If you haven’t heard of the Monster Hunter series, you aren’t alone. While the series is huge in Japan, it hasn’t been anywhere near as successful in the West. Capcom is hoping to change this when Monster Hunter Tri hits stores this week. While classically a PlayStation franchise, some technical issues in the jump to high definition caused Capcom to shift Tri over to the Wii. This platform shift could help open up the series to a new audience, but will it save it in the west?
The Monster Hunter name is pretty explanatory of the game. Given a wide variety of weapons, players hunt down various monsters. The formula is simple but still satisfying. Monster Hunter Tri adds several new features to the series, including compatibility with Wii speak as well as underwater battles. While not initially built with the Wii controller in mind, Tri has the benefit of coming bundled with the all new Classic Controller Pro.
The major draw for Monster Hunter, at least in Japan, has been its online play. Unlike in Japan, Monster Hunter Tri will be free to play in North America. Online play is purely cooperative and will allow up to four players to attempt to bring down exceptionally vicious monsters. You can either roam freely in an experience similar to the single player game or you can streamline the process and with arena battles.
It will be hard to predict the success of Monster Hunter Tri. Its is a game that relies heavily on its multiplayer, but history hasn’t been good to the franchise in the west. The platform change and bundling in the Classic Controller Pro might help give Monster Hunter Tri the sales boost it needs to be a success. This game will be good, but it will be better when played with a couple friends.
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