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PSP | RPG | Monster Hunter Freedom 2

Boxart for Monster Hunter Freedom 2
Monster Hunter Freedom 2 14 screen shots
  • GRAPHICS: 4.50
  • SOUND: 4.00
  • CONTROL: 2.50
  • FUN FACTOR 4.00
  • AVG USER SCORE 4.3
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 4.0

Review: Monster Hunter Freedom 2

Review by Spenser Hall | 08/29/2007 | 15:41:26 PM PST

The Monster Hunter series has yet to really catch on in America. In Japan its various iterations have sold millions of copies, yet the same games are barely a blip on the edges of American gamers' radar.

The game's trademark is a brutal learning curve, which scares away prospective newcomers and is worn as a badge of honor by loyal fans. The bad news for those new to the world of Monster Hunter or those who were scared away by a previous title is that Capcom has stayed true to this series' hardcore roots.

The Most Dangerous Game

Monster Hunter Freedom 2's set up is that of a fairly standard action RPG: you fight monsters from a 3rd-person perspective in lavishly detailed 3D environments ranging from jungles to snowy mountain tops. There has been impressive attention to detail paid to the monster and character models, and the fluid attack animations are likewise stunning.

The not-so-standard elements here are the controls: namely the archaic combat and camera controls. The camera remains fixed unless you reset it behind your character with the L button or rotate it with the D-Pad, frequently leaving you in situations where you are blind sided by the game's many formidable monsters as you fiddle with the camera. Initially, attacks with the game's eleven weapon types are considered equally clunky, generally consisting of canned combos that have you flailing wildly in one direction as your AI prey circles to an exposed flank to, well, take a chunk out of your exposed flank.

Patience is a Virtue

How could this happen? The company that brought us Resident Evil 4 and Street Fighter couldn't give us a better camera or fighting system? The truth is, Capcom is intentionally limiting our camera control and attack combos. What you will come to realize, as millions of Japanese gamers have, is that if you put the time in to learn the intricacies of combat in Monster Hunter you will be richly rewarded.

Each weapon style has its own strengths and weaknesses and once you master one weapon, the Giadrome that was making a quick snack out of you before becomes your next meal. It's a sweet accomplishment to turn combat you initially found impossibly awkward into graceful and satisfying battles, though it will take you many hours of frustration to get to that point.

Once you get a grip on how to kill and not be killed, the flood gates will open for you. Monster Hunter Freedom 2 has more content than you will ever know what to do with. There are no experience levels in Monster Hunter, and your primary means of advancement are through improving your gear by crafting materials obtained from downed foes, the environment, mining, farming, or fishing.

Quests typically have little to no back-story behind them, but serve their purpose as backdrops for your real motivation: the highly addictive process of getting better gear and killing bigger and meaner monsters. Reportedly Monster Hunter Freedom 2 has fifty percent more content than the previous game, which is an impressive stat to ponder if you consider that even most die-hard Monster Hunter fans never exhausted the first game's content. Add in exclusive quests for the 4-player Ad-Hoc multiplayer and downloadable content already available online, and you may never have to play another game again.

I'm not going to say it's a shame that Monster Hunter hasn't caught on here in the States. The learning curve is still absurd and the beginning of the game gives you practically no clue as to how great it will be. The game enjoys great success in Japan, so there's very little reason to expect Capcom will change their formula just so audiences here can be spoon-fed Monster Hunter goodness.

I don't fault any gamer who doesn't want to put in the time to learn this game; you are never going to find a gripping narrative and accessible controls in a Monster Hunter game. However if you're looking for a long-term relationship with your handheld action RPG, and can suffer through a couple of rough patches, you will find yourself in the loving embrace of all the addictive content Monster Hunter Freedom 2 has to offer.


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