Customer Reviews

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Well first of all I want to state I' am an avid monster hunter fan, from the ps2 game to the psp ones. So my review might be a little subjective but I will try to be as objective as possible and put myself in the position of a newcomer to the franchise. And also I apologize for the length of the review. It really is a vast game there is soo much to do and so little space to explain it all in.

A few things for players from MHF2 thinking this is a brand new experience, think again. Think about it as an expansion with new missions, monsters armors, weapons, and hunter ranks. You still reside in the quaint little home up in the mountains, and all the lovable characters are still there from the cooking Felynes to the old lady who gave you the elder quests.

Now on to the review. For the newcomers this game has an amazing ray of things to do, put yourself in the position of a hunter, you are constantly hunting monsters who reside around your village. From giant dragons to giant crabs (and not the STD type) you have 5 different land types where you hunt them from the jungle, desert, snowy mountains, forest, and volcano. Also each land type has time cycles so you can hunt them at night or in the day. Now each hunt is received in the form of a quest, there are 2 places you can get these, from an elder how will give you village quest (which you may only complete by yourself) or by going to the hall.

The hall can be played offline meaning you can do the quest there by yourself (although most can be complete alone there are some that you should look for help) or online via ad hoc. Online is fun as hell, if you have 3 others friends who have the game they can join you in the hunt and you all get the benefits of the kill (as a side note if you don't have any friends to play with you can play online for more info go to www.teamxlink.co.uk/). Every time you kill a monster like a true hunter you crave their bodies. You get special items from the carve and also a prizes for completing the hunt. These items in turn can be sold for money or saved up to make special armor, items, or weapons. Aside from hunting you can, farm (meaning you can literally plant seeds and reap the rewards) you can hire Felyne to cook for you so you go nice and full into battle. And even more amazing as a new addition you can hire a Felyne to join you in battle! He will provide back such as setting traps and attacking the beast you are hunting. You will easily spend 100+ hours in this game.

Now for the veterans, a few additions have been added. As mentioned above you can hire a Felyne to help you out, there are tons of new armor and weapons to make. Your item box size has increased and items now max out at 99! Meaning no more having multiple 10 items in your box. Like 10 flash now they all combine until you get to 99 so precious space in the box has been saved. There are now G rank missions imagine hr 6 missions but 10x harder, and there are 3 new ranks to move up to.

Pros:

-New missions, new items, new Felyne battle companions.
-Also now you have the options to data install, this drastically lowers the loading time.
-Great graphics as always, each armor and weapon have a unique look. No 2 armors look like.

Cons:

-Like previously stated the learning curve sucks but there are alot of tutorials and training quests.
-Some armor attributes have really been lost, example is I had the akantor armor and lost my high grade earplugs in the transition.
-For a new comer you might tend to feel overwhelm with the amount of farming you have to do to get ONE item you need to make a weapon/armor, it's all based on luck.
-The ability to play online worldwide should be included in the game, it takes outside programs and items to make it possible.
-And also it does get a little repetitive from time to time.


Over all this is an awesome game. You either fall into the obsessions or hate it. See you in the hall.

It's not difficult to see why the Monster Hunter series has become the leading PSP franchise in Japan. Offering gamers the chance to hook up together on quests to hunt ferocious monsters and search for hidden treasures across an appealing fantasy game world, this action RPG possesses many of same addictive qualities that have made other role playing games, such as the Final Fantasy titles, so popular. High praise has been lauded on the latest game in the series, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite, after it became the top selling game in the Land of The Rising Sun last year, besting the likes of Pokémon Platinum and Wii Fit. In the U.S. and Europe, though, Monster Hunter faces a very different type of audience. Will it appeal to the taste of Western players?

Monster Hunter Freedom's combat mechanics will test even the most hardened of gamers. The third game in the series, Freedom Unite once again places you in the role of an up-and-coming hunter who must complete various hunting, slaying and gathering missions to achieve glory. Setting off from your base camp of Pokke Village, you pick up quests from the Guild Hall and embark on treacherous missions across stunning environments, including snow-capped mountains and harsh desert terrain.

