What is it?

Monster Hunter is a 4 player co-operative action game centered around fighting monsters to make extremely over the top weapons and armor. This weekend from December 9th-12th you have the chance to try out a Beta version of the latest iteration of Monster Hunter: Monster Hunter World!

How to get it

The Beta requires a Playstation 4, and a subscription to the Playstation Plus service. This service allows you to play online games with other as well as get free games and demos like the Monster Hunter World Beta.

CHOOSE YOUR FRIGGING CAT!

 I’m not even kidding, check it out!

(Customization options are not available in the Beta)

Choose Your Weapon!

After selecting your gender and Palico the next big choice you will have to make is choosing which weapon you will use. There are a total of 14 weapons for you to choose from. Ranging from 6 foot great swords to nimble bows and arrows there is a weapon for every kind of play style, each with its strengths and weaknesses. The most important aspect of Monster Hunter World is teamwork, talk with your teammates and come up with devastating combinations of weapons. Will two of you take the vanguard with a lance and long sword, while the rest hail gunbow rounds on the monster from far away? Or will you all bounce around like grasshoppers with the insect glaive? The choice is yours!

Choose Your Monster!

  The Monster Hunter World Beta features 3 monsters ranging from easy to hard in their difficulty. The Great Jagras is a fairly easy lizard monster that has the ability to swallow other monsters whole. The second monster is called the Barroth, a large bipedal dinosaur that covers itself with a layer of mud armor. Watch out! This guy can take a hit! The last monster available in the beta is the Anjanath, a new monster to the series, keeping even veterans like me on our toes!

Experiment!

            With only 3 monsters covering 3 areas, you may think that this is a rather small beta to spread over 3 days. Fortunately, Monster Hunter has always been about experimentation and discovery through play. While there are a fun and substantial story campaigns in every Monster Hunter game, you will be fighting many of the same monsters a few times before the end. This gives you a unique opportunity to learn the mechanics of both your weapons and the monsters you fight inside and out. Furthermore, monsters have incredibly sophisticated AI and animation patterns that reveal new moves as well as behaviors even after hours of play.

Have Fun!

            Monster Hunter World can sometimes be a frustrating game at higher difficulties or when playing alone, so make sure to keep trying new strategies and find new ways to develop your character!

Gabriel Planas is a writer from Ottawa, Ontario Canada who is passionate about video games, movies, punk rock and fantasy fiction. With over 20 years of experience playing video games, he is dedicated to spreading the word on the fledgling medium’s endless narrative potential.