Boy, this is, like, the classic kind of early release for a new platform, isn’t it?
Take a franchise people like, take one of its latest games, repackage it for the new
platform.
That way, you make a buck off the system without making a costly new game for its small install
base.
The Wii got old ports, the Wii U is getting lots of old ports.
Even old Wii ports.
And make no mistake, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is precisely that.
This is Monster Hunter Tri—the 2009 Wii game—dressed up in HD and released for the
Wii U.
That’s hardly a knock, that’s just the reality.
Fortunately, the good news is...more went into Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate than you’d
expect.
Like, a lot more.
So if you missed the original Wii game, Monster Hunter Tri is a massive action adventure game...about
hunting monsters.
Kind of a fitting name.
And “massive” is a fitting description.
Seriously, this game is huge on a scale that...actually strikes me as unnecessary.
Some of the battles take nearly an hour.
In fact, it’s got more than 100 hours of quests.
I mean, that’s literally four complete days of your life.
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate isn’t a game.
It’s a life decision.
And if you’re into really big action RPGs, it’s a good life decision.
The original game released to rave reviews, and the Wii U version only adds to the experience.
So you’re getting the same game, but with a ton of new content.
There’s a new monster, 580 new items and materials...oh, and 2,042 new pieces of equipment.
It’s, like, if you dug the original, but you were like, “Meh, should’ve been more.”
This is for you.
Listen, Capcom clearly went the extra mile here.
But that doesn’t change the fact that this is an old game.
And it somehow feels older than it actually is.
Maybe that’s because the Wii hardware was outdated in 2009, let alone 2013.
But even with the facelift, this is not a great looking game.
Lots of empty environments, textures that the HD certainly doesn’t help...this game
has aged pretty rapidly.
And you know, it has to do with more than just the graphics.
Some of its design feels outdated, too.
It’s a really disjointed experience.
You’re constantly being interrupted, by text or loading screens; you’re always walking
through empty space; the game puts so much stuff between you and the action, it’s easy
to just...get bored.
It’s a design that really needs to be streamlined.
But again, for what it is...this is as good as it gets.
And Capcom has certainly added a lot.
There’s local multiplayer, online...actually, one of the game’s coolest features is the
3DS connectivity.
You can play multiplayer with people playing on 3DSs, which is just awesome.
It also moves all your HUD and maps to the GamePad, which leaves a simple, clean display
on your screen.
If the game were better looking, that would be awesome, too.
I am not a Monster Hunter guy.
But if you are, well...this is Monster Hunter Tri, but bigger.
And better.
Although...just four years later, the game is already showing its age.
If you’re looking for a Wii U game that you can play until the planet is actually
overrun by monsters, this is a fantastic choice.
Just...keep a 2009 frame of mind.