Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Review In Progress – A Glimpse Of Wounds On The Ice



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Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is a bit of the same thing, a glorious task for all those who have already been shot down by a breathable facsimile of the Tyrannosaurus Rex and who thought: "I can not wait to do it 50 times." The franchise has always rewarded those who are ready to race, and Iceborne is no exception. He adds more of what sets the basic game apart from his predecessors without feeling overloaded, even though his story might have used a little more work.

Monster Hunter World was a refined exercise when it was released in early 2018. Not only was it able to simplify a growing quest system throughout the franchise, but it was also very successful in creating an open world ecosystem, filled with doing and the colossal monsters who want to chase you. Even better, these changes have never been changed: the new mission and the upgrade systems introduced were relatively simple to understand, while leaving room for experienced hunters.

Screen capture provided by Capcom
Screen capture provided by Capcom

Since the launch of the game, the content of the downloadable content has been regularly filtered in the form of events at stake. Many of them follow the formula of transplanting something formidable into an already familiar environment: the Witcher crossover 3 saw a Leshenn occupy an important place in the old forest, and the Final Fantasy XIV collaboration made you run to the shelter when Behemoth raised his head. The design philosophy of Monster Hunter World: Iceborne adopts a similar approach for implementing this type of content, but on a larger scale. He uses touchstones as legendary foes and familiar places to build on the strong base game ecosystem to provide an experience that will test your mettle without breaking you down.

Iceborne is building on existing foundations. This is most apparent from the storytelling that followed the basic game's single-player campaign. Monster Hunter World was known to have introduced a clear, story-based incentive to tackle the biggest and the most evil beasts. Iceborne takes a step forward slightly by spinning a story that does not revolve around you, but your manager.

Shortly after the success of the basic game Elder Dragon, a mass migration event undermines the Astera ecosystem being restored and encourages you to investigate. What comes next is a story of family legacies, mysterious scales and your Handler embarking on a personal quest. Moving from the main character to the main character is a bold character. Despite all the help that the Handler brings to Monster Hunter World, it remains fundamentally a living and lively quest chart. Monster Hunter World players will certainly be attached to it during their journey, but is this attachment deep enough to support the narrative claim of complete expansion? Not enough.

Screen capture provided by Capcom
Screen capture provided by Capcom

As soon as you are introduced to the latest set of curves on Iceborne's iconic new location, Hoarfrost Reach, and on how that fits easily into the past of your Handler, you are immediately brought back on lands and territories of the base game to eliminate a few. monsters that have become too big for their boots. A narrative boost is not entirely narrative, but it certainly is not as convincing as it would have been if we had followed the Handler in the first leg of his journey to the new Iceborne lands.

That said, revisiting these familiar places early to remove the new, improved versions of killer dinosaurs you've encountered before is one of the most fascinating aspects of Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. As in the case of the DLC strategy, the building blocks of the expansion are imbued with elements that existing players already know. You'll be munching on monsters like the Nightshade Paolumu – a variant of the oversized flying squirrel encountered early in the base game, albeit this time with the deadly ability to put unsuspecting hunters to sleep. The expansion will probably not open until you have also defeated the Viper Tobi-Kadachi – an enhanced version of his cousin from the old forest, but with poisoned projectiles and a bite much more dangerous than his breath.

The changes made by Iceborne in the form of these breed variants have a double effect: first, they motivate you to create new strategies to slice and dice their way to the next scenario. Secondly, they are sufficiently distinct in terms of additional attack patterns and elementary considerations that you never really feel like you are just fighting an aspect of something you made in flour 80 hours ago. It's like there had been a concerted effort to balance the difficulty of what many fans might rightly regard as the second coming of the coveted 'G-Rank' in this latest version of Monster Hunter.

Screen capture provided by Capcom
Screen capture provided by Capcom

Despite some efforts to iterate existing systems, some of the innovations introduced in Iceborne really differentiate it from its predecessor. The new monsters and the implementation of Legacy series favorites like Nargacuga are impressive thanks to the new ways monsters can interact with other beasts and in different places. But more importantly, there is a library of new weapon movements that you can take advantage of.

Charge Ax users can now take part in a particularly fun multidirectional attack when they are caught off guard. Gunlance users do not have to worry about running out of ammo before they can use their new, literally explosive signature. Horn Hunter users have also had the opportunity to repair the damage, with the addition of a new move that allows you to stick your horn in the ground and spin it like some mad Beyblade to catch everything that take care of you. These are just a few recent examples, but overall, these additions seem to be inspired by the precepts of style and lethality.

However, the most important addition to quality of life has been the so-called clutch claw – each hunter can use it with his main weapon to attack his enemy and, depending on equipment equipped another sharp object, do something different. wyvern in a rock wall to weaken a specific part of his body that needs to be cut.

Screen capture provided by Capcom
Screen capture provided by Capcom

The use of the clutch claw is not mandatory. It is part of this beautiful niche where you can make your hunt a little easier or more exhilarating in turn. But you do not have to use it to feel that you get what you pay for if, for example, you are a veteran player trying to create your own version of the Nuzlocke rules, but with objects. However, having the opportunity and opportunity to straighten a monster's flank after taking off a learned shot with Clutch Claw is ridiculously satisfying, as is driving a beast to its ruin in the many treacherous traps that dotting the newest, snow covered area of ​​Hoarfrost Reach.

This new icy landscape is beautiful and perfidious in equal measure. With new enemies, more verticality than the Coral Highlands and a frozen ground that can crack and plunge you into death, it's really a sight to behold. More than ever, you have the impression that the environment can turn against you; some monsters will uproot trees and throw them away, while a false move on cracked ice can lead to certain death.

However, to this extent, there are also more opportunities to jump on your enemies, especially with the claw claw that gives you the opportunity to lead them into vine traps, blinding light, etc. Having a good understanding of each element of the map is essential to mastering what Iceborne needs to do. It's incredibly satisfying to see everything that slams and you go from hunted to hunter leading prey to a painful trap on the scales.

Screen capture provided by Capcom
Screen capture provided by Capcom

Being dropped into this complex design location as a relatively new player can be overwhelming, but regardless of your level of experience, join other hunters and make their way through these lairs of icy beasts. together is incredibly rewarding in its own way. Iceborne has benefited from the improvements made to the match since the release of the base game, which allowed him to find relatively transparent hunting companions – no need to play with PlayStation parties or friend lists – and to surrender. in a party to help friends face these fearsome monsters is easy.

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is at its best when you fight against something that, you know, may crash in a second, although it may seem like it was done at the expense of a bigger story. interesting. Nothing is as good as the bitter cold that cuts you the furs of your armor, the sharp cry of your Palico that helps you, and the wind that rumbled in your ears when you catch the side of a beast and you climb the bucks and roar.

This expansion is in the grip of such moments; All the adjustments and improvements made give the impression of having been made with the excellent basic elements of Monster Hunter World, which means that it is faster and more satisfying than ever to move on to l & # 39; action. There are more novelties with the new systems, nor to wrinkle the feathers of hardcore fans with a change of direction in the series; these youth problems have already come and gone. Iceborne is a confident step in the future of the franchise and it's hard not to think about what might be next.

[Editor’s note: This review will be finalized once we’ve had a chance to experience the performance of servers once the game launches to the wider public.]

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