Monster Hunter: Worldfor Windows

This game delivers some incredible monster combat. There are plenty of enemies and missions, so you won’t get bored too quickly.

Enter the world of monster hunters

When you pick a weapon, you’ll have to stick to it; mastering more than one is worthy of a game all on its own.

Monster Hunter: World is an MMO-style adaptation of the popular Monster Hunter series. It adds social elements and multiplayer, as well as an impressive amount of endgame content.

Players have 13 different weapons to choose from. Each weapon has its own set of handling, abilities, and quirks. It takes a long time to get good with just one of them, so try them all out and pick the one you like the most. You’re going to want to specialize your weapon use, especially if you’re planning on joining group hunts.

The biomes in this game are incredible. Each area feels alive and responsive, and you’ll see plenty of them as you fight your targets. Monsters have the tendency to flee during fights, and you’ll need to track them down to continue the battle.

No review of MHW could avoid the most pressing subject: Palicos. These adorable cat companions follow you into battle. Luckily, they’re more than just cute kittens; they provide awesome bonuses for you and your group. You can build armor for them (which is equal parts endearing and awesome) and give them unique items that change the advantages they grant the team.

The game suffers in a few places, though. Connectivity problems plague the co-op lobbies, so playing with friends becomes tougher than it should be. The entire focus of the game is on social interaction and team battles, so this aspect should have been solved well before launch.

While the weapons were praised earlier for their uniqueness and complexity, there is a clear downside. The insect glaive, for example, requires the use of an insect to collect samples from the monster you’re fighting. The problem arises when you cannot tell which part of the body gives you which samples, so it takes too long to learn.

Lastly, some enemies, like Beteguese, just have silly response times and reactions. It feels like a race against a mirror at times, but this is par for the course for Monster Hunter.

Where can you run this program?

This game is available on Windows 7 64-bit and later.

Is there a better alternative?

No. There are few games that surpass MHW’s weapon play. There certainly aren’t any that can match the epic scenery and intense monster fights.

Our take

Monster Hunter: World is an incredible game that combines high-octane combat with a progressive crafting system and endgame content. The visuals are great, the battles are fun, and when the multiplayer works, the group hunts are intense.

Should you download it?

Yes. Even if you’re not familiar with the series, MHW has plenty of content and fun to keep you engaged for dozens of hours.