Has Monster Hunter lost its edge? (Analysis)

lmao my mind keeps creating these bizarre trails of thought
#MonsterHunterRise #MonsterHunterWorld
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I LOVE MONSTER HUNTER
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[@jakobmonsterhunter]

I actually love cutesy Monster Hunter. I love the Felyne village games and Tsukino is one of my favorite Monster Hunter characters.

[@ceoofcorn411]

We get it Jake you are a furry.

[@Rhobeni]

Ahem, FFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYY

[@jakobmonsterhunter]

@@ceoofcorn411 NOOOOOOOOO

[@certfiedratanalyser4544]

@@jakobmonsterhunter you have been baned from the Mickey mouse club >:(

[@meiinuyasha]

Monster hunter is basically onimusha

[@nicholasmiller9468]

To me it always seemed like Monster Hunter was always goofy, cutesy, and flashy, it just didn't translate well in the past games due to technical and graphical limitations and various choices made. When it comes to monsters it's always been a mix bag of making them either terrifying or ridiculous, and everything in between, as each has its own personality and mannerisms compared to one another, adding to their individuality. Tone has shifted in some ways but I feel it's a more natural progression of the series. Honestly it might just be me but I prefer the new direction they went simply down to how I can't help to think how goofy the older games looked even though they were trying to be more gritty. They're just embracing one aspect of the design that's always been there and running with it

[@WisdomAkpan211]

What do you think about world's aesthetic? To me at least, it feels less cutesy and playful with a bigger emphasis on realism, which turned off a lot of fans that started with, say, gu, complaining that its palette is too bland. I always dismissed this as world taking on the grittier aesthetic of gen 1 and 2, but with a tiny bit more color and charm (there are certainly cute interactions). I kind of see a pattern with ichinose's games versus the main series games. The main series games tend to have a more grounded and cinematic experience (mh1, 2, 3, 4 and world) while ichinose (p3rd, generations, gu, rise) turns up the goofs by a lot and also has stylish action hunting

[@nicholasmiller9468]

@@WisdomAkpan211 World to me hit the best balance of not being too soft or too hard in aesthetics. It's a great blend of both styles without relying heavily on either. There's elements that are definitely there to be cute and silly but others that go for a more gritty and realistic feel, while not overwhelming eachother or conflicting. The pallette is definitely vibrant and colorful, I don't know why people would think otherwise. It's more muted, yes, but I wouldn't go as far to say it's overtly dull. I'd use the word rich to describe the shades and tones used for colors in World. Games like GU are eye candy with colors that vibrant wouldn't even begin to describe, they're just overwhelming at points and feel disgustingly sweet, which can be someone's preferred tastes.

[@m_riidi]

No? It's certainly not a "technical limitations" wacky games exist back then and they can make the games more cartoony if they want . It's just what early monster hunter art direction was, serious often intimidating with funny moments. Meanwhile now, I wouldn't say funny with serious moments, but it's way less serious and more inviting.

[@nicholasmiller9468]

@@m_riidi all very good points, but that's not entirely what I was referring to. While textures and art direction are definitely one thing, the pure mechanical basis for older monster hunters were far more ridged and stilted than they are now, which limited the range of movements the monsters and players had. So while I think in some sense they could be terrifying from my persepctive it kinda looks like you're fighting a ride animatronic with how robotic a lot of the monsters move. It's where the silliness creeps in accidentally and that's the technical limitations I was referring to.

[@jet-blackjo2455]

@@WisdomAkpan211 this reminds me while i was hunting a Rathian, she snipped my palico and it flew away in an arc.

[@Carcharadroid]

I'm an MH boomer, started playing with the OG on the PS2 and I've been hooked ever since. But apparently I'm the odd duck out, because my favorite environments have been the ones in World and Iceborne. I actually loved how lush and alive it all felt. The ecology has always been one of my favorite aspects of the series, and being able to just watch the monsters go about their lives in such a realistic looking setting was everything I wanted. That said, I get what you're saying. I like the colorful and cutesy side of MH too, and I think to a degree it's always been there. I feel like MH has always toed the line between grounded and cartoony, with the portable games tending to swing further into the cartoony. I personally prefer when the lean is a bit closer to grounded. But I don't want to see either left in the dust. At the end of the day though MH is MH and I love it all the same.

