 2018. A PC release is set to follow but does not even have a window at this time. My ideal window is "whenever Capcom can get it right."

Monster Hunter World [Mein MMO via Gematsu]

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We hunted down this new trailer for you too

Monster Hunter World is shaping up to make a monster splash when it releases early next year. It's a mainline Monster Hunter game, sure, but it's the first to come to consoles in a long ??time and the first ever to hit? PC.

Sony has a neat little piece of exclusive content that might sway some players to pick it up on PlayStation 4. Monster Hunter World will have Aloy, the protagonist of Horizon Zero Dawn, as a playable character on PS4 versions. She's used to?? taking down robotic monsters, but carbon-based ones probably won't be too much of a stretch.

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You're a Monster, Hunter

"I only came here to play this!"

I turned my head to see a wide-eyed girl beaming at me like it was Christmas, her eyes glistening behind her trendy millennial glasses. Whereas she was really excited, I was more baffled, as I turned back to stare at the most complex layout of controller prompts I'd seen since Steel Battalion.

This was me at the Monster Hunter World booth at EGX this weekend. Despite the game being premiered at the show, it had been tucked away right in the very corner. It didn't help that Capcom no-showed the event, leaving it to Sony to squeeze the game between Lego Marvel 2 and a Subway stand. But I did eventually find it and he??re I was, young and confused, an?d young left town.

This first thing that hit me about Monster Hunter World were how sharp and detailed its visuals are. The green plantation, sweeping surf and great blue skies were very inviting, had they not been crawling with frikkin' dinosaurs. It was a world I wanted to get lost in, if only I wasn't already lost in the game's equipment menus, which were asking me to tool up from a selection of gear and weaponry, preparing me for a battle akin to a jaunt?? through Mordor.

Accompanied by steampunk cat-type-thing, Palico, and with the voice of a cutesy waifu guide ringing in my ears, I chose a humble short-sword and shield, before striding out into the unknown. I had orders to track and kill a mysterious beast, until it ei?ther tore me asunder?? or ten minutes were up, whichever came first.

Monster Hunter World is a beautiful looking game and, despite the occasional frame-rate hiccup, moves with fluidity. I personally am not a fan of Bloodborne-esque combat, where strikes have long-winded an?imations, but my weapon choice shortened that time window. Opposed to this was the behemoth axe I found shortly thereafter, that could morph into a BIGGER axe at the press of a button. Clearly, weapon enthusiasts will squeal with delight at the ?arsenal of tools on offer.

Speaking of buttons, I found the labyrinthine controls wildly confusing. Every single button, both sticks, the D-pad and the touchpad are all utilised, with everything changing context based on your immediate situation. Whilst experienced monster hunters will likely pick things up in no time, new players may find themselves drowning in commands, actions, menus and dial?s, all of whic?h change with wanton abandon.

Followi??ng a trail of footprints and "skidmarks" (lulz) I eventually came across the huge beast, like a giant Komodo Dragon with a h?uge pulsating throat. I just wanted to run away, but my cat sidekick (speaking in puns, naturally) told me it was time to put a "three-star hurtin" on the beast. So I leapt into battle and simply carved its face off.

Actually, I got taken down quickly and brutally mauled for an age, unprepared for the slow animation that would precede my strikes. Und??aunted, I got back to my feet and got to work, using my mobility to circle the creat??ure and pick my spots, chipping away until the monster fell down and lay helpless, kicking its legs and screaming.

"Now, finish it!" said Palico, salivating at the? viscer??al carnage.

I continued to chop away at the huge lizard with numerou?s different combo attacks until it regained its footing and limped away to its lair, where I was prompted by Palico, eyes burning with bloodlust, to finish it off. Thus, I followed the crippled creature to its nest and awkwardly sliced the life out its beaten, defenceless form, like the big man that I am.

I had slain the b??east, and also gathered some nice? flowers along the way.

