MH: World is my first time playing an entry in this franchise and I have been pleasantly surprised. Although the learning curve can be a bit steep initially, the game really rewards the player for immersing yourself in its world. Quality combat, beautiful maps and excellent game design go a long way in keeping you coming back for more.

Capcom is always a frustrating developer with regards to their UI layout, and the game suffers from a lack of descriptive assistance in helping to learn the game fundamentals as a newcomer. I would recommend befriending someone who has a history with the MH franchise previously. All that said I highly recommend this purchase and also recommend playing it with a group of friends. The game offers the player many different play styles to choose from as well as a mind boggling number of item and weapon customizations. 9/10 Highly recommended.

Edit: The expansion added a ton of new content and improved the gameplay and QOL dramatically. Also recommend the expansion.