Freedom Unite is all about learning your craft and learning it well. If you begin a quest without preparation, you'll be obliterated by the tough monsters lurking around every corner. Whether you're heading out on a level-one quest to pick mountain herbs or braving the cold desert nights on the hunt for the land shark, there's a lot to learn if you plan to come back alive and earn your reward. Combat in Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is difficult to grasp at first, but once studied and practiced, it is intensely satisfying.

The lack of a lock-on targeting function means that you have no assistance in battle and ensures that combat is challenging. Freedom Unite tests your patience by pitting you against some formidable and clever opposition while asking that you spend a lot of time learning the ins and outs of the deep combat system. You have to learn each of the monsters' strengths and weaknesses and those of your weapons. Learning monster "tells," monitoring monster attack patterns and knowing when to strike is also part of the hunt. Other variables add even more strategic layers to the combat. The environment, for example, plays a part in battle (your energy gets sapped when it's cold), and every weapon and item you choose to bring along all factor into the equation. Make the wrong decisions and you'll head back to Pokke Village empty-handed.



Speaking of Pokke Village, there's plenty to do there as well. You're given a plot of land where you can mine, fish, catch bugs, gather mushrooms, and plant seeds to raise different crops. When you finish each quest, your farm becomes an essential visiting place that grows in stature the more you nurture it. These resources can then be used for cooking, which increase abilities, or to combine and forge new items that may come in handy during battle. Though you're constantly repeating the same actions to mine ore or catch Rumblefish, you're earning money from the land, which subsequently allows you to develop your character into a stronger hunter.

Gathering and collecting items in the game world is extremely important to your progression. Not all items must be hunted, gathered, or farmed; many objects can be combined to make more powerful objects or potions. There's a great deal of fun to be had out of finding new ingredients and then combining them. You can, for example, mix a fire herb with a nitroshroom to make gunpowder. Though there's a large element of trial and error, there's great reward for your efforts as you find and create powerful items that aid you on the battlefield.



Part of the appeal of the Monster Hunter series in Japan is the ad-hoc multiplayer functionality, which allows up to four players to meet up and embark on quests together. In the U.S. and Europe, however, that feature isn't such a strong selling point -- there just isn't the same social PSP-playing culture in these two territories as there is as there is in Japan. Social hand-held gaming in the U.S. and Europe is largely faceless, an activity confined to gamers' living rooms and bedrooms where there's an Internet connection. In fact, you're more likely to get mugged getting your hand-held out in public than to find a like-minded gamer to join your lobby for a spot of monster hunting. It's a crying shame that Freedom Unite doesn't offer true online functionality, because the four-player questing is absolutely brilliant. So, the bad news is that unless you've got a bunch of mates willing to join you around your house, your Monster Hunter experience is going to be a lonely one.


Still, with demanding and fun combat mechanics and a huge index of items, weapon types, armor, beasts, and quests, Freedom Unite will delight RPG gamers seeking a real challenge. With hundreds of hours worth of gameplay waiting for you, it's an RPG that's meant to be played at a slow pace, though the frequent load times slow it down a bit more than we would have liked. In short: if you're expecting a quick thrill here, you won't find it. Freedom Unite is for those who wish to master new skills with patience and hard work. It can be tough to get going, but Freedom Unite won't disappoint anyone who spends some quality time with it.

This review will focus on the single-player experience. Monster Hunter Freedom Unite (MHFU) is one of the most-challenging games available for any platform, and the sense of accomplishment when besting enemies in the game is unrivaled. This is especially so for those who play the game solo, relying purely on skill to get by rather than the backup and mercies of other players.

This wasn't always an entirely reasonable option in the MH series. Making MHFU significantly more agreeable for solo play is the addition of "felyne" fighters, small AI fighters who provide various support and attack roles. Primarily, they help to provide another focal point for belligerent monsters to provide necessary openings for the otherwise solo player. They can also be given a limited ability to heal or buff the player character, but at the whims of an unpredictable AI. As such, the solo player can assume the possibility of, say, an impending health boost from the felyne companion (importantly, only one accompanies you) but can only rely on him or herself to do so on demand.

