I want to offer a different way of looking at Monster Hunter games. This is something that Jakob touches on several times in his videos but I don't think he gives it due weight. Monster Hunter games can be divided into those about "work" and those about "adventure" (or "not work").
Kanbanmarmume
The way I see it the split comes with the localisation of MH4U that fundamentally changes the character of the game. In fact I blame almost everything on the "guildmarm". She is not any kind of "marm". In the Japanese game she is a kanbanmusume which is, traditionally, a gendered job designed to bring in customers for the (family) business. She was changed from an appealing Japanese musume character whose quirkiness (like Tri's kanbanmusume) provides comic relief because it grates against the professionalism and charm expected of her job, into an infantile dope who calls Monster Hunters "doodle". This kind of behaviour is exacerbated by the "caravaneer" who is no leader and seems to be a senile loon in MH4U.
My point is the localisers wrote out work by writing out the names and the work focused characters for a western audience that, the positive reviews of MH4U would suggest, like childish nonsense in preference to work.
So I believe that MH1, Dos, Tri, PSP games and cross/double cross are all cut from the same cloth - they focus on work.
MH4(G) I put on the border because the story is silly and the seed of "adventure" as the reason for Monster Hunting is born.
MH4U is the tipping point and from here on (X/XX excepted) the devs are not making job simulators any more but are making childish adventure stories. All the weapons in World-onwards feel like plastic toys.
MHXX (not MHGU) is king
- It is a technical WONDER on the 3DS. They took the MH4 engine and made a game that looks twice as good by upping the visual quality, removing the inconsistencies and enhancing the lighting. It is the best looking MH game and the best looking 3DS game without question.
- The slower frame-rate makes this more of an RPG. I like smooth MH, like Tri, but a slightly slower frame-rate compliments the aesthetic of a slower paced game. Input queuing means gameplay works just fine.
- The 3DS screen displays the colours properly. The Switch version of MHGU does not - it's oversaturated and looks awful.
- MHXX has the best iteration of item management. Dos item management is a difficult and rewarding puzzle, but also frustrating. Lower numbers of items, lower pouch and box size. This is a "static" problem - the problem is always the same and the solutions, though interesting to work out for yourself, are also always the same. e.g. sell items you don't need, combine items to reduce the number of primary-resources, make weapons and armour to use up items.
MHXX however has higher amounts of items, storage and money, which seems like it would break the gameplay. But if you don't buy anything from the trader except trap tools and combo books, and you use the barrel-airu to send resources back mid-hunt, you now have a better item-management game that forces you to plan and think dynamically during the hunt. Near base camp, send items now or try to get some more before sending? Complete subquest first so I can get support items at the same time as sending items back? Ditch my healing items to make space for more resources? Monster Hunter games have always had two reasons to go back to camp, bed and sub-quest deliveries/support-items. The barrel-airu gives you another reason that is organic and creates an item-management and planning game within the hunt, recreating the best parts of Dos item management in a better form. - No weather in XX which is absolutely unacceptable.
- However all the fluff like hunter arts can be turned off or ignored.
- It's a game about work.
- Monster fights are dynamic and very exciting.
- By bringing day and night maps back MHXX brings the essence of Dos' time system without the awkward design flaws. (Having seasons and day/night Dos is forced to have a smaller number of quests. Imagine - A higher number of quests in Dos would break most gamers who would give up at the thought of having to time/item manage so much just to have a shot at completing certain quests. e.g. "If I do A...B...C........Q.. then I can take that quest in 20 hours. If nothing goes wrong.")