[@amansliondraq4960]

But man the freaking sling things that were on your right arm it destroyed how my characters armor look it looked like a handicapped looks on the side

[@Kryynism]

I just got MHW a couple weeks ago as my newest MH since my boomer days. I absolutely love the aesthetic. I don't really like Rise though.

[@Kryynism]

I just got MHW a couple weeks ago as my newest MH since my boomer days. I absolutely love the aesthetic. I don't really like Rise though.

[@tanavel6098]

i would love some of the older maps get revamped like flooded forest

[@dan_da5213]

Gen1? Damn. And yea i agree, having that spice of cartooney always made me come back to mh in the older games, like the funny felyne cooking, bizarre weapons and the gathering hub emotes. Always loved how the felyne chefs scamper away when they cook bad food for us hahahaha

[@eluvianii]

You know, this argument creates a distinction between 3 generations of players. Which is kind of a big deal because you always see conversations revolving about only 2, Before World and After World. The notion that Rise doesn't actually cater to veterans but to the middle child (Portable 3d to XX) and that the new fans who like the grittiness in World are actually closer in taste to the original fans could spawn some seriously heated arguments.

[@elk3407]

I think its extremely simple. Team A, who make mainline releases, put a certain grit in their games as well as a focus on slower more grounded combat. Just look at tri, 4, or World Team B who makes portable games has their own different vision that's more lightharted and bombastic. Just look at portable 3rd, XX, or Rise. Two different directions from two different teams, that cater to different people.

[@mightybear5441]

@@elk3407 Honestly I feel MH4 is the most colorful and fantastic themed of all mainline MH titles.

[@skortan]

Personally, I love the idea of gritty hunting, swampy, foggy, misty, somewhat realistic hunts, then coming back to the villages and camps to live out the cutesy, slice-of-life-esque lives with felynes, foods, fun and otherlike things. I think if MH were to move forwards, i would love to see a mix of these developmental and gameplay ideas fleshed out and a duality becomes present - both "wildlife survey" style hunts, and the threat posed by the original games' monsters and environments

[@FeverAmbone105]

If you compare the MH games back ground, the MH developer make more detail at background and less fog/mist in later releases. It's seem they prefer giving higher details than foggy most edgy style for esthetic, or the foggy in 1st gen just the hardware limitations at the time, i mean in mhw interview, the producer and director always wanna living breathing environment as hunting map/bg since at least 2nd gen.

[@pikminjake]

@Felipe NS I argue against this, Death Stranding and Breath of the Wild despite their higher technical specs have quite simple and non convoluted world aesthetic. Even Monster Hunter Rise returned to the mundane. While the technical limitations were part of it, it is not by any means restricting the game’s aesthetic. And a “living breathing world” refers to entities interacting with one another, not visual aesthetic. Adding more ferns and bushes to the map doesn’t make it a living world. They are still static objects to dress the virtual space and pretend it’s detailed. Reality often isn’t as dressed as it is in World. I believe they over did it.

[@F34RDSoldier805]

the fog was 100% hardware limitations. Its the reason we don't fog in every game anymore other than sometimes for design choices. But for old games they had no choice than to add fog, more loading screen/ smaller maps, or more tunnel areas between sections.

[@taragnor]

​@@F34RDSoldier805 This. The fog wasn't an aesthetic choice, it was about hiding the hardware limitations. Monster hunter wasn't really designed to be a horror game. It has cute cat people that serve you food, you run into all these supposedly world ending monsters but nobody ever dies... it was never trying to be a hardcore game.

[@elk3407]

Rise g rank: ho, my tone isn't dark enough for you? Watch this! * becomes darksouls *

[@mysticfox5764]

Heyy that's doesn't sound so bad

[@bigpoppa9721]

more like castlevania

[@eduardoledesma5568]

I have played every Souls game and they weren't has hard as MHW solo hunts.

[@bigpoppa9721]

@@eduardoledesma5568 mhw is artificial Difficult.

[@elk3407]

@@bigpoppa9721 All difficulty is artificial.

[@MieuxMerci]

I really enjoyed when the monster intros were more akin to a nature show. More than the visual aspects of fog or negative space what I find myself missing is the feeling of...danger. In Rise it was all 'the calamity is going to destroy the village' and not once did I think OR feel there was any actual danger. In Tri, Moga village's situation really felt precarious, like it was really at risk from monsters. Also, you are no longer allowed to use any analogy that does not involve ice cream. Sorry, I don't make the rules.

