Monster Hunter (PS2) - Apocalypse Tribe HQ

Monster Hunter (PS2), similar to PSO?

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Mute

Feb 6 2004, 01:00 PM

Post #1

Sunbro

Group: Paragon Caste
Posts: 753
Joined: 16-April 03
From: 'Murica
Member No.: 25

From GameStop

QUOTE

Capcom's Monster Hunter has been on our radar since the game was first revealed at Capcom's pre-E3 event last year. The unique online game casts you in the role of a prospective monster hunter out trying to make a living. We got a brief look at the game in playable form at last year's Tokyo Game Show but have finally been able to get a solid feel for what to expect from it at Capcom's recent press event.

The promising game seems like a mix of slick, original ideas along with an evolution of many of the gameplay elements introduced in Sega's Phantasy Star Online. You'll create a character that you can use in either single-player or multiplayer mode, and you can customize it by tweaking a number of features. Aside from being able to personalize your character's name, gender, face, hair style, hair color, and voice, you'll have to decide which faction your character comes from. Monster Hunter will feature several different groups, which all have unique arsenals and fighting techniques. Once you've created your virtual avatar you can choose to hop into an offline or online mode.

The game's story appears to be fairly simple and serves as more of a gateway to get you into hunting than anything else. You'll play as a young monster hunter who is looking for some prestige. Your road to notoriety will be a long one, thanks to a deliberate design that ensures you don't plow through the game. You'll have to talk to different characters and look into expeditions that will send you out into the wild world. However, the development of individual characters doesn't hinge only on clearing levels but also on the strength of the weapons and protective gear you'll possess, which will influence action and battle tactics. Weapon shops located in the neighboring towns and villages let you buy, create, or strengthen powerful weapons and armor using items collected during combat and the skin or horns acquired from monsters you've killed. The effectiveness of items will vary depending on the materials used to produce them. Capcom is stating that the variety of armaments used or obtained is almost limitless.

The core gameplay online or offline is simply to get stuff by killing things--the tried-and-true method of other action RPGs. As you collect items and check in with the local guild in the town you reside in, new expeditions of varying difficulty will open up. The collection element in the game looks pretty cool--you can collect items and use them to power up your armor or weapon. As you'd expect, such items don't grow on trees and have to be used carefully to ensure maximum gain for all your hard work. However, no matter how solid the single-player game is, the online multiplayer mode is going to be the place to be. Fellow human players help you tackle the nasty creatures in the game, and you'll also be able to trade unwanted items with them.

Controlling your character is pretty easy, especially if you've played PSO and have had to deal with centering a camera behind you fairly often during combat. The interesting addition to the mix is using the right analog stick to attack, as opposed to a face button. Directional combinations of left and right or up and down will let you perform combos that can seriously hurt your quarry. You'll have one weapon whose firepower will vary depending on what you choose to use over the course of a hunt. You'll find quite the arsenal to choose from before heading out, but you'll have to be very comfortable with your choice, since you'll be stuck with it for a while. As usual, larger weapons are deadly but slow, while smaller weapons do less damage but afford you greater attack speed. In addition to using traditional weapons such as swords, you'll be able to use guns and set traps that will come in handy for taking down the larger creatures.

The online multiplayer game in Monster Hunter is pretty standard but looks to be fun and addictive. You can participate in group sessions with up to three other players. You can either compete to see who can be the first to achieve certain goals or work as a team to take down powerful monsters and accomplish tasks. For example, you can work collectively to create traps for unsuspecting monsters or distract a monster's attention so that a party member can escape from a dragon's nest. In addition, new quests and items will be slated to follow over the course of your time with the game.

The graphics in Monster Hunter are looking sharp and are certainly atmospheric. The lush prehistoric setting has allowed for the creation of some expansive and beautiful environments that are chock-full of monsters of all shapes and sizes. You'll encounter everything from mellow herbivores to much more aggressive velociraptor-like creatures. And the poster boys for pain in the adventure appear to be massive wyverns that come in a variety of strains that are all pretty deadly.

