(ATK x MV x Sharp x Hitzone) + (Element x Sharp x Elmzone / 10) = Total Damage
- ATK - Raw weapon damage.
- MV - Motion value. The slower the animation the more damage.
- Sharp - The sharpness of the blade (a value of .50 to 1.50).
- Hitzone - Damage for where the monster was hit (different body parts are effected differently).
- Element - The raw elemental damage of a weapon (if any).
- Elmzone - Elemental damage for where the monster was hit (different body parts are effected differently).
There is also an Affinity stat, the probability of doing critical damage, expressed as a percentage ranging from -100% to +100%. Strong hits (positive Affinity) do 25% more damage and weak hits (negative Affinity) do 25% less. There are instances where negative affinity can actually do more damage than positive affinity, but I'm not going to get into that here. The formula for calculating Affinity:
(ATK) x 1 + (.25 x Affinity) = Average Damage
Play style is further defined by the type of weapon being wielded by the Hunter: light (Sword & Shield, Dual Blades, Insect Glaive), heavy (Gunlance, Greatsword, Lance, Hammer), ranged (Bowgun, bow), or technical (Switch Axe, Charge Blade, Hunting Horn). The Greatsword for example, has the highest damage output but is slow and heavy, impacting how quickly the player can move or draw the weapon. It dulls fast, making it an impractical weapon for monsters with especially tough hides. However, World is very forgiving compared to past, more punishing entries in the franchise. I managed to kill a Barroth with a greatsword on my first try in World, something that was near impossible in Tri. The hammer's blunt damage on the other-hand, is amazing for making the armored monsters see stars. Each hit (other than on the head) will drain the monster's stamina, putting a stop to its more dangerous attacks by exhausting it. But without cutting damage it becomes impossible to sever tails.
Camouflage can now be used to hide from monsters.
The core gameplay loop of the Monster Hunter franchise is simple: kill beasts, craft gear with their skins, kill even bigger beasts, craft better gear, repeat. The player will need to master their chosen weapon's abilities and take full advantage of a monster's openings to succeed. Every beast has a tell or windup to their attacks. These tells are easy to spot early on but become shorter and less broadcasted with the late game monsters. Anticipating these attacks and dodging or striking at the right moment is key to avoiding raw damage and status ailments. A mission will fail if the player faints three times or runs out of time - usually 50mins.
For the first time in the series history the world is completely open and unbroken by loading screens. This in turn has generated a world that actually feels alive. Herbivores with (easily spooked) birds perched on their backs will stop to drink water from a stream and they'll become restless when a predator is in the area. The player can watch a Great Jagras devour an Aptonoth and follow it back to its lair where it will regurgitate the meat for its kin. The monsters react to each other, either by initiating turf wars with fellow apex predators or by running away when faced with a greater threat. The player can now interact with the environmental as well by using walls to parkour onto monsters backs. They can cause environmental damage by breaking dams, allowing the water to wash a monster off a cliff or disturb rocks, causing them to tumble down onto an unsuspecting predator.
Astera (hub area) is where the player character resides until a mission is accepted - either an open-ended expedition (no goal or timer) or a timed mission in one of five distinct biomes. The player can take a limited number of provisions with them, anything from nutrients to boost the health gauge, food to extend the stamina bar, whetstones for sharpening blades, cold drinks for the desert, attack and defense boosters, et cetera, et cetera. Scout flies assist the Hunter in tracking monsters or highlight harvestable resources such as plants, bones, and ore in the environment, which no longer require bug nets and pickaxes. once a monster has been located the player can take several approaches to slaying or capturing it, such as using small projectiles to blind or inflict debuffs. Each region also contains environmental hazards that can act against or in favor of the player, such as lava geysers erupting periodically.
Left: Astera contains the players home, shops, and a meeting area. Right: Grabbing a bite to eat before a mission can boost player stats.
Monster Hunter: World is a breath of fresh air. Everything has been streamlined, simplified, or improved. It now takes fewer resources to craft gear, and new systems make it easier than ever to acquire the rarer components, eliminating most of the tedious grind present in past entries. Melee and ranged armor sets (plus their restrictions) have also been eliminated in favor of having two armor styles, with the player free to choose whichever set they like best. World is by far the easiest, prettiest, and most immersive entry in the franchise - a great starting point for anyone looking to join in the hunt.First posted to videogamegeek.com
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