[@jvc776]

it was different with me, everytime i had that sense of imminent danger. But to be honest, even though i have this feeling with normal mh games, monster hunter stories always made me more afraid than any normal game of the series. damn, seeing those cutscenes and tension building as things are happening gave me some chills down my spine.

[@KnightsDisillusion]

I really do miss the feeling of "I'm fighting a dangerous creature in a environment where i don't belong" I do love the fun goofy nature 3rd Gen expanded upon but i think it's gone to the point of feeling too relaxed. I don't really feel intimidated by the monsters which just make them feel more like a video game enemy and less like a creature ready to kill me. I hope Monster Hunter 6 can strike that balance. Edit: Also I LOVE the wirebugs for combat but i think they take away the feeling of "i don't belong in this environment" because it's hard to not feel at home when you can just climb and fly anywhere you want. It makes the maps feel more like a sandbox and less like a dangerous environment. I guess i miss feeling of being at the mercy of nature and still somehow overcoming it.

[@marcusgo6784]

The 6th mh game will definitely have more edge than rise because it is made by the main theme.

[@10kwithzerobitches20]

@@marcusgo6784 my ideal monster hunter is basically the monster hunter world prototype. They got EVERYTHING right in it.

[@marcusgo6784]

Not sure anyone know but mh monsters are also changed, from them being a world overrun by monsters with animal traits to animals with monstrous power in a fantastical ecosystem.

[@marcusgo6784]

@@10kwithzerobitches20 I think mh’s tone change from 1950 dinosaur interpretations to 2010 interpretations of dinosaurs.

[@unicorntomboy9736]

I think the Wirebugs break the game and make you feel way too superhuman

[@tythekingrs4775]

I don’t exactly think that the ‘darker atmosphere’ (for lack of a better term) is exactly intentional. The games just looks bad because they’re old and had to suffer from serious limitations at the time of their creation.

[@florianp1283]

This could be possible. I read, that they focused on the main monster in a hunt and that they are syncron with players online. The sidemonsters like jaggi are desyncron with the players. The reason is simple for that. The consoles couldn't handle that in the missions. The ki would lead to lagg. I realised it in mh3u. The wii u still had this issues. The progress of the consoles is limited and don't seem to be enough.

[@OGR-4394]

You don't create tone by accident.

[@ChokingOnRazors]

@@OGR-4394 yes you do. Not always, but sometimes. Silent hill for example only had fog due to technical limitations that were not present when the HD collection was released. The devs of that collection were incredibly stupid and had no idea that what was originally only there to cover up shitty graphics actually lent itself incredibly well to the tone of the game, and removed it and almost all of the eeriness from the game.

[@taragnor]

@@ChokingOnRazors Yeah, when graphics improve, most developers really want to show them off. In most games, it's a good thing, but it does really hurt the horror element, because the barely visible thing in the darkness is a lot more terrifying than the high resolution beast you can plainly see.

[@Pepto_Dismall]

someone once described monster hunter as "cavepunk" and I couldnt agree more

[@extrakrispy81]

Monster hunter should be goofy tbh. I don't think it would've survived as a series if it didn't lighten up. At the end of the day, colorful games are more popular in general. I know I personally prefer color to the washed-out greys of the older games.

[@m_riidi]

now that you mentioned it, the sfx whenever a monster noticed you always jumpscared me lol. MH was lowkey a scary game I also feel anxious whenever i hunt a new monsters, not knowing what or where they are.

[@therealshubaapostle8920]

Mhfu remastered when

[@Scanvas3]

@@therealshubaapostle8920 I'll literally buy that without hesitation.

[@prarambh1589]

That fucking tigrex scared the shit out of me

[@BananaHoardX]

Old Swamp is just that good. It's almost magical. I used to just go on quests only to roam trough the map. Spent stupid amounts of time chillin in the secret area. Man if only I could get those assets into VR or something I would spend hours just chilling there.

[@Wizards0nly]

I really miss the art style of Medievalesque plate armor bolstered by animal hides and scales, like a caveman. It perfectly sums up the worldbuilding, the technologically advanced , almost industrial society that still relies heavily on hunting & gathering .

[@plus-delta4477]

It honestly seems like there's a divide between the main and portable titles. I was wondering why I tend to enjoy the more grounded games like 4U and World over the more flashy games like GU and Rise.