From what we played so far, Monster Hunter is looking very promising. We noticed a few hitches to the control system that could be smoothed out, such as the camera and use of the right analog stick for attacks, but the game has a good feel to it already. Monster Hunter is currently slated to ship this fall for the PlayStation 2. Look for more on the game in the coming months.

Screenshots

This game looks pretty darn sweet. Unfortunately the release date is still TBA so it's no telling when we'll see this game. Perhaps Capcom will reveal some more on this one at E3.

Also, check out the official trailer 2. It's intense.

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PSN ID: USF_Tailgater
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Replies (1 - 14)

Riel View Member Profile	Feb 6 2004, 05:20 PM Post #2
Guardian Armor Group: Paragon Caste Posts: 689 Joined: 8-January 03 Member No.: 14	Nice!!!!!!!yes this game looks pretty good...so many potentially great games coming out this year. -------------------- ============================

Mute

Feb 24 2004, 12:41 PM

Post #3

Sunbro

Group: Paragon Caste
Posts: 753
Joined: 16-April 03
From: 'Murica
Member No.: 25

The official website has been updated. Of course, unless you know Japanese, information may be kind of hard to discern. However, by clicking around, you can actually find some nice screenshots of the game as well as some video footage.

http://www.capcom.co.jp/monsterhunter/

Someone from GameFAQs also partially translated the Q&A section:

QUOTE

Q1> Can I play single player mode offline?

A1> Yes of course. A single player mode is avaible (you need to start offline to make your character first)

Q2> What type of characters are there?

A2> (talks about the hunter class and sub-classes gunner (bowman) etc....)

Q3> How many types of weapons can you bring into battle with you?

A3> One only. (unsure if they mean only one type but many different variations or just 1 period.)

Q4> Can you chat during battle?

A4> Yes with pre-made sentences (I think) and the keyboard) (I had trouble reading this)

Q5> What are the cat characters?

A5> THere are white ones, "Ailu" and black ones "Meral" (katakana readins so I dont know in the final English version)
says they do something like that of a courier bringing the hunters to town after battle (defeat). more details later....

Q6> Can you take items you aquire offline into online network games?

A6> yes, you certainly can.

Q7> something about quests mode online.

A7> The avaibility of quests online (unsure too difficult to read for me)

Q8> Diddo.
A8>...

Q9> are there penalties for the players?

A9> If you are defeated (die) your are brought back to the closest village you came from and your money is decreased to zero. (similar to PSO)

Q10> (had trouble understanding but again something about quests)
A10> ....

Q11> How to play online (in Japan). what service to use.
A11> talks about the online service providers in japan. (for most readers I dont think this concerns you so I want bother translating it.

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PSN ID: USF_Tailgater
Xbox Live: USF Tailgater

DarkEpyon View Member Profile	Feb 24 2004, 10:54 PM Post #4
Revolution to the Destruction Group: Paragon Caste Posts: 2007 Joined: 14-March 03 From: The Black Spiral Member No.: 21	This one looks like it could be good. -------------------- "Computers are incredibly fast, accurate and stupid. Human beings are incredibly slow, inaccurate and brilliant. Together they are powerful beyond imagination." -Albert Einstein

Dive View Member Profile	May 18 2004, 02:57 AM Post #5
Apocalypse Tribe Radio Group: Dark Templar Posts: 1824 Joined: 10-December 02 Member No.: 1	I am bumping this because I saw some footage from E3 about this game, and I think it looks badass. Here is some of the character art from the official site. I want this game.

