Monster Hunter Freedom Unite Bombs In America

[benjaminlibl]

I suspect some of you who complain about how bad the game is don't want to admit that it's because it's too hard for you. Honestly, it is damn hard. Taking 20 minutes or longer to kill a monster is not that much fun when we live in a world that expects convenience.

Monster Hunter seems to be very popular in Japan and many other Asian countries. Why? Obviously Asian people are finding it fun enough to pick it up, so why don't Americans? Maybe it's too challenging?

Difficulty aside, it could just be that different people like different games. After all, there HAVE been 3.5 million copies sold in Japan. Could it be that all 3.5 million of these people are idiots?

 

[Law]

I suspect some of you who complain about how bad the game is don't want to admit that it's because it's too hard for you. Honestly, it is damn hard. Taking 20 minutes or longer to kill a monster is not that much fun when we live in a world that expects convenience.

Monster Hunter seems to be very popular in Japan and many other Asian countries. Why? Obviously Asian people are finding it fun enough to pick it up, so why don't Americans? Maybe it's too challenging?

Difficulty aside, it could just be that different people like different games. After all, there HAVE been 3.5 million copies sold in Japan. Could it be that all 3.5 million of these people are idiots?

It doesn't have autoaim, therefore it is not a game suited for the console/handheld fanboys of the west.

Plus it doesn't hold your hand and give you a reassuring "Don't worry, even though you're dying you're good at the game, honest!".

 

[feds4u]

Good.

Let me say it again: GOOD. That is one of the worst games I've played in recent memory, right up there with Gothic III. It's not often that I play a game so truly awful that I wish bad things upon the development studio, but this is one of those times. The quality that sets it apart from your typical assortment of abysmal, unplayable crap is the fact that it makes you think that would be great: looking at the graphics and reading a bit about how it plays, it sounds like it couldn't possibly fail.

It's something like the Playstation equivalent of Harvest Moon, as a game that only autistics could enjoy. It's bogged down entirely in the insignificant details and repetition, and nothing about it is fun at all. The more I tried to like the game, the more it seemed to want to punish me and replace my fantasies of monster slaying with a plethora of virtual chores. The environments that make for eye grabbing screen shot fodder turn out to be two dimensional backdrops for mediocrity. This fact isn't just omnipresent, the game perpetually _screams_ it at you through a megaphone, while having sex with your younger sister.

Everything the critics have said on review sites like Gamespot is true, and this game _deserves_ the low scores that it receives in contrast to the cult of stupidity that has formed around it. Monster Hunter is the perfect storm of the worst elements of Japanese gaming, and I hope it does flop anywhere else. I want it to be classified as toxic by the CDC and quarantined to their god forsaken country. We should institute baggage checks exclusively for Monster Hunter and deny entrance to the contintental US to anybody carrying a copy. I want to expatriate anybody that swears it is 'not as bad as the reviews make it out to be'. Anything to make it go away and never be alerted to its existence again.

I agree with much of this.

QUOTE(benjaminlibl @ Jul 20 2009, 01:11 PM) Difficulty aside, it could just be that different people like different games. After all, there HAVE been 3.5 million copies sold in Japan. Could it be that all 3.5 million of these people are idiots?

People in Japan get addicted to Pachinko machines.

 

[Law]

Difficulty aside, it could just be that different people like different games. After all, there HAVE been 3.5 million copies sold in Japan. Could it be that all 3.5 million of these people are idiots?

People in Japan get addicted to Pachinko machines.

Pretty much most of asia is crazy when it comes to videogames, people in korea end up starving to death because they can't stop playing generic MMO number 46.

 

[benjaminlibl]

Good.

Let me say it again: GOOD. That is one of the worst games I've played in recent memory, right up there with Gothic III. It's not often that I play a game so truly awful that I wish bad things upon the development studio, but this is one of those times. The quality that sets it apart from your typical assortment of abysmal, unplayable crap is the fact that it makes you think that would be great: looking at the graphics and reading a bit about how it plays, it sounds like it couldn't possibly fail.

It's something like the Playstation equivalent of Harvest Moon, as a game that only autistics could enjoy. It's bogged down entirely in the insignificant details and repetition, and nothing about it is fun at all. The more I tried to like the game, the more it seemed to want to punish me and replace my fantasies of monster slaying with a plethora of virtual chores. The environments that make for eye grabbing screen shot fodder turn out to be two dimensional backdrops for mediocrity. This fact isn't just omnipresent, the game perpetually _screams_ it at you through a megaphone, while having sex with your younger sister.

