Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Reviews
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate's accessibility and rapid early progression make it a deeply appealing Nintendo 3DS experience.
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is the pinnacle of the series thus far on the handheld platform as long as you are a fan and able to overlook the repetitive nature of the game.
In the grand scheme of things, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is still very much a Monster Hunter game. What makes it stand out are the tweaks to progression. It really is the most accessible game in the series.
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is bigger than ever, and certainly more beautiful as well. This is the best iteration of the game so far, but your mileage may vary depending on what system you are playing it on.
At the end of the day, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate doesn't reinvent the wheel. It has more content, more polish, and more of the same gameplay that people love. It isn't going to convert anyone who disliked the formula, but it might bring newcomers into the fold. The series is difficult to learn but rewarding to master. The title may stick to its guns a tad too closely, but if you like Monster Hunter or Monster Hunter-style games, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate gives you exactly what you're looking for, and it does it well.
Gone are the days of dashing in for a quick pummel, retreating, defending, counterattacking, and cycling said routine ad nauseam.
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is a culmination of the series as a whole, noting all that made past entries great, while building upon them to craft something new, cohesive, and greater than the already fantastic sum of its parts.
It's an easy entry into the series, but be warned: It's not easy in any other fashion.
[F]or those who like dungeon/raid feels, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate should scratch that itch for you. No, it's not an MMO, but it's a strong example of what MMOs that want to focus on that aspect should be doing. Being on the 3DS means the game also can function as a mobile MMO-like game; it worked well on a connection from my phone after I went over my data limit while I was in Japan, which was quite impressive. There are hours of content to explore, either alone or in groups.
This game preaches to the choir - the hunting faithful will love it, everyone else, maybe not.
Challenging, invigorating and brimming with humour, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is the best in the series - a must for fans, and the best entry point for newcomers.
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate feels right at home on the 3DS. The segmented environments are perfect for gaming on the go and the game's addictive item creation is perfect for bringing wherever your travels take you. The number of unique creatures to hunt, expansive number of items to collect and craft, and strong multiplayer experience make for a must-play experience on the 3DS.
Even though Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is available exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS, that doesn't mean it doesn't offer as expansive an experience as its previous console versions. Future New Nintendo 3DS XL owners will get the most out of this game thanks to its improved hardware and C-Stick, while current 3DS owners may want to consider an upgrade if they want to take their monster hunting serious.
Monster Hunter 4 is brilliant, being both more accessible to beginners and a more complex, exciting game for long-term fans. Some aspects, like the combat, structure and camera, ensure that it's never going to please everyone, but of all the games in the series, this is the one that comes closest. It's another corker for the 3DS games library, and the perfect way to try the noble sport of monster hunting on for size.
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate could destroy your life. If you allow it to get its hooks into you, the cycle of hunting, carving, and crafting is so intoxicating that it can genuinely generate hundreds of hours of gameplay. The addition of online multiplayer finally brings the series to handheld in a form that makes perfect sense, and Capcom have improved the game's accessibility without losing any of its quirky Japanese character. All in all, it's an essential entry for both new and returning hunters, and another vital exclusive for Nintendo's 3DS.
More accessible and more immediate than ever before, whether it's a hit or not Monster Hunter 4 is definitely the best of the series so far.
It would be easy to write off Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate as nothing more than an incremental update to an already fantastic franchise, but that would be wholly unfair to a game that makes a number of intelligent tweaks and additions to its historically solid foundation.
Monster Hunter 4 has a great game full of options, activities, and a vast world to explore and immerse yourself in living somewhere deep inside of it. And it will even show you these things. But its questionable design and control decisions suck all the fun out of it and make you feel every second of your time in the untamed wild.
If you're a Monster Hunter fan the answer is simple, buy this game - it's a significant undertaking but utterly enthralling once you're drawn in. There's a greater sense of story to make the single-player exploits a little more interesting than is typical, and online is slick and performs well; lack of voice chat is a blow, nevertheless. New weapons, locations and monsters make this a treat for fans, if still intimidating to those considering a first dip; yet if you're up for the investment in time, this is another special experience from Capcom. A true portable blockbuster.
For newcomers, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is the ideal starting place, with more accessible combat than ever, a vastly improved single-player experience, and some endlessly gentle tutorials. For veterans, the game's less difficult introduction may prove less enjoyable at the outset, but some extremely fresh evolutionary steps ensure that those feelings are fleeting at best. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is a great experience through and through – it just might take a little while to see that.