10 Things We Know About Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate

I reached an epiphany after playing Capcom's upcoming Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate at New York Comic Con: this might be the one.

See, I always appreciated Monster Hunter for its deep mechanics, even if the learning curve was a little steep. My lingering issue was that I had no nearby friends interested in joining me. Sure, Monster Hunter Tri and its Wii U upgrade had an online mode, but the Wii U's limited appeal in early 2013 served as a major roadblock in terms of finding people that actually played it. Thankfully, the newest 3DS iteration will boast a full online multiplayer mode, so all of those cold, lonely nights spent playing Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate alone will become a thing of the past.

But that’s enough about me. Here are ten things you should know about Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate before it charges into North American retailers in early 2015.

 

1. There's more of a story this time around.

The Monster Hunter games have always been more about the experience than the story. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate looks to try to make the story a little more than “here are some monsters. Hunt them.”

The player's custom hunter works for a traveling caravan that moves from camp to camp, assisting locals with what they do best: monster extermination. The caravan is also chasing after the Gore Magala, an unknown dragon creature that infects hunters and monsters alike with a mysterious toxic substance called the Frenzy Virus. 

The virus works as both a plot device and a gameplay mechanic, afflicting hunters with debuffs and causing slain monsters to reanimate into more aggressive beings. Think of it as Monster Hunter’s own T-Virus.

2. Co-op is the way to go.

I've played Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate in both solo and co-op modes, and I think the latter is ultimately more enjoyable.

Of course, battling an enormous creature one-on-one can be exciting for some, but there's something more thrilling about banding together to take down a merciless, hulking behemoth. Everything from coordinating traps to collectively walloping on a stunned Daimyo Hermitaur created this very satisfying feeling of camaraderie with fellow players.

That camaraderie manifested itself at New York Comic Con. High fives were had among my teammates after we took the monster down within the allotted 15-minute time limit.

3. The online mode will be lobby-based.

A first in the series' portable history, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is fully playable online, so one can freely tackle quests with other players.

A Capcom representative explained to me that the online mode will allow players to search for specific criteria, like quest level and monster type, which will then produce a list of available game lobbies to join.

4. The 3D effect makes it look prettier.

I noticed that enabling 3D brightened up the visuals and made the jagged edges of the game's models look much smoother.

With many claiming that the 3D effect on the New Nintendo 3DS is a marked improvement over its predecessors, it’d be a shame if Nintendo and Capcom didn’t coordinate Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate’s release around the same time as the revamped handheld.

5. The menu and controls are largely unchanged from Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate.

If you’ve spent an ample amount of time with the 3DS version of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, you’ll feel right at home with this game.

You’ll still be controlling the camera with the D-pad, and the game’s targeting is limited to tagging the main boss of an area. I still found myself pressing ‘L’ often to center my view on a targeted monster to minimize missing with my swings.

That's not to say everything remains unchanged. There's an increased focus on verticality, allowing hunters to climb up higher places more efficiently. One can also leap off a ledge to jump onto a monster's back, which initiates a sort of tug-of-war between the player and the monster. Winning in this struggle means temporarily stunning the monster, resulting in the opportunity to score some free hits.

6. Blades can morph into axes.

The game will introduce two new weapons: the Insect Glaive and Charge Blade.

The Insect Glaive lets players polevault and shoot out a flying bug that can attack and suck up an enemy’s energy. The Charge Blade, my personal favorite, allows you to build up energy within your weapon by attacking. Once charged up, the blade turns into an axe that one can wildly swing about with reckless abandon. Using it was easily the most empowering moment I experienced in the demo.

7. There will be some familiar faces.

Longtime fans will be happy to know that Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate will feature a few returning monsters from previous generations of the series. This includes Monster Hunter 2’s Kushala Daora, Teostra, Monster Hunter Portable 3^rd’s Zinogre and the original Monster Hunter’s Kirin.

A few foes from Monster Hunter 3 are also expected to make a return, with some new moves and minor enhancements.

8. Tigerstripe Zantrios is a jerk.

This incredibly aggressive monster gave my team a tough time. Think of it as a four-legged cross between a horned dinosaur and an amphibian creature. Its tricks include spitting globs of paralyzing goo and firing a rapid stream of water right from its kisser. When not in its four-legged stance, it can inflate itself at any point and begin rolling over and pouncing on top of everyone in its path.

Even with 15 minutes on the clock and a group of four people, I was unable to beat this punk. I'll at least give credit to its inventive design.

9. Underwater battles are a thing of the past.

Did anybody actually enjoy this facet of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate?

10. Free Nintendo-themed DLC? Count me in.

Capcom has recently revealed a bunch of Nintendo-themed DLC for the game that will be made available sometime after the game’s release. And it thankfully won’t cost you a single zenny.

This DLC includes a Ridley boss fight and costumes that will make your character look just like Samus Aran, Zero Suit Samus or Link. As previously reported, players can also dress their custom Palico felyne companion in adorable Mega Man and Sonic the Hedgehog garb.