Monster Hunter World Hands On Experience

Monster Hunter World Hands On Experience

I know, I know, Monster Hunter World is not coming to the Nintendo Switch, or any Nintendo Console for that matter. The franchise which had been sort of a Nintendo mainstay for the past few years has now moved on to more powerful consoles, the PS4 and Xbox One. I don’t blame them, really, I just feel a little disappointed.

Just last Tuesday, I got a little hands-on with Monster Hunter World and as much as I wanted to play it on the Switch, it was on the PS4. The premise of the game has not shifted drastically, at least during my short time I had with the game. It was same as before, taking up quest, hunting monsters and collecting loot.

What was different was the breadth and quality the game stood at. The game’s graphics were stunning, a level above anything that was ever seen from the Monster Hunter Franchise before. Even the maps were bigger, a lot bigger and going from zone to zone no longer requires loading, almost like an open world game. The game managed to put all the extra power of a home console to good use.

Unfortunately, Monster Hunter World is still not an open world, which is really a shame. While the monsters can run a lot further than they used to while you pursue them, there are still map boundaries. Technically it should be possible for Capcom to go into the open world concept, but as far as Monster Hunter World is concerned, it is already a step forward from before

As one that has played Monster Hunter before, I could not tell if it was really easier to hop on than before. I did not get to sit through lengthy tutorials for obvious time constraint reasons but still manage to take on bosses with a certain level of ease. There were audio cues and visual cues to prompt your next action but nothing too invasive or handheld.

Still, is it a game that could be on the Nintendo Switch? I’m no programming expert but I would have to say that it does not look like it is going to be easy. The game looked too graphically intense to be on the Switch. Although some may look at Doom, Skyrim, Wolfenstein, etc. and come back at me saying it is possible, it will likely be possible if Capcom is willing to take a few compromises. The graphics definitely had to be toned down, the maps may need to be partitioned into zones again, against what they had set out to do with Monster Hunter World. At the end of the day, Nintendo fans can have a Monster Hunter World if they really want to, but it will unfortunately not be the Monster Hunter World that is poised to launch on the PS4 and Xbox One.

Still, Capcom is telling us that the Nintendo Switch is an important platform for them moving forward. Though nothing has been officially announced and shown, we can also hope and dream for a Monster Hunter title… alongside the Ace Attorney they’re working on.