The Map Is Insane
Capcom’s reveal trailer back at E3 gave us our first taste of the sense of scale, but Monster Hunter: World truly is on a whole other level from its predecessors. With the removal of loading screens, the maps in Monster Hunter: World feel like a series of small interconnected locations with plenty of verticality.
The Ancient Forest is filled with trees and jungle trappings, but it doesn’t have a shortage of beautiful coastal beaches and wide open areas either. Swinging around the area on vines is a true pleasure, and just moving around the map is fun because it feels like there aren’t any limits to exploration. There’s something to look at in every nook and cranny, and using the environment to take out your mark is extremely satisfying. There’s nothing like knocking down a tree and trapping a monster under some vines to secure a kill or capture.
While the beta quests do limit your exploration time to just 15 or 20 minutes, you’ll have a lot more freedom in the final game itself.