With Monster Hunter World Iceborne less than two months away from launch, any bit of news we get about the expansion is good news.
And quite a lot has come out in the form of a big trailer from the developers.
The showcase tells us a lot of new information in a small amount of time, and that Capcom has apparently been listening to the grievance the fanbase has voiced. One of the biggest is the way the Gathering Hub now works.
Before, getting there was a bit of a chore, and an annoyance during Kulve Taroth hunts, where you were likely to stick around back to back during quests to break the horns. Meaning any bounties you completed or anything grown in the Botanical Research Center would have to wait until a break period before you could collect.
A massive quality of life change the update is bringing is the integration of both of those stations into the new bigger, grander, hot spring-toting Gathering Hub.
Besides looking gorgeous aesthetically, you’ll likely be spending much of your time there thanks to everything being added. The devs wanted to promote more multiplayer interaction and socialization, and it seems like they’re pulling out all the stops to make it happen in Iceborne.
And for those who get new weapons from the Kulve Taroth hunts or see someone sporting an equipment set you want to craft, rejoice! Because the workshop is being integrated into the hub as well, something fans have been clamoring for since the game’s first month.
Your room is getting an update as well. You’ll be able to customize it a la Sims with objects you can create via completing optional quests and making deliveries.
Players will have a choice between wood and stone, for either that rustic or medieval feel, as well as change the wallpaper and furniture patterns. Players will also be able to invite others to their rooms, but the feature won’t be available until post-launch.
Now, the monsters, the meat of the game. We were already shown the return of old favorites like Nargacuga and Tigrex in addition to new ones like Banbaro and Velkhana, but the trailer also showed us a new spin on some old faces.
First is the Fulgar Anjanath. Many remember Anjanath as being the first ‘wall’ for new players, with its hard-hitting attacks, aggressive movements, fire breath, and monstrous HP.
Now it’s back, with a blitzing vengeance. Able to store electricity to charge itself, it becomes stronger, faster, and now has the addition of tacking on Thunderblight to a Hunter, making them easier to get stunned.
Also joining the fray is Ebony Odogaron. They say black is slimming, and that’s what’ll happen to your HP if you’re not able to keep up with this version of the fanbase’s favorite doggo. Sporting the Dragon element, it moves faster, hits harder, sometimes shooting out blasts of dragon energy during combos, and is MUCH more evasive.
Get hit by that dragon power and you’ll be afflicted with Dragonblight, meaning whatever element you have is void. Better bring along some Nulberries!
Another nice quality of life change is the difficulty scaling. For those of you not familiar with the game or how it works, allow me to explain. A monster’s health changes based on whether or not you’re in multiplayer.
In solo play, it’ll have a relatively small amount. In multiplayer, it’ll have more, obviously to accommodate the amount of people after its hide (and claws fangs and wings and everything else). The thing was, whether it was two, three, or four players, the HP scaling of the monster would remain the same.
Depending on how effective the Hunters participating in the quest were, it could mean a relatively short hunt, or much longer one.
That changes! Because now there’s a third difficulty level! Solo, two player, and three-to-four player! Meaning now your Palicoes will be that much more effective in a hunt, and those two-person hunts will provide a bit less headache while keeping up a sensible degree of challenge.
As of now, the full numbers in regards to the scaling is unknown, but no doubt the fanbase, in-depth as they are, will have those numbers out soon after launch.
And bonus! Before, in a hunt, if you were with another person and they had to leave for whatever reason, a disconnect or they’re just a leaver, the difficulty would remain the same, and you’d be fighting a monster with increased HP alone.
But now the difficulty will scale back accordingly, earning a sigh of relief from many a player.
We’re seeing a lot of new changes with the game, and no doubt there’s more to come. Monster Hunter World Iceborne drops September 6, 2019 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, with PC getting a winter release date. Until next time, stay and play savvy, gamers.
