GVN Review: Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (3DS)

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
Nintendo 3DS
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Release Date: February 13, 2015




Finally, after 2 years of playing Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, Capcom has released the newest addition in the Monster Hunter franchise and that is Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (MH4U).  This edition of Monster Hunter has added many new things into the franchise, including new monsters, new weapon types, a new story, and some new controls.  All are fantastic and make the game even more enjoyable than some previous games in the series.  I have had the game since release day and have already logged in over 20 hours of game-play.  I have mainly been focusing on the single player story but was able to hop online Friday to test it out and I was extremely pleased with both the story of single player and the online multiplayer.  So without rambling on more, let's get into what you came here for and explain what is good and bad about the game.

Story: 
With each new Monster Hunter game that comes out there is a story that is associated with a village in the offline mode.  This new story on MH4U is something that has not been done before because we have a story about monsters that are acting abnormally.  This abnormality is called Frenzy and the monsters are very enraged when you fight them.  You also are in a group of people that help you through your quests by making weapons and armor, helping trade goods, and feeding you for power ups in quests.  I really like this direction that Capcom went with because in previous games these people were in one village and it was nothing new from game to game.  I think that Capcom really focused on the story this time and made a very effective one that captures the attention of every gamer that plays the game.  This is my favorite story out of every Monster Hunter game and I have played all the North American releases of Monster Hunter.  I feel that it is very compelling and makes you want to continue playing for hours.  It is an attention grabber and that is successful in my eyes for any game.

Graphics:
Let's be honest, the 3DS is not known for amazing graphics like a PS4 or an Xbox One but I must say that I was extremely impressed at how good the game looks on a handheld and first playing on a traditional 3DSXL I was not upset with how it looked.  I just received my new 3DSXL, which happens to be the Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate edition, and the new updates they have done with the new system are definitely noticeable.  I noticed that on the new 3DSXL that the colors were a lot brighter and clearer than on the previous 3DSXL I was playing on.  The brighter colors made things pop out more and grabbed my attention immediately.  I believe this helps out in a game because while hunting the monsters you also farm items and this made the farming areas easier to recognize.  Now because this is a 3D system I of course started the game with the 3D on and was impressed at how amazing it looked.  There was no discoloration or abnormal graphics when switching to the 3D and with the new 3DSXL that has an updated graphics system so that you can see the 3D while moving the system, I am sad to say that it still messes with your eyes.  You can kind of see the 3D but it does look strange until your eyes adjust.  I only play the game on 2D so that I can concentrate and I love the way the game looks.

Sound:
The music in this game makes it one of the best soundtracks I have heard in any Monster Hunter game.  There are a lot of sounds that have been in every game and they are still so much fun to hear because it makes it a Monster Hunter game.  The sound of receiving items and finishing quests feels so good to hear because it is in every game.  But they have added some new music to the game and I feel it is a great addition and makes the game so much fun to play.  I have actually found myself getting nervous during certain sounds and music playing because it is a new area in the game or a new monster I have never had a fight with in previous games.  The music and sound also draws you into the game play and makes it so much fun.

Controls:
The last item to cover is the controls of the game and they are very similar to previous Monster Hunter games from the PSP and the WiiU.  It is a lot of button smashing combinations for attacks and now with the new C-Stick on the new 3DSXL it makes camera controls easier.  If you have a circle pad pro it is the same thing as the c-stick and makes character movement and camera movement easier and can be done at the same time.  This will help since the camera once again sucks on a monster hunter game.  I became most frustrated when fighting the Najarala because he was wrapped around me and constantly moving that my camera was going crazy and I was having a bit of trouble trying to control it.  Luckily I was almost done with the fight so I was able to fix it quickly.  I have always found the camera controls to be the worst thing about Monster Hunter but everything else makes up for it.

Lastly, prepare yourself for a lot of hunting, grinding, and farming.  This game will consumer many hours of your life and you will not have even scratched the surface of the game.  There are so many quests, weapons and armors that you will have logged in hundreds of hours and realized you still have not completed everything.  When online hunt with friends and be on Skype to communicate, it will make things so much easier, trust me.  Now get out there and hunt some monsters!

+Great story
+Extensive content
+Great music and sound

-Horrible camera controls, C-stick helps out

Overall Grade: A-