We store cookies, you can get more info from our privacy policy.
3DS

Japan

TGS 2015 - Monster Hunter X (3DS) Hands-on

by Danny Bivens - September 19, 2015, 11:08 pm EDT
Discuss in talkback!

The king of TGS makes its return. Again.

Monster Hunter has been a staple of the Tokyo Game Show for years. Capcom always puts together an extremely elaborate booth that is permeated with all things Monster Hunter. This year, although there were nearly half a dozen Monster Hunter titles at the show, Monster Hunter X (cross) was THE Monster Hunter game that Capcom wanted people to play at TGS. Luckily, I had a chance to get into the booth and try it out.

For my demo at the show, I decided to try out the solo mission as I didn’t have any friends with me at the booth. After starting up the demo and selecting my hunter class, you are then prompted to choose one of X’s new hunting styles, a feature that is new in this iteration. Guild Style is a balanced basic hunting style that is plays pretty similarly to previous games in the series. The Striker Style is more attack heavy and was recommended to me by the staff as it is one of the easier styles to play. Aerial Style does just as the name implies. It allows for more aerial based attacks using the monster as a vaulting point to come crashing back down to deliver blows. The most difficult, pro-level style is the Bushido Style. Bushido is all about evasion and counter attacks. It also proves the most risky, as one mistimed evasion or counter can have a monster knock you down quickly.

After first starting off with a mid-tier level monster and getting wrecked as a Dual Wielder with the Striker Style, I decided to go down and face Dosumakkao, a raptor-like enemy that was the easiest monster available in the demo (point and laugh, it’s okay!). After tracking him down, for the first time ever, I found myself actually doing some serious damage to a creature in the series! Sure, as with all Monster Hunter games, it’s all about being patient and waiting for the right opportunities to attack, however, the Striker Style seemed to make it easier to time and execute attacks.

Visually, X looks almost the same as Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. One thing that Capcom did this time around was, however, was making the environments (at least for the demo) more interesting than what I’ve seen in previous demos. As I was making my way to track down the monster, I noticed an abandoned ramshackle hut in the middle of the what would usually be filled with vegetation. It was a nice little touch and made it seem as if the monsters in the area made it too dangerous for people to actually inhabit the location.

Not being a Monster Hunter expert, the changes in X from 4 Ultimate seem trivial on the surface, however, the nuanced differences between the hunting styles can really change how you approach taking down monsters. It was even a bit easier for a complete novice like me to feel like I was better at playing the game thanks to the new hunting styles. Gamers in Japan don’t have to wait much longer for the retail release of Monster Hunter X on November 28 while gamers in the West will have to wait a little while. To see more about the game, be sure to check out the promotional video below!

Share + Bookmark





Monster Hunter Generations Box Art

Genre Action
Developer Capcom
Players1 - 4
Online1 - 4

Worldwide Releases

na: Monster Hunter Generations
Release Jul 15, 2016
PublisherCapcom
RatingTeen
jpn: Monster Hunter X
Release Nov 28, 2015
PublisherCapcom
Rating15+
eu: Monster Hunter Generations
Release Jul 15, 2016
PublisherNintendo
Rating12+
aus: Monster Hunter Generations
Release Jul 16, 2016
PublisherNintendo
RatingMature
Got a news tip? Send it in!
Advertisement
Advertisement