unitself View Member Profile	May 18 2004, 08:42 AM Post #6
green and square Group: Paragon Caste Posts: 897 Joined: 19-June 03 From: Austin, TX Member No.: 49	I read about this one in the latest GMR magazine (i think it was GMR). It sounds very similar to PSO and the article even says it also. The said that the game style is pretty much the same except it's more 'dinosaurs and ancient' not 'mutants and lasers'. Screenshots are very very cool, aren't they? Check out that crazy ass jawbone broadsword that guy is swinging! Damn! Now that's just plain cool. --------------------

rikku View Member Profile	May 18 2004, 12:08 PM Post #7
Armor Group: Associates Posts: 46 Joined: 12-October 03 Member No.: 68	This game is definitily one I'll be keeping my eye on, and like everyone else has basically said, it looks very similar too PSO. I saw a release date for it at ebgames.com for the end of Aug. I have no idea though if that's accurate, probably not. Looks like I will be bringing my PS2 online. I wonder if they'll start shipping the HDD seperate now, or pack it with this game too, like they did FFXI, or both? All I know is I better start saving money now. -------------------- <center> </center>

Retehi View Member Profile	May 18 2004, 01:01 PM Post #8
Show-off Group: Arbiter Caste Posts: 853 Joined: 23-December 02 From: Sin City Member No.: 10	Drinking contests. Doesn't look like much of a contest if both people get smashed so easy though. --------------------

donkeybeatz View Member Profile	May 18 2004, 01:14 PM Post #9
McDonald's! Group: Magister Posts: 1359 Joined: 2-May 03 From: New Orleans, LA Member No.: 32	HAHAHA omg get drunk! Virtual style! --d-_-b --------------------

Crushinator

May 18 2004, 04:36 PM

Post #10

Holding these random memories

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Joined: 14-December 02
From: Utah
Member No.: 8

QUOTE (Dive @ May 18 2004, 02:57 AM)

Man I want this bigass weapon! Totally Crushinating style!

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Steam: MrCrushin PSN : MrCrushin XBL: Mr Crushin
I'm not a playa I just crush a lot.

donkeybeatz View Member Profile	Aug 21 2004, 09:39 PM Post #11
McDonald's! Group: Magister Posts: 1359 Joined: 2-May 03 From: New Orleans, LA Member No.: 32	SUPER BUMP!! OK guys this game is coming out next month (September 21st). I'll definitely check this game out. Anyone coming?? Oh right this reminds me. I need to go out and buy the network adapter =T --------------------

Knightsword View Member Profile	Aug 21 2004, 09:44 PM Post #12
Mistress of Red Magic Group: Arbiter Caste Posts: 1466 Joined: 24-June 03 From: Minneapolis, MN Member No.: 53	And if ya don't know its Broadband only.... CURSE YOU SONY!! waita minute, you say 9/21? what an asinine way to fuck over Square-Enix (Chains of Promathia is released that day)

Dorian View Member Profile	Aug 21 2004, 10:10 PM Post #13
Local 804 Group: Associates Posts: 737 Joined: 7-October 03 From: Brooklyn Member No.: 66	Looks like an awesome get together game, just for some AT slashing and bashing.

Dive View Member Profile	Aug 21 2004, 10:43 PM Post #14
Apocalypse Tribe Radio Group: Dark Templar Posts: 1824 Joined: 10-December 02 Member No.: 1	I will be getting this game for sure. This game just has a cool factor that can't be beat. Check out the Capcom Monster Hunter site. It's a really neat Flash based site with lots of info and a character armor previewer. Great review of the import

Crushinator

Aug 22 2004, 05:41 AM

Post #15

Holding these random memories

Group: Magister
Posts: 3466
Joined: 14-December 02
From: Utah
Member No.: 8

QUOTE (Knightsword @ Aug 21 2004, 09:44 PM)

And if ya don't know its Broadband only....

CURSE YOU SONY!!

waita minute, you say 9/21? what an asinine way to fuck over Square-Enix (Chains of Promathia is released that day)

I'm pretty sure Chains will sell more copies than Monster Hunter, don't worry ;p

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Steam: MrCrushin PSN : MrCrushin XBL: Mr Crushin
I'm not a playa I just crush a lot.

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