Everything the critics have said on review sites like Gamespot is true, and this game _deserves_ the low scores that it receives in contrast to the cult of stupidity that has formed around it. Monster Hunter is the perfect storm of the worst elements of Japanese gaming, and I hope it does flop anywhere else. I want it to be classified as toxic by the CDC and quarantined to their god forsaken country. We should institute baggage checks exclusively for Monster Hunter and deny entrance to the contintental US to anybody carrying a copy. I want to expatriate anybody that swears it is 'not as bad as the reviews make it out to be'. Anything to make it go away and never be alerted to its existence again.

I agree with much of this.

QUOTE(benjaminlibl @ Jul 20 2009, 01:11 PM) Difficulty aside, it could just be that different people like different games. After all, there HAVE been 3.5 million copies sold in Japan. Could it be that all 3.5 million of these people are idiots?

People in Japan get addicted to Pachinko machines.

And people in the West like watching mud wrestling. Honestly, this could go on all day.

 

[Joe88]

great, another argument based on where they live

just cut it out both of you before you get a warning
no one said people in a certain region were idiots for buying a game or its too challenging to them

 

[dib]

What reason is there for anybody to get a warning? Not everybody has to agree and make out over a video game, if somebody can't handle dissent then please post your browser type and I will be happy to point out the back button.

I think it's telling that the only responses so far from the pro Monster Hunter crowd (benjaminlibl, Radiant, Ryupower) has been "that's just because you find it too hard", when I said absolutely nothing about difficulty. Are you guys some sort of Nintendo apologists, circa 1992? The days of Japan perceiving Americans as requiring easy-type versions of games should be long over by now. Or need I remind you that many of the more classically difficult games came from the west, such as Battletoads?

Is it so abstract to grasp that challenge is irrelevant if the game is not fun? Just among the beginning elements that made me quit were weapons that dull (I don't even like this 'feature' in good games, why would I enjoy it here?) and that terrible meat cooking quest where it has to be 'just right'. I don't even care about 'just right' when I cook my burgers in real life, why would I want to play a game that demands such a silly and pointless detail? Are you supposed to be a hunter, or a dainty food critic? Why is it so complicated for a seasoned hunter to cook a damn steak?

That's the real heart of Monster Hunter: silly, pointless details. Overwhelming you with pages of text from the very beginning to describe the most simple functions. Micro managing a terrible inventory system that branches out into even more details: are you too hot? Too cold? Is your weapon sharp enough? Did you bring a picture of your mom in case you get lonely? And above all, a focus on obsessive collecting over elements like story or gameplay.

 

[Law]

Is it so abstract to grasp that challenge is irrelevant if the game is not fun? Just among the beginning elements that made me quit were weapons that dull (I don't even like this 'feature' in good games, why would I enjoy it here?) and that terrible meat cooking quest where it has to be 'just right'. I don't even care about 'just right' when I cook my burgers in real life, why would I want to play a game that demands such a silly and pointless detail? Are you supposed to be a hunter, or a dainty food critic? Why is it so complicated for a seasoned hunter to cook a damn steak?

That's an optional training quest you don't even have to do.

You don't even have to touch upon the training school, at all.

 

[Joe88]

I was referring to benjaminlibl, and feds4u

your opinion is perfectly fine

 

[benjaminlibl]

What reason is there for anybody to get a warning? Not everybody has to agree and make out over a video game, if somebody can't handle dissent then please post your browser type and I will be happy to point out the back button.

Something we agree on. That is a start.

I must point out though, I'm not "pro Monster Hunter" at all. In all honesty, I DIDN'T find it all that fun.

Some of the weapons are extremely retarded. Chasing a monster that flies away every 3 minutes is lame, I'll admit it. Going in and out of a map a hundred times to get a particular material is annoying.

But it really wasn't as bad as you made it out to be. Cooking the meat just right wasn't really something that bothered me. It's just a mini-game that is pretty insignificant. You don't even have to cook the meat, except maybe on one of the missions? You could always have brought potions along after that.

In my opinion, it's only an OK game. I won't scream and queue up if a new version comes out, but I won't cry about how bad it is either. It's not as bad as everyone says.. and not as good either.

 

[Cermage]

Is it so abstract to grasp that challenge is irrelevant if the game is not fun? Just among the beginning elements that made me quit were weapons that dull (I don't even like this 'feature' in good games, why would I enjoy it here?) and that terrible meat cooking quest where it has to be 'just right'. I don't even care about 'just right' when I cook my burgers in real life, why would I want to play a game that demands such a silly and pointless detail? Are you supposed to be a hunter, or a dainty food critic? Why is it so complicated for a seasoned hunter to cook a damn steak?

