Monster Hunter. Two words that evoke fear into the hearts of many people. Some compare the difficulty to Dark Souls, some say it’s not that intimidating, the hardcore fans are in love with it, and newbies get scared by it. The franchise that has never been easy to get into, until now with the upcoming release of Monster Hunter: World on consoles.
For the first time in forever, Capcom is making an entry in the MH series that is pretty accessible for newcomers while also appealing to long-time fans of the action-RPG franchise. If this is your first foray into the Monster Hunter series, then we have something truly special and helpful for you. We have come up with twelve tips that every Monster Hunter newcomer should know before diving in head first. These tips aren’t just for Monster Hunter: World specifically, but for the entirety of the franchise – basic tips to get you started.
We only hope that this list can make your jump into the franchise a little bit easier, and if you’re still intimidated even after going through these tips, then maybe the series isn’t for you, but we only hope that that is not the case.
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GET READY FOR SOME HEAVY DUTY COMMITMENT
Fear not, new Monster Hunters! This is not meant to scare you away in any way, shape, or form, but do be warned: learning the ins and outs of how Monster Hunter plays will take many gameplay hours. If it sounds intense, that's because it is; getting good at Monster Hunter is no joke. You'll find yourself hunting the same monster for hours upon hours, just to try and obtain one rare item that only makes up part of a new armor set. Be ready for that.
LEARN THE MAPS
There are a variety of maps to explore in the world of Monster Hunter. Each map contains different kinds of monsters, bugs, metals, plants, animals, and even weather effects. By memorizing all of the areas of each map, you'll have a deeper understanding on where to find certain materials.
STUDY THE MOVEMENTS OF THE MONSTERS
You'll learn after your first time how terrible it feels to be the first hunter to die in a monster-hunting quest. Not only does the team lose some of the quest reward money, but they have one less life now - all because of you. Learning how monsters move and attack will help you greatly when it comes to avoiding big moves at the right time. Learn when to attack, when to avoid, and when to just back off to let the monster do its thing - your party members will love you for it; just don't dive in headfirst!
LEARN WHEN IT'S OKAY TO CAPTURE A MONSTER
Some of the quests in Monster Hunter will task you with hunting a monster, which means that you can either kill it or capture it to successfully complete the mission. But some quests are a bit more challenging, and will task you to capture a specific monster, meaning that if you kill the monster by accident, the quest is deemed a failure. To capture a monster, you have to use a shock trap or a pitfall to stun it, and then throw tranquilizers at it to finish it off. The hard part is that this won't work if done too early, so you make sure to do it at just the right moment. You have to watch the behavior of the monsters in order to know when it's time: some will start to limp, some will start to drool and/or breathe heavily, and some will start falling over more often. By studying and learning the monsters habits, you're sure to be the best monster catcher there ever was.
DO NOT START A QUEST WITHOUT BEING PREPARED
If you go headfirst into a dangerous quest without having the proper equipment, weapons, and items, then you're just asking for trouble. Before you start a quest, make sure you know what map you will be heading to first of all. Some maps have extreme weather conditions that require you to use hot drinks and cool drinks, used to keep you safe if you're in a desert area or in a freezing tundra. We also recommend for you to always have backup potions, rations, whetstones, ammo (if you use a gun), and monster-catching materials like shock traps and tranquilizers. You have limited space in your inventory, so shop wisely and carry what you think you might end up needing.
UPGRADE, UPGRADE, AND UPGRADE SOME MORE
Monster Hunter is all about killing/capturing monsters, obtaining rare materials, upgrading your equipment, and rinse and repeat. Just make sure to hunt the monsters that you need to hunt for that next weapon; you don't want to waste any time with quests that aren't benefiting you, unless you want to help out a friend of course, then that's perfectly fine.
PLEASE DON'T BE THAT GUY THAT HITS OTHER PEOPLE
This one is pretty self-explanatory. There are some huge, heavy weapons in this game that can be quite powerful but they must be used carefully. Please, do not swing that thing around when all three of your party members are around you. Plan accordingly so that your team isn't flying high up in the air thanks to your stupidly strong upward swing with that great sword of yours.
COMBINE ITEMS WHEN YOU CAN
Most items can be created by combining two other items together by using recipes. You can save yourself tons of money and time by always combining lesser items and turning them into something worth having out on the field. Before making big purchases, always make sure that you don't already own the necessary materials - you might be able to just make that item yourself.
COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR COMRADES
If you aren't using a headset to talk with your fellow hunters, then you can always use the pre-set texts to communicate and to tell your partners what's going on. If you find the quest monster, let them know. If you need health, let them know. Your comrades are there for you - you're all in this together - and if you need anything at all, most people will comply and be nothing but helpful.
EAT A HEARTY MEAL BEFORE YOU HEAD OUT
Before you head out on a quest, you have the chance to eat a hearty meal that can give you loads of stat boosts. Depending on the mix of foods that you decide to chow down on, you can go into quests with extra health, bonus stamina, increased attack, and much much more. Don't skip meals in Monster Hunter, it's very important for your health and well-being.
READ THE QUEST REQUIREMENT SO YOU DON'T WASTE PRECIOUS TIME
Make sure you know what you're getting yourself into. Most big quests will give you about 50 minutes to capture or kill a monster (sometimes two), so make sure that you don't waste time by accidentally killing a monster or by doing something that's not very useful for the quest.
HAVE FUN
Once you get past the initial hurdles of jumping into the beast of a game that is Monster Hunter, get ready for hours and hours of pure, unadulterated fun. Taking down a huge monster and grinding for that rare loot with your closest buddies is probably one of the most rewarding feelings ever in a video game. Monster Hunter may ask a lot from you, but believe us, the end result is so worth it. The Monster Hunter community is one of the best communities that you'll ever play online with; somebody is always willing to help newbies and show them the ropes. Have fun and don't be too intimidated by the monsters - with some practice and great hunting skills, the monsters will soon be scared of you instead of vice versa.
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