Recent reviews by Full Gambit

There is a lot that can be said about this game. Most of it good, some of it bad, and other components questionable. I'll try to break that up here to give you a decent idea of what you're getting into. Take into consideration this is my first MH game in the series and hold bias towards it for being as detailed as it is by comparison to others that are more true to the original MH formula.

TL;DR - This game has a steep learning curve but if you invest the time to learn it, it's very gratifying. Beautiful surroundings, epic OST, solid mechanics, and addictive play. It can be repetitious at times but still aids in the gratification of climbing that tall, challenging ladder. A fight worth having that keeps me coming back for more even after I've done everything.

Story:
Frankly, it is barely noteworthy. It's not the kind of story you share anymore than you would share the plot of a movie you wish you hadnt seen. It's not the worst thing in the world but "B-rate Movie" comes to mind. The cutscenes are unskippable unless you mod that away, which I would recommend. There are also ~9m 20s of credits that are also unskippable once you finish the base game. I'll say it again, mod that away if you purchase this game with intent to finish it. You'll thank me later.

Solo Play Expectations

There is a monster up to something that needs dealing with and you're the person to do it. Each one is to be treated like it were a boss of any other game. This is where you will find most of your challenge. Anyone who has played MH before will find running into the fight easy as they know what to expect from their weapon and the monster itself. If you have not played MH before be prepared for a steep learning curve to be minimally successful ("beating the boss"). Therefore, you will be adapting A LOT to each scenario. Being able to adapt is crucial. Understand this now before reaching out to the community to be met with "git gud".

Gameplay:
Fortunately, this isn't Dark Souls level difficult but it will challenge you. You will need to research the monster (in-game), practice with/discover your weapon of choice, and, most importantly, have a plan to be successful consistently and yes, sometimes that means testing some assumptions at your convenience, if you know what I mean. Most of the time, you'll be preparing for your bout with the monster which is a learning curve on its own. Fortunately, its the kind of curve that is easy to come around and gets quicker with time. There are plenty of added elements to help you streamline your prep time down to something like 30 seconds if you're not actively trying to plan an entire build. After that, you're off to the fight to see how you do. Adapt what you learn.

Weapon Usage:
Playing this game is knowing your weapon and there are 14 weapon types to choose from. Anyone who has played hack n slash games before this will find it clunky or outright slow. Granted there are a couple of weapons that maneuver very quickly and present a lot of opportunities to seize with that speed if that's your thing. If not, there is certainly a type of weapon for every kind of player. The best way to describe the sword/gun play is methodical. There aren't combos, per se. It is moreso that each swing is the top of a flowchart of multiple follow-up options to utilize as the fight escalates or situations change. They feel just like combos. Playing with just one weapon will eventually catch up to you in the form of getting tossed around because particular monsters can either outmaneuver or outright cancel out the style of play that comes with said weapon. So... you know... Adapt.

Multiplayer Expectations

Capcom made some horrible decisions when it came to employing this idea. There are truly too many ways they could have improved this. There is your session (lobby) that players join into. This can be private, friends only, or open for anyone online to join. Assigned quests (the plot) require all would-be participants have seen the cutscene of the quest as a prerequisite to joining someone else. That would mean each person who wants to play together starts their own individual quest, travels out to the map, arrives at the cutscene, and then all but one person quits the quest. The one who doesnt quit is then joined by those who did by the same means they initiated their original quest. Its a lengthy process and absolutely terrible design. The method which you join quests can also NOT be used to join other players in expeditions. Anyone on expedition is required to use an SOS flare to allow their friends to join them. This also opens it up to anyone online unless you set a password or something. Fortunately, there is an upside which is literally anything else. Optional Quests, Investigations, and Event Quests, which there are staggeringly more of than the aforementioned are all easily joinable without any requirement outside of being leveled high enough to take part.