It has been far too long since video game company Sony released the last Monster Hunter game, but their latest game, Monster Hunter: World, hits the ground running.

The first Monster Hunter game by Capcom was released in 2004 on the PlayStation 2 system, or PS2. The graphics in Monster Hunter released on the PS2 were some of the most astonishing visuals of its time and pushed the boundaries of what the PS2 was capable of. Its sequel, 2006’s Monster Hunter 2, was released only in Japan on the PS2 and later in 2007 on the PlayStation Portable (PSP). It wasn’t until the third installment of the franchise, 2010’s Monster Hunter Tri, that the series shifted gears and released in North America on the Nintendo Wii. In 2013 and 2016, Monster Hunter 4 and Monster Hunter Generations released in Japan and North America respectively, and for a while, it was expected that the series would stay on handheld consoles.

However, halfway through 2017 at the E3 convention in Los Angeles, a debut trailer for Monster Hunter: World brightened the big screen and the face of every gamer at the convention. Not only was the the beloved franchise coming back, but it was coming to Sony’s newest console, the Playstation 4. The game’s release date of January 26th, 2018 was inscribed on my calendar with excitement and anxiousness. I could not wait for this game to drop into stores and my hands. When the release date finally arrived, I rushed to the nearest store to pick it up and bring it back home, and I was blown away.

Monster Hunter: World is so rich with color schemes that it almost does not feel like a video game. During the first hour of the game, you start with pretty much nothing and encounter a multitude of amazing creatures in this vast new land. As the game progresses, the player gains the ability to create new armor and weapons from the monsters that have been hunted and defeated. They will become instruments in helping the player advance through the game.

In playing the game, I found myself a purpose in every mission; learning ways to craft new armor and weapons that I probably would not have been able to do on my own. Another challenging aspect of the game is the artificical intelligence, or A.I. of the monsters. I found myself having to try new tactics every time to hunt down a recurring monster, or having to quickly adjust my strategy to combat a new type of monster. Another key aspect of the game is watching how the monsters interact with each other. Knowing which ones are predators and which are prey became vital to locating each monster.

Overall, Monster Hunter: World is an outstanding new game for all players. If there is one game to purchase in the next couple months, it’s this game.

     5 out of 5 Spurs.