Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate Hands-On Impressions from E3 2018

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate comes west August 28th. We already reviewed the Japanese release last September, but we had the chance to sit down and demo the English version of the game during this year's E3.

Almost everything we said about the Japanese release in both our preview of the Japanese demo as well as our full review stays the same with this release, though the biggest change - English - means that the title is much more beginner friendly than it was previously. Players that might've started playing the franchise with Monster Hunter: World will find a lot to love here, as both the ability to play the game on the go as well as the addition of much more content comparatively might be appealing for those that still feel that Monster Hunter itch from earlier this year that want new beasts to fight.

MHGU, as we'll abbreviate it, is a much different game compared to Monster Hunter World. If you played 2016's Monster Hunter Generations, you already know the drill - besides loading zones fragmenting the games various maps, players will also have to contend with slight differences in controls. Running won't immediately sheath your weapon, drinking a potion will require you to remain still, and no slinger means that aiming tranqualizers and other throwable items might feel at least a little less elegant than what you might already be used to. At it's core, MHGU is a 3DS game - and it's not particularly hard to notice that fact while you are playing it.

On the bright side, players looking to pick up the title have a much larger variety of monsters and G-rank to look forward to. MHGU's monster list is, well, monstrous - and G-rank promises to be harder than the hardest content in Monster Hunter: World. We came to the conclusion that the Switch version of MHGU was more than worth it for fans in our review, and with a proper English release it's easy to recommend the title even to those looking to get into the series as well.

As for the demo itself, we found ourselves tasked with hunting a Barioth along with 2 other members of the press and a Capcom representative. The hunt itself had a 15 minute time limit, so we were forced to take risks. In the spirit of focusing on what is knew to MHGU, I played using a Greatsword and the new Valor Hunting Style. Using the Y button, players can augment their attacks as well as brace for the enemy's to dodge them - dealing damage and attacking in combination with using the Y button, players fill up the Valor gauge - once full, dodges become quick and snappy, and the weapon's moveset drastically changes.

Hunting Styles are just one way players can customize how they play the game, alongside which weapons they choose, the Hunting Arts they equip to them, and even the ability to play as a "prowler" - a front-lines, plaer-controlled Palico. While MHGU lacks much of Monster Hunter: World's ability to use the environment to the hunter's advantage, hunts still feel plenty dynamic due to the fact that every hunter's loadout - even if they're using the same weapon! - is truly different.

We'll be taking a second look at Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate alongside the western release later this year. Stay tuned!