[@unicorntomboy9736]

I do like the deadpan snark one-liners the avatar protagonist can say during battles. They are fun to listen to, in my opinion. Especially the female hunter with the cockney british accent.

[@AcediaIX]

I kinda like the Aerial in GU

[@spiren8336]

They are made by different people after all. There's bound to be differences, and the fanbase is quick to notice all of them.

[@fadedjate7230]

Is world more intense than rise?

[@plus-delta4477]

@@fadedjate7230 Yes

[@crohmcll3815]

The older and newer aesthetics of each mh games are all seperated by hardware limitations and the games themes and portrayal.its not that they lost the dark and gritty,it just wouldnt make sense to keep it constantly within the ingame day and night cycle within the individual maps.its there but they apply it to where its appropriate.

[@wolflithay6380]

World was my first monster hunter. Being an artist I appreciated so much how the monsters looked like they belonged in the environment and I would theorize how they interacted with their environment. I am a sucker for good animation and graphics as well as a good story. MHW was literally the best thing that ever happened to me, I met really great long time friends I still play with and an insane amount of hours , I can say I loved to waste my time on such a beautiful masterpiece. I am almost to hr 900 and mr 500 and have over 3,000 hrs i think its safe to say Im obsessed 😂

[@jjam424]

As someone who started with Worldborne, your videos peaked my interest in the older games in the series and the features lost as the series evolved to be more mainstream. I will never stop loving Worldborne as that was my first experience, but as I played GU and got used to the combat I felt that the game was more methodical, and the many maps from older games had a feeling of history that World lacked because there weren't ruins due to world being uncharted territory. I played and completed FU low rank and was always satisfied when I beat a monster because of the prep, and because the stakes were high for each hunt. I agree with the sentiment that Rise took the streamlining too far. Since it was no longer a case of memorizing where the monster would be or go at the start of the hunt, or having tracked the monster enough for the scoutflies to know where it would be, it was just go as fast as possible to where the monster is on the map. And the removal of hot and cold drinks got rid of the stakes of hunting in hot or cold environments, the volcano and ice area may as well have been a forest. Also Kamura isn't nearly as deep as even the World village characters. I do disagree with the sentiment that World was intentionally making light of colonization, and I think that "The New World" motif was more meaning to represent how MH is now a mainstream franchise that has players all around the world, especially now in America. Looking back you can see that over the course of the games the Guild goes from a single village to being a worldwide organization, and they're actively pursuing elder dragons because their migrations cause mass destruction, so it would be wise to find the cause and try to stop it. (Also apparently the cause is Fatalis awakening, and Fatty is supposed to be the epitome of humanities past mistakes so it all makes sense.)

[@marcusgo6784]

I think mh 6 will probably be more worldlike and much more grittier than rise

[@ortah2616]

Have to disagree on Kamura being worse than Astera, Astera is pretty bad. Although It's cool how Astera is made of ships, so It has character in that respect, but Kamura being a simple little village doesn't really take away from it's atmosphere

[@jjam424]

@@ortah2616 Well I didn't say it was worse than Astera, I just meant that there's no depth other than it just being a village. Astera is a big mess and Astera doesn't have that homely village feel. And the fact that it was so unnessarily big and had a weird layout. What I meant was there wasn't much to Kamura beyond "the people here are happy, except for when there's the periodic monster rampage." I mean we've seen that in Dundorma, I'll use MH4 Dundorma in this case, Dundorma has been under seige many times in its history and actually incorporates its history into its design, and since its basically the capital of Elder Dragon research it has villagers who have their own histories and functions that go beyond just being cute, there are hunters, and researchers and also civilians that just live there. So to be clear Kamura is just so basic, I'd say it's on par with Kokoto, with a slight edge to Kokoto because of its legend about the "Hero of Kokoto" and the sword in the stone. Like villages can and are supposed to be comforting but I think Kamura was a bit too much.

