Nintendo 3DS: Thread 03 - Discontinued Edition

[Fader209]

Whatever it is, Monster Hunter certainly doesn't play very well. It's cumbersome and sluggish. Plus it hasn't evolved at all in 10 years.

I highlighted the key word of why I couldn't get into the series. Tried the last demos on 3DS and WiiU (MH3?) and it just felt so slow to attack enemies that I couldn't get used to. It's almost how I felt with Dark Souls but the combat on that "clicked" at some point whereas MH didn't at all.

[nakamura]

I like the Souls games. They are slow paced but feel deliberate and responsive.

I can see some appeal in taking down big marks. Just wish they developed the gameplay. Plus every one feels exactly the same.

[BIG EDD]

My new Ausie 3ds is developing a loose left hinge

[Asura]

For the camera though Asura, once you have the main Beastie in your vision you can click the logo in the lower left hand side of the touch screen, it will change to have a cross hairs on it, then every time you hit the L button the camera will spin to point at the monster.

I don't get why it can't just have a working third-person camera system. I mean we've had such things since the days of Syphon Filter.

It resembles Phantasy Star Online, but in that game the enemies moved pretty slowly and the environments were quite bland. The demo of MH4 seems to revel in enemies that dash off the screen, forcing you to rotate and catch up with them, on a game that doesn't have proper twin-stick controls.

It's like Kid Icarus again; I accept that underneath the veneer there's probably a pretty good game, but that veneer is my means of actually playing it.

I suspect a hardcore MH fan would probably scoff at this, because by now they've gotten used to the idea - but I'm not sure I ever would.

[nakamura]

MH does have proper twin stick control though.

[Asura]

MH does have proper twin stick control though.

No it doesn't. Proper twin-stick control is a game like Mass Effect, where when in combat, the majority of controls are on the two sticks and the shoulder buttons, with just extra things (like equipment) on face buttons which you press infrequently.

Monster Hunter has camera controls on the 2nd stick/CPP/new3DS nub, fine, but the 3DS doesn't have a form where shoulder button controls for attacks are viable. This means, critically, you can't move, rotate and attack at the same time - unlike in something like Gears of War.

Given, this isn't possible on the 3DS - even the new 3DS - because having attack on those shoulder buttons would be terrible. However, the solution to that isn't to make something like Kid Icarus and rail against the controls; it's to change the design of the core game to fit those constraints.

It's why the default controls changed between Armored Core 4 and Armored Core For Answer - same problem, but FROM Software recognised it and changed their control scheme.

[nakamura]

Ah I see. Yeah that's no good.

[Asura]

Ah I see. Yeah that's no good.

Sorry, didn't mean to jump down your throat Just games with poor controls are my pet peeve.

Similarly, sometimes people say "it's a good game, even if the controls are poor" - to me that's just a bad game, and there's not much room for discussion.

[nakamura]

Haha I never thought you were!

I do agree fully regarding the controls and when the 3DS was announced it was glaring it was missing a right stick. The d-pad is a load of crap too.

Kid Icarus is certainly interesting. The content and level design is outstanding, as is the variable difficulty replay value. The controls are utterly awful though.

[Asura]

The thing that makes it a shame is that the New3DS's control layout is perfectly suited to having controls on the face button, coupled with a lock-on system where the user flicks the nub right/left to switch targets. That flips the dynamic; in that scenario, the player's using the face buttons most of the time and occasionally managing the camera.

It's a shame they didn't try this.

Again, though, this is the kind of suggestion that would probably make a hardcore Monster Hunter fan's blood boil. I think it's one of those series that thrives on consistency and an evolving only in tiny, tiny steps, like Dynasty Warriors.

[Lebowski]

The thing with monster hunter is it dosent really grab you until you start down the loot path, your constantly harvesting monster parts to get better armour and weapons. You will want to do this as working out how to take down monsters is only half the battle as you need to be strong enough and doing enough damage to stand a chance. Working as a team is also a must, solo is a lot more difficult and never going to be as rewarding. to get the most from this you need a regular team and a lot of time as its one of them loot games.

[kryss]

I rarely use the lock on camera, because I'm so used to just moving it manually while dodging the monster I'm fighting. Even with the CPPro I still used the D-pad to move the camera.

Sluggish? It's all about the weapon you use. The dual blades, or sword and shield are not slow; the great sword and long sword are. Some weapons are better for defense and "tanking", whereas some are for those who prefer to look like a flailing berserker, and others stand back and snipe. Bowgunners can go from a supporting role to an offensive one with a change of ammo. Timing a great sword slash to hit a monster as it runs past you, and taking it's tail off at the same time is a work of art.

I'm just trying to explain why we sink hundreds of hours into these games, and why it feels so good to hunt with friends, and share in the spoils.

it hasn't evolved at all in 10 years

Didn't read my review of MH4 then?

MH was scavenge for EVERYTHING.
MH2 changed the scene to a snowy mountain village, introduced the farm and new weapon types.
MHP2G added more subspecies and special armour/weapons to match.
MHTri changed the scene to a fishing village and added fish to the items, along with fishermen who acted similar to the farm. And the Slash Axe, new monsters, and free-moving swimming areas.
MHP3rd changed the scene to a old Japanese village and a hot spring for increasing vitality/etc. via drinks.
MH3U added more subspecies of monsters again, and even more new monsters, and brought all the weapon types from the previous games. Also the lock on camera.
MH4 gave entirely independent online for the 3DS (MH3U didn't have this), 2 more new weapons as well as all the others, AND shifted the maps to be in 3 dimensions rather than flat, added "monster jumping", attacking while climing walls, and the virus which infects the player.
MH4U takes the best version of the game so far and adds more subspecies, quests, armour and weapons.

So yeah, nothing has changed in 11 years.

[speedlolita]

It's easy enough to say nothing hasn't changed when you don't invest any time into a game.

[nakamura]

They all feel the same to me. I guess I'm wrong on that aspect but playing the MH4 demo on 3DS felt exactly the same as when I played the original on PS2 and Tri on Wii.

[kryss]

I can understand that actually, I think it's like my views on other games that haven't clicked with me (there are plenty). Getting started in these games is the most difficult bit, it took over 20 hours of MHP2ndG before it got me, and after that...the rest is history.