Then, it happened. As triumphant music played and my characters leapt in celebration, four miniature versions of the creature I had slaughtered slinked out of the darkness to nurse the corpse of their moth??er, who I had just killed, because someone told me to.

Y'know when Simba finds Mufasa in the ravine? Yeah, that. The young creatures innocently nudged at the still body of their provider and howled with sorrow, whilst Palico, the little fucking bastard, danced a merry jig. Dear God, what had I done? Then, one of the younglings turn??ed to the camera and said "Why did you kill our mom, Chris?" (That's how I remember it, anyw??ay.)

A Sony rep, noticing I'd finished the quest came over. "Whaddya think?" he beamed.
"I'm a fucking monster" I replied, to which he laughed nervously. Boy, did I feel terrible for my actions. I know these games are hunting games, but some?? punk once told me the series was basically "like Pokemon". Sure, if you slaughtered a crippled, bleeding Snorlax and orphaned his kids.

Monster Hunter World was an experience. It's a great looking game, with an exciting and inviting world. It appears to have a vast gear system and very expansive combat, tracking and trapping mechanics. It even sports a surprisingly wry sense of humour. The creatures I encountered were creatively designed and, although a little jerky, moved? well, rig??ht up till the moment I made them stop moving.

I don't think I'm the market for the game, it isn't a style of combat that I enjoy playing, and the Circle of Life aspects of the game's theme doesn't sit well with my broken brain. It may be a fantasy world, but I felt no different killing a grazing dinosaur as I would have had it been a Cabela title. Hell, I once even walked away from the Big Buck Hunter pinball machine without finishing my game.

But, that's just me, and I'm sure you MH fans will find my upset laughable. I'm fine with that, as The Industry's Chris Moyse, I can accept your mockery. I think Monster Hunter devotees are in for a real treat with this title. Because as morally odd and technically complex as I found it, I'll just reiterate the words ??of the still-beaming gal stood beside m??e:

"Ohhh shit, that was SO cool!"

Monster Hunter World is available on PS4, Xbox One and January 26, with a PC release to fol?low.

The post My traumatising EGX-p??erience w?ith Monster Hunter World appeared first on Destructoid.

Leather cats

As in previous entries, Monster Hunter World will feature character creation for both your player character and your Palico companion. For the player character you can choose from 10 presets and ??edit face type, skin color, age, hair style, gender, eyebrows, forehead, eye color, eye position, eyelash length, nose, mouth, facial hair, makeup/face-paint, facial expression, voice, underwear, starting equipment, and lightning. These changes will reflect in cutscenes as well as gameplay.

The Palico creator begins with 12 presets and then let's you change it's hair (??length, thickness, color), patterns, individual eye color, ears, tail, voic?e, skin color, and starting equipment.

The post Watch some in-depth Monster Hunter W??orld character and Palico creation appeared first on Destructoid.

Get your gear packed, we'll be on our way soon

Announced today at the Tokyo Game Show, Capcom's highly-anticipated Monster Hunter World will? be launching in all territories January 26 2018.

Alongside the standard edition of the game, there will also be two variants released, including a deluxe digital edition and a snazzy? collectors edition, which features an art book, the game's soundtrack and a statue of the game's new poster-monster, who is named "Nerurigigantei".

Sony have announced that there will also be a Monster Hunter World-themed PS4 Pro? console released. Though it is not clear whether this console will be available worldwide.

In addition to these release details, ?a new trailer was unveiled, as seen below.

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Capcom is doing this right so far

Monster Hunter World had an impact that many other games in the series have failed to really hit. Not only was it announced for a worldwide release very quickly (ra?ther than months or even years later in coy fashion), but it was also developed for multiple core console platforms (PS4 and Xbox One), PC, and features cross-region (but not cross-platform) play.

They came out of the gate swinging rather than cater to? a niche, and I think it's paying off. Many folks who have checked out of the series for some time seem back in, myself included. This new set of trailers, which showcase day-to-day UI stuff and more action-oriented sequences, only helps augment my feelings so far.

Monster Hunter World will arrive in early 2018.

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