[@ortah2616]

@@jjam424 You're partially wrong, but also partially correct. Kamura's villagers do all have their own history that you can read up on, but a lot if it is offline only. The village really doesn't have the feeling of a village that is sieged by monsters though. It could be just because everyone's gotten so used to it, but saying that is just filling in the gaps for the writers

[@jjam424]

@@ortah2616 Well I'm not trying to be wrong or right it's just my opinion. Also yeah I know about the secret notes and dialogues, like how Minoto wants to be good at something like her sister or how the Blacksmith is initially disappointed in his son until after the LR story is finished. But there really isn't much beyond that. I never even said that Kamura was the worst I just felt it wasn't deep enough to hold my interest, if you love it more power to you. But then there's the LR story in MH4U with the Ace Hunters who you compete with or they at first question your ability as a Hunter, and then you become trusted comrades, and the Caravan who is composed of a bunch of fun misfits who all have fun personalities, and quirks, with the centerpiece being the Caravaneer trying to figure out what the Article is. There isn't much to Kamura imo than just being cute. Other examples include Felcote being a secret Agent for the guild, the isolated village in 3/3U being initially disconnected from the Guild and the villagers having to deal with that, and some quest ladies being guild knights or former hunters.

[@captaint.tearex9279]

As someone who started with the very first MH game, I have to fiercely disagree with you. I doubt Monster Hunter was ever meant to be gritty and edgy, that's what Dark Souls is for, especially if you look at the felynes and poogie and the jingle that comes with grilling a steak. The only reason why the original Monster Hunter would look so """dark""" and """edgy""" is simply due to hardware limitations. The comparison you did of MH Tri and MH3U is actually a good example in that regard, since the Wii is a weaker console compared to the WiiU. Monster Hunter hasn't lost its edge. That's mainly because it never had said edge in the first place.

[@hit9819]

So basically to sum it all up: 7/10 not enough fog

[@viktorgabriel2554]

Monster Hunter has always been a silly game just read the quest texts and the hunting helpers the feasts and many more things, the fog in the older games was placed there so you would not notice the bad parts of the Graphics

[@jakobmonsterhunter]

So true!

[@Izuku-Midoriya7]

Must be a Nintendo simp. The only thing silly about Monster Hunter is it being on switch.

[@rokechikan4481]

@@Izuku-Midoriya7 I mean, it’s been on the 3DS and Wii before, as well as numerous hand held consoles. Monster Hunter doesn’t discriminate what system it’s on, as long as people enjoy the game.

[@bwunhilduwu9441]

@@Izuku-Midoriya7 ratio

[@kingkamina4953]

@@Izuku-Midoriya7 sounds like you just don’t have one 🤣

[@dima_keller]

I adore World's aesthetic and environments. They feel alive, like you're in actual forest hunting a beast

[@dr.genocide8045]

I for one liked world's aesthetic the most, like the coral highlands for example, despite all the bright and vibrant colors it didn't have a goofy vibe, it was more like you're on an alien planet, and namielle was one of the most terrifying monsters in that game because of it's deepsea creature look, alluringly beautiful but deadly

[@Mode_na]

I know this might be reductive, but doesn't this entire video just comes down to: Some MH games have THIS tone and mood, some MH games have THAT tone and mood. And you prefer this over that? While others prefer that over this? Ultimately it's up to the dev team to decide which to aesthetic to appeal to. There's no such thing as "what monster hunter should be". I understood a lot of your perspective throughout this video. But you really lost me at 13:05 onwards. The fights in MHW never had any trouble "standing out" for me, and I strongly disagree with the idea that adding fog would make anything look/feel better for me personally.

[@superslash7254]

If you watch his other video, which is THREE HOURS long, he gets almost every major point he makes "objectively" factually wrong despite somehow taking up three whole hours to do it. His writing is like a cross between a grad student trying to make a minimum word count and a bluecheck trying to avoid accidentally saying something true or accurate.

[@cannonsplace]

love hearing and seeing things about old MH as World was my first game and I've been hooked ever since. been subbed and appreciate the content!

[@beedrillbot121]

I really noticed a difference when I played Tri for the first time between it and 3U. The biggest thing for me was just how dark the caves were, it honestly made me wish we had more pitch black caves in MH, especially since it gave the torch a reason to exist. Only for every subsequent game to make it useless because the maps are never dark enough to bother using it over a precious mega potion or Mega Demeandrug. IDK what it is, but Tri feels different than the other MH games I’ve played. Like the combination of the lighting, maps and difficulty have a unique feel to it. I just wish I knew the game existed 11 years ago before they removed the online severs so I could fight the high rank exclusive monsters and finally see Loc Lac city.