Regardless, one will never get anywhere in solo MHFU without significant gameplay skills. And this can be especially daunting in the early going. There will even be those who possess the requisite gaming skills but determine this isn't for them. Which is fair, as there is no storyline worth mentioning and not much compelling progress beyond the opportunity to build better weapons and armor and fight increasingly challenging foes.

Which brings us to why some of us ARE so enthused about the game. Most importantly, there are very few games that so successfully mix graphics, sound, and control "feedback". The monsters in the game move, animate, and attack with unparalleled sophistication, making the hunt for them truly engaging. None of them are pushovers, with the exception of some early monsters being overwhelmed by significantly enhanced weaponry. Later monsters are never less than a serious challenge regardless of one's weapons and armor. Indeed, depending on monster type even the most impressive looking sword may actually rebound off the tough skin, causing a life-threatening stumble. This is the aforementioned "feedback" which really keeps a player on his toes.

The reward for this serious challenge is, as mentioned. the opportunity to make increasingly impressive--or simply fancier--weapons and armor sets...and then to try to use them successfully against a new rank of monsters. "Try" being the operative word here.

If you love true gameplay challenge and never quite feel challenged by the "bosses" in most other games...this is the game for you.

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is not for the faint of heart. It can be very difficult, especially the single-player, but also fun. The gist is you hunt monsters then create armor and weapons from parts of monster you've slain so you can fight more powerful monsters and repeat cycle. It's highly recommended you play with friends, because it's a little easier and a lot more fun, plus playing by yourself on this type of game is doing yourself a great disservice anyway. Single player is hard, freakin' hard, you'll find yourself being pestered by the regular enemies while you're busy with a boss, and the camera will become another enemy in itself, so yea you'll die what I like to call "cheap deaths". And while there is a comrade system, expect to go through a lot of felines before finding one that is actually helpful. It is sometimes aggravating to have to slay a boss 50 times just to complete their armor set, but a lot of them are just really cool, plus really helpful for stronger bosses. I'd say that if like this type of game you'll find enjoyment, but it is hard, so either be an experienced gamer or really patient.

This is the first Monster Hunter game I have ever played, and I must say it is quite a gem. This could mean either a bad or good thing, but mostly it is a good thing. When I first started playing this, it was very difficult to get used to the clunky camera control, which is very necessary, but eventually I taught myself to use my forefinger to control it. I am now fixing to get to the 4 star quests, and I must say this is a very addictive game. While it is very fun, it is also very annoying at the little things that make all the difference. The pros and cons will explain what I mean by this.

Pros:

-Customization - This is they key to the game: making and upgrading weapons and armor. This is where the game shines. There is so much customization in this game. You can make tons of different armor and upgrade weapons that will make playing this game very rewarding.
-Playability - This game is very addictive and is hard to stop. There is no replay value because once you "beat it", you will have about 300-500 hours on the game and won't need to replay it. You can repeat any quest, so there is no need to replay through the whole game again. I consider this a good thing because most games are around 20-50 hours, and beating this game will really make you feel accomplished.
-Difficulty - At first, I hated how hard the game was. Then it made me realize that this game is actually challenging compared to most games, and this really makes this game stick out. Although this is a pro, it is also a con which I will explain later.
-Music -The music is great, and at times I hear it playing through my head.
-Design - The design of the armor, weapons and monsters are awesome. They are very creative and this is one of my favorite parts of the game other than of course monster hunting.
-Sound Effects - The sound effects are really cool. All of the different monsters sound really awesome!
-Multiplayer - I have done a few quests with my friend and so far has been a blast! He is a lot better and tons farther than me in the game, but I manage to stay alive and keep up with him.

