When the executive producer of Monster Hunter Now, Kei Kwai, opened his presentation on Monster Hunter Now by talking about what the franchise meant to him — his cousin marrying someone they met at the Monster Hunter table in the cafeteria — it struck a chord. My brother and I would always try to hide from the harsh Spanish sun on our family holidays by sitting under the biggest palm tree we could find, so that we could get the most shade and best see what we were fighting on our PSPs.
So when Kwai spoke of his vision of seeing people on the street playing Monster Hunter together, that too struck a chord. While that is feasible in Japan, where the Now community is biggest, it hasn’t yet happened here in the UK. Part of that boils down to the franchise’s popularity in the Japan, and part of it lies with the game itself.
In our review I wrote: “Monster Hunter Now could grow into a true successor and companion to Pokémon Go, but only if Niantic listen to their audience make rapid improvements to the game.” Niantic has been listening, and the events and patches since launch have certainly moved the needle. While my biggest gripes are yet to be addressed — smoothing out the difficulty curve and sorting out the Potion economy — the big winter patch is a big step in the right direction.
Fulminations in the Frost
The new season in Monster Hunter Now — an actual three-month season, as opposed to the monthly seasons that are the backbone of keeping Pokémon Go alive — is a bit of a mouthful, certainly. Kwai admitted, to much amusement on my part, that this is a translation from the Japanese idea they latched onto in design. Having lived and worked in Japan, I this is something I totally grok.
‘Frost’ may make you think that this
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