[@rathalomaniac6212]

I get that. I really loved how you had to light the torches in the caves and stay away from the darker corners if you wanted to see what you were actually fighting. And when the torches inevitably went out in the middle of combat, you would be forced to track a fast-moving shadow and a set of glowing purple streaks, or yellow eyes, or RED eyes (God forbid). Total darkness was an amazing environmental mechanic, and I'm so sad that 3U got rid of it.

[@Deidde]

Originally, Monster Hunter World was intended to have dark caves and other areas. There's no torch, but the idea was to use the (now almost useless) brightmoss. The lighting was significantly tweaked for release, sadly. If you want to see some footage, search "MHW Lagiacrus In Monster Hunter World Prototype Demo HD".

[@aquelgamermexicano]

Loc Lac was THE BEST online server Capcom has ever made off the main games, nothing has beaten it to this day. Majorly because it was SUPER filter friendly. Like let's say you were into hunting a High Rank Great Jaggi to obtain a Wyvern Bird Gem (trust me, veterans from back then will know what i mean). You could make your own room, with all the specifications and even search for those specific things and chances were, you were gonna find rooms. The world would change depending on the events going on, with event weapons that were amazing both game and looking wise. The only flaws were that it had a weekly day off that was a bit randomized and that the HR was very slow since the online mode makes monsters have super extra health for no reason, forcing you to go on groups all the time instead of nowadays having solo player difficulty.

[@aquelgamermexicano]

And yeah, Tri is very different for multiple reasons. One is that it's technically the last classic MH game to be on actual consoles and didn't get back until World, which already took what they learned from 3U, 4U and Generations, handheld games that went on a different direction. If you played Dos, you can see Tri is learning from that game but being its own thing. I mean Gigginox and Gobul are examples of that. I do hope we get to see another underwater game, cause there are plenty of monsters and methods that were good but just needed another game, maybe with the new engine, they can make it work.

[@AcediaIX]

Well, you can technically solo Tri, I had 300 hours of solo

[@bilgtex]

I can really appreciate this video even if you see it as a weak one, seeing it not as the usual games criticism type deal but more of an analysis of a group of related artworks. I see the aesthetic elements of the games background as important, because video games can do their best storytelling and tone setting through just the environment. I'm glad you approach these games as artwork first and mechanics second. Its not quite as common of a lens to look at MH through as technical breakdowns.

[@m97polska]

I think mechanics are as important as artwork but they have to reflect the tone and theme.

[@OklahomaHotdog]

With the graphical limitations before, maybe they made it foggy and not that clear so that it will not be noticeable that the textures and the general environment of the map is simple. If they made it bright and clear, the graphical limitations will be more evident.

[@oak3684]

Very interesting points. I got my proper start with the portable series in MHP2G, so I got attached to the goofiness elements and think of it as a core identity to the series. I also thought the same about how MHW lost the “charm”, when in fact, it appears to be the closest to the very root of the series. IF IT ONLY HAS FOGS!!😆 Speaking of which, I also strongly agree that the Shrine Ruins in Rise could use a more isolated, creepy and mysterious atmosphere…which it is supposed to be according to the settings and the lore behind the place. But at this point, it’s like public park for the Hunter to casually stroll around on their day off. It’s not scary enough but it’s also not that beautiful aesthetically (compared to other similar places like the Misty Peak). In this case, that Chameleos’s induced fog makes the place looks WAY, WAY better! It’s also such a sin to not have any weather effects whatsoever, like the much needed rain in the Flooded Forest. A heavy snowfall in the Frost Islands would also look fantastic, as well as increase the challenge by fighting monsters with obscured visions. The music is also another great point. The older music really caters to the monster and makes them more intimidating, while the newer music are more exciting and cheerful to make the game more…well, exciting! Especially in Rise with the vocal which also inserts the human elements into it, levelling the playing field between the hunters and the monsters. So it’s a very big shift from the tone in MH1 where it’s a “struggle” against the monster, into a “slugfest”. Also, I can no longer see Monster Hunter as a serious game after witnessing Akuma doing a Mew Mew cat pose and blowing me a kiss.🤣

[@Rageouz]

The intense weather effects in Rise would probably be too much for the switch, I'm sure they wanted to but it would've been too much. The music I feel still keeps darker tones for some tracks eg: Nakarkos, Shagaru, Safijiva and Gogmazios

[@ecoterrorist]

The old MH aesthetic really had something to it that made every map and creature a little more special

[@notsohumblebee5150]