Neutral:

Graphics - Graphics don't bother me in games, but they aren't very good compared to other games. Like I said, graphics aren't too important to me when it comes to games.

Cons:

-Stances - This has to be the MOST annoying part of this game. Anytime you drink a potion or eat a type of herb, you go through this 3 second stance that will make all the difference. Don't expect to use an herb/potion during a boss fight because if you do, you will have to time it almost perfect to not die. I manage to get the timing right most of the time, but a lot of the time I will just leave the area, use whatever and go back in. I found this very annoying to deal with.
-Recovering - When being hit by a monster, you are usually knocked down and it takes a long time to recover from it. When you eventually get up, the monster is usually already going for its next attack, and once again knocks you down. The timing of the recover makes sense, but it is a bit too long.
-Monsters in Boss fights - What I mean by this is when you are fighting a boss and in the boss area are the smaller monsters. This is so tedious because if you are too focused on the boss fight and not your surrounding, the smaller monster can knock you down and the boss can have a chance to kill you. This is also very annoying. I guess they did this for more difficulty, but I found it just plain annoying.
-Difficulty - The difficulty for the most part is a good thing, except when combined with the two annoyances above. With all of this going on plus the difficulty of the game, it makes it very tedious to kill some of the monsters.
-Camera control - I mentioned this before, but the camera control is very clunky and can be a real pain to get down. I think it would have been much better to have use the triggers for camera angles, use the d pad for zooming and up/down control and tapping both l and r triggers for resetting the camera. The run/power up would be more difficult to fix, but I think it could have been done. Anyways, I had to put this in the cons instead of neutral.
-No aim for bombs/paintballs - This is a really big con. You cannot aim when throwing a bomb or a paintball so when you throw it is a hit or miss. Most of the time when I am facing a monster and try to throw one, it goes towards the left or right and does not hit the monster. This is a big problem.

All in all, this game is very fun and is definitely worth playing. Along with the tediousness of the game, it makes it much more rewarding after beating that tough dragon/monster. I was debating to give this a 3.5 or a 4, but 4 won over.

4/5 is my verdict.

EDIT 12/02/2011: I have come pretty far in this game. I just got to the cat quests and am still enjoying this game a lot, with 92 hours on my file at the moment! I still haven't beat an Elder Dragon except Kirin and Chamelos, but I will eventually! Me and my friend still play and we are only on the first series (the green lady I believe), but it is really fun. I highly suggest this game!

I first heard of this game two weeks ago when I downloaded the demo. At first, I thought it a bit intimidating. Reading up on it I found that there is an entire franchise devoted to this game! In just a few short months, 3.2 million units were sold in Japan. I knew it had to be great! So I bought it today, and I can't stop playing it!

The Pros:

1. The option to install certain files to your memory stick (make sure you have at least a 1GB or more). This makes the "Lemme go get something to drink while it loads" loading times a lot quicker.

2. So many things to do, kill, buy, and upgrade. They say it can take 500 hours to finish the game.

3. The option to team up with 3 other people and play together.

4. It looks beautiful. As beautiful as you can get on the PSP.

The Cons (as of the time of this writing):

1. A bit of a learning curve. It has an extensive tutorial that can take at least a couple hours if you take your time. You have the option of not doing this, but there's a lot to know about this game and how it works. At least you get gold and items for doing each section of the tutorial.

2. Multiplayer is Ad-Hoc. Which means no internet multiplayer. I was unaware until I picked it up. If you're wanting to play this with other people, make sure you have 3 friends who have it and are willing to meet up and play.

All in all, it's a great game, and it is highly recommended. It's unfortunate that the multiplayer is Ad-Hoc only. I guess Capcom is thinking the USA is like Japan and we like getting out of the house and meeting real people instead of just sitting in front of the screen with the headset on.

Other than the multiplayer fiasco, it's definitely worth picking up.

This is my first Monster Hunter game. So there is a steep learning curve for me.

Where I am at: I am doing the solo quests and I have just completed the Elder Quests, now I am starting to do the Felyne Elder Quests now.

