If there is one lesson that AAA publishers do not understand is that if you are going to make a game and not bring it to PC an indie studio will. Monster Hunter world is going to grace our presence eventually but there isn't too much in that type of gameplay on PC now. Phoenix Labs have filled in that hole with Dauntless.
The Experience:
To be fair I have actually never played a Monster Hunter game. I have just watched the streams of it being played. Dauntless is a different game in its own right but this is going to be a driving comparison. Keep in mind this game is still in early access and the devs do nothing to hide its early state.
The game starts you off with a tutorial where you fight a beast by yourself. The creature isn't too tough; it's obviously designed to get you use to the controls. I found the character movement isn't that fast. The speed is comparable to something like a Dark Souls. You have a heavy hit, a light hit, and dodge. Each weapon has a special attack that you will use with your Q. I grew to like the staff and its Q is a charged gun. It was pretty rewarding to shoot off unless you miss, then its embarrassing.
The opening fight is easy and mechanics simple but I expect nothing less from the tutorial. After you kill the beat you are brought to the town, which is the main hub, where you are taught how to upgrade weapons and gear, find quests, and go on hunts. The game is pretty simple in that respect and it's really easy to figure out what is going on. I found the vendor UI a bit bulky and it isn't that stylized but it works for what it is.
Your character has a loadout which consists of items you use in combat and the gear that you wear. You can customize your weapon and the banner that will represent you. This is where you see how this game intends to make money.
Right now the game is in closed beta and you need to pay to get in but it's looking like the game will go free to play at some point. This means microtransactions. It has a premium silver currency that is pretty expensive. To buy a color set you have to spend $15 to get enough currency. There are XP boosts you can buy as well as potions that are more effective in battle and once again they seem a bit pricey to me for what they are. I don't see items that are obvious pay to win and I did not see an artificial gate so my hope is they are copying the Warframe or Path of Exile model where they build a game people don't mind spending money on.
After figuring out the basics I went to the board where you can create a group for the hunts. After a small amount of time, my team was made and headed to our target. Each place you go is a little island where a strong enemy is wandering. The island contains a lot of flora and fauna you can loot as you look for your target, which I assume is for some crafting later in the game.(I assumed correctly) When you find your target you are able to send a flair to get your allies attention and show your location. Then the fun begins.
These fights are your team vs an AI monster. Each monster has a unique move set and fighting style that you will need to learn. They will give off some tell before they do a move giving you plenty of time to dodge before they do them. Enemies will run away after a certain amount of time and you will have to chase them but for the most part, it's a hack and slash fight to bring it down. The combat with more people makes it interesting. Once the monster goes down the team get their loot and you are given medals based on your performance and contributions.
For the first hour, the game was pretty fun. It was also bug-free. My biggest fear is the game getting repetitive but I assume this is curbed by having a large variation on the type of monster you fight. There was a hint of it with a giant lizard that shot fire out. There were several times he dropped some fire puddles around him that would light you on fire; these puddles require you to focus on where you stand. Mechanics like that keep the game interesting but it will need a lot of them if it is to be successful. So far I am interested in what this game might turn into and I see myself checking in from time to time to play a few rounds.
( Protip from after a few hours: Get past level 5 and try the harder monsters before you call it quits.)
The game starts you off with a tutorial where you fight a beast by yourself. The creature isn't too tough; it's obviously designed to get you use to the controls. I found the character movement isn't that fast. The speed is comparable to something like a Dark Souls. You have a heavy hit, a light hit, and dodge. Each weapon has a special attack that you will use with your Q. I grew to like the staff and its Q is a charged gun. It was pretty rewarding to shoot off unless you miss, then its embarrassing.
The opening fight is easy and mechanics simple but I expect nothing less from the tutorial. After you kill the beat you are brought to the town, which is the main hub, where you are taught how to upgrade weapons and gear, find quests, and go on hunts. The game is pretty simple in that respect and it's really easy to figure out what is going on. I found the vendor UI a bit bulky and it isn't that stylized but it works for what it is.
Your character has a loadout which consists of items you use in combat and the gear that you wear. You can customize your weapon and the banner that will represent you. This is where you see how this game intends to make money.
Right now the game is in closed beta and you need to pay to get in but it's looking like the game will go free to play at some point. This means microtransactions. It has a premium silver currency that is pretty expensive. To buy a color set you have to spend $15 to get enough currency. There are XP boosts you can buy as well as potions that are more effective in battle and once again they seem a bit pricey to me for what they are. I don't see items that are obvious pay to win and I did not see an artificial gate so my hope is they are copying the Warframe or Path of Exile model where they build a game people don't mind spending money on.
After figuring out the basics I went to the board where you can create a group for the hunts. After a small amount of time, my team was made and headed to our target. Each place you go is a little island where a strong enemy is wandering. The island contains a lot of flora and fauna you can loot as you look for your target, which I assume is for some crafting later in the game.(I assumed correctly) When you find your target you are able to send a flair to get your allies attention and show your location. Then the fun begins.
These fights are your team vs an AI monster. Each monster has a unique move set and fighting style that you will need to learn. They will give off some tell before they do a move giving you plenty of time to dodge before they do them. Enemies will run away after a certain amount of time and you will have to chase them but for the most part, it's a hack and slash fight to bring it down. The combat with more people makes it interesting. Once the monster goes down the team get their loot and you are given medals based on your performance and contributions.
For the first hour, the game was pretty fun. It was also bug-free. My biggest fear is the game getting repetitive but I assume this is curbed by having a large variation on the type of monster you fight. There was a hint of it with a giant lizard that shot fire out. There were several times he dropped some fire puddles around him that would light you on fire; these puddles require you to focus on where you stand. Mechanics like that keep the game interesting but it will need a lot of them if it is to be successful. So far I am interested in what this game might turn into and I see myself checking in from time to time to play a few rounds.
( Protip from after a few hours: Get past level 5 and try the harder monsters before you call it quits.)
TL;DR:
My first hour was pretty entertaining. The game feels tight and the graphics are decent. I could see the gameplay getting repetitive but it seems to have potential.
Comments
Post a Comment