That's the real heart of Monster Hunter: silly, pointless details. Overwhelming you with pages of text from the very beginning to describe the most simple functions. Micro managing a terrible inventory system that branches out into even more details: are you too hot? Too cold? Is your weapon sharp enough? Did you bring a picture of your mom in case you get lonely? And above all, a focus on obsessive collecting over elements like story or gameplay.

If you dislike "details that bog you down" then the game's just not for you. Monster hunter is a game that tries to make the player as human as possible and does it extremely well. as the name suggests you hunt monsters but hunts aren't as simple as "here's a knife, go kill a dragon" for a good reason. If its a bright and sunny day you have no protection, its very likely you are going to get dehydrated and sunburnt after running around chasing a monster for awhile. If you are running around chasing a monster in the cold without protection you are likely to hypothermia and dehydration. Whats the use of trying to tackle a monster with a blunt knife? if you don't like the details go play Ninja Gaiden or Devil may cry. they sound right up your alley.

People obviously enjoy the game, there is no need to go as far as to saying it should have never been developed, locked away e.t.c and from what i and other people gather, usually comes from people who couldn't beat a certain monster which explains mine and i'm sure a few others post. Same applies for your HM analogy.

 

[bobfernando]

Well...

To liven this up, ill just say that if anyone is interested in some group hunting via XLink, send me a PM and/or add me on XLink as "blitzkri3g".

 

[hankchill]

No surprise, it's a known fact that everyone in North America who owns a PSP is running a custom firmware. What is this "buy" you speak of?

In all honesty though, I didn't like MHFU. It felt slow and boring. Bring on God of War!

 

[dib]

But it really wasn't as bad as you made it out to be. Cooking the meat just right wasn't really something that bothered me. It's just a mini-game that is pretty insignificant. You don't even have to cook the meat, except maybe on one of the missions? You could always have brought potions along after that.

What you've said is fair enough, and I agree with a lot of it. And it's not like I'm focusing all my criticisms around that one mechanic, but my point is that cooking is terrible as other mechanics turned out. It's like the game was developed in a vacuum, with the developers unaware that other games have already surpassed it years ago. Even potions are becoming unnecessary, look at the evolution between X-Men Legends, XML2, and Marvel UA: they attempted to streamline the process in the second, and by the third they realized they could do away with them entirely.

 

[fgsfdsyo]

lol
dib it sounds like you're a bit mad

you don't even need to carry meat with you.
hell, you can have you cats cook your meat for you.
i never touched my split once.

it sounds like you're the gamer who likes games that hold your hand throughout the entire game
e.g.
regenerating health
button mash and win
spray and pray to win

as for potions, you can't compare two different genres together like that.
there's a legitimate leveling up system in those games you listed
however mh just depends on your skill in the game
you could give someone end game equipments and they could still lose to a mid-game boss, however do that in one of those rpgs you listed they could streamline through the entire game

just admit the game is too hard for you and that's it

 

[benjaminlibl]

however mh just depends on your skill in the game
you could give someone end game equipments and they could still lose to a mid-game boss, however do that in one of those rpgs you listed they could streamline through the entire game

That is so true. When I'd just begun, I decided I'd cheat and see how well I did. I just assumed, equipped with the best weapons money couldn't buy, I'd own everything.

I ended up getting my ass handed to me by a Khezu. Unbelievable.

 

[dryo]

ok,taking out the preference of each of any of you, looks like the real reason that MH series are not well established in America,it's because of the American Culture, versus the Japanese Culture,each culture has his own ways of attracting certain products, the fact that the japanese were attracted by this game was merely the japanese gaming culture,japanese people have a certain attraction towards teamwork(you can agree with me by watching all those weird life simulators that jap devs do), and yes despite having evrey american using a Custom Firmware and "TRY" the game before buying it it's still not an excuse.


Look at Fireteam bravo 2,it still one of the best franchises on the everlasting PSP,why?, because of their Online service,Mild challenge and simplicity,that's why we all trust the Modern Warfare scheeme so much(uh Army FTW?).Some may say that americans are not used to play games in a multiplayer sense, cause simple we americans just don't trust or don't care about unknown people, for safety reasons, we prefer playing against someone online(by adding them on a forum) than playing an unknown guy that we met a convention, because America has multiple Cultures mixed up in One(im not going towards a racism topic) and the support that america has towards the PSP it's not as good as the Japanese.


From what japanese tend to do or have done, we have to agree that it's not the first time they do such hypes towards a game(remember the pokemon release?)Im talking about the real events made at akihabara square at the release of MHP2ndG,America simply need to adapt the Monster Hunter franchise into the American culture, by making an Marketing wich points american people, and not just simply put some in game footage and have a guy call the games features,ad some features, like Online play,and the fact that the game is "hard" its because it is intended to play with 4 ppl and americans like to go solo(you know...like rambo!)