At the beginning, it's quite hard, you don't have any powerful weapons and armors, and yet, you are still going to face some very tough monsters. Without defeating these power boss monsters, you won't be able to unlock the items you need to craft the more power stuff.

However, once you have completed the Elder Quests, you will unlock a whole bunch of new items, and the monsters are just the same, but only more HP's. Now this is where the fun begins, you can start to farm these monsters and collect items you need to make better weapons and armors. And there are so many new weapons and armors to choice from. You could spend 100+ hours on this game and still won't be able to collect all the weapons and armors. Plus you get to play on the maps from the original MH series (the old maps from the Kokoto Village).

So my advice to newbies, like me, is don't give up, try to reach the Felyne Elder or upper rank as fast as possible (just do all the mandatory quests, see GameFAQs). Once you reach the upper rank, you will be able to get more powerful stuff, and then, it will be much easier to come back to finish off the lower rank quests (to get the items you need).

By far my favorite PSP game to date. I will say that if you are alone, it can get boring fast unless you have other friends playing it as well that you can talk to about it.

It has a very steep learning curve but hang in there, it is worth it. Me and my brother have played every MH game released for the PSP and are both very impressed with this one.

I will say if you have MHF2 and aren't very far yet, this doesn't offer much until you get pretty far in the game. Worth it if you want some new challenges and also want to use the new features (cats, guild card, ect)

The Monster Hunter series has been widely popular in Japan for some time now. I've been interested in checking the series out for a while now and finally did with Freedom Unite.

The game's basic structure follows the structure of most MMORPGs. You start off as a Hunter in a village, and take miscellaneous quests to embark upon. The quests rang from Hunting, Slaying, Gathering, and Event Quests. Once you stop by the guild and pick up a contract of your choice, you set off on an adventure to fulfill the quests parameters.

I was amazed at just how deep a game Monster Hunter actually is. Not only do you hunt, but you can also gather, mine, cook, farm, etc. In order to become a successful Hunter, you need to become totally immersed in the world. The level of depth and time may put off some games looking for a quick thrill, but if you're patient and dedicated, the game is incredibly rewarding.

Pros:
-Depth of game play (weapons, items, quests, world, etc)
-Graphics are amazing
-Sound: Well done FX and musical score done in Dolby sound incredible through headphones.
-Ad Hock online play - you can quest with up to three of your friends.

Cons:
-Difficulty: the game is not easy and at times can be frustrating.
-Camera can be uncooperative at times, especially when fighting multiple monsters at the same time.
-The inventory system can be very cumbersome. If you're not using a sword, you actually have to sheath your weapon before you can use an item. Trying to do this in the heat of battle, is very difficult.
-Ad Hock - it's an awesome feature, but if you don't have friends willing to come over and play, you will be questing on your own.


Wrap up:
All in all, it's an amazing game that I highly recommend. Be prepared to invest some time in mastering the world and you will be greatly rewarded.

I started playing monster hunter with the release of monster hunter 2 freedom. After logging some 800 hours on that game I was very excited when this most recent title was released. I easily logged another 600 hours on this game after transferring my character from the old game.

One of the great things about this game is the multiplayer. You can easily blow a day and night without even thinking about it if you've got a buddy that can enjoy this game with you.

The sheer amount of weapons and armor that can be created in this game is almost unbelievable. All sorts of styles and looks for anyone looking to make their character look anyway they want.

This is also a great game for hardcore gamers looking for a challenge. The hunts all have time limits, usually 50 minutes to kill or capture the monster you're after. In the late parts of the game against the more difficult creatures you'll need every minute of that to finally bring them down.

If you don't care for games that give you the same thing over and over again than you dont have to be weary of this title because its not just about slaughtering monsters, there are numerous other quests to change up the pace such as gathering and locating specific items. Not to mention the training hall with all of its hard to get prizes and unlocks. This is one of the best games I've ever been lucky enough to play and I'm eagerly awaiting capcoms next monster hunter release in the U.S.