So I have terrible news. The edge your talking about is just called graphical limitations of early consoles. Making game bright and complex was near impossible. It did have a unique feel, but it was more a result of them not being able to fully realize what they wanted. The brighter aesthetic is just a result of them getting closer and closer to a vision they wanted to realize. The environments being plain was never ideal. A big problem in the monster hunter community is the praise of a lack of polish. The monsters still do have a horrific feel to them and the more clustered environments just make them feel more alive. They’re NOT bosses with stages that revolve around them. They’re animals In an ecosystem. As they should be

[@dribbler456pls8]

Then how do you explain games on the ps2 with a much more brightier colour aesthetic or the difference in MH Tri and 3U and does it really matter if it was due to limitations? The aesthetics are their and it help create the atmosphere for the game also the video isn’t in advocate against the bright colors it mostly a discussion an analysis, Mh4U despite the bright colors make up for this with the dark undertones of certain monsters such as gore magala, gogmazios etc and even said that world tried to keep to the OG monster hunter aesthetic with the only issue being that the map designs are bit cluttered.

[@jakobmonsterhunter]

I disagree that "modern Monster Hunter" aesthetic and environmental design was their initial intention in 2004. Aside from the official artwork featured in this video, the original concept art devised for Monster Hunter in 2003 also generally matches their official artwork created in the early years of the franchise. If you enjoy Monster Hunter, I recommend purchasing or at least looking up the Monster Hunter Illustrations book for details on their design philosophy. The discussion between an "alive, or immersive, virtual space" is a different topic than "artistic aesthetic chosen for a virtual space" The simplistic-looking virtual ecosystem has equivalent value to a complex-looking virtual environment. They are both stages in the end. More cluster or visual detail does not equal "more alive". Only through interactions between the virtual animals and the virtual space can it be elevated to a point described as "alive". The aesthetic or look of the environment is not important in the topic of an immersive or believable space. A detailed space is just a pretty picture if it does not actually move. I too, agree they should be considered animals in an ecosystem... though this is a separate conversation to the one explored in this video. I'm discussing deliberate artistic look chosen for the games. I state the mundane background is a unique image when coupled with the fantasy foreground. As for why they switched to a cluttered and more-fantastical environmental backgrounds, I only theorize it's to compliment the flashier gameplay. "Visual brightness" is also a separate topic. Again, comparing the MH3 footage to the MH3G footage shows that it has nothing to do with technical limitations. It was a deliberate design choice during MHP3rd to increase saturation to make the game easier to view on portable consoles. Increased saturation was finally dropped again in World becuase it was deemed unnecessary. "Brightness" is not tied to technical limitations, look at any Nintendo title.

[@RavenCloak13]

@@dribbler456pls8 Simple. Either way more time was put into pushing the limits or simply... they had more money. Remember, Monster Hunter was way fucking niche and new back in the original, original game. Hell, they didn't even want to go with this setting originally. Going by the concept art and interviews they wanted to go way high fantasy ala Final Fantasy for the series but budget was a thing so they went for something more obtainable. Make the monsters memorable and the focus which helps with the fact hardware limitations and budget makes putting all the effort into memorable monsters logical and a good way to make the game stand out. JAKOB even mentions multiple times in the video how the monsters are always the focus.

[@dribbler456pls8]

@@RavenCloak13 monster hunter wasn’t inspired by final fantasy, a lot of monster hunter mechanics were heavily inspired by PSO, the traversal between zones through loading screens, the hub world where players can buy items, weapons and choose quests to embark on and a system where players would group up in four to take on bosses and receive loot through RNG. The only differences between the games where the way weapons and bosses were gotten and fought and the survival mechanics monster hunter introduced to differentiate itself from the market.

[@_Tzer]

Chaotic gore magala intro in sunbreak: Ho you are approaching me

[@legendarytat8278]

Rise has that too, the twin maidens' unsettling “synchronization” thing with ibushi and narwa, the lore behind apex monsters, the story behind the relic records scattered throughout the world, etc. In the world of Monster Hunter, the danger, mysteriousness, darkness, edge is the mundane. It's just that people don't notice these much, because these are basically a blank canvas, the material of the paper being the monsters and the lore, the paint being the characters and the culture, the design being the story and events that unfold, and the brush being you and your weapon. Over the years, Capcom has added more and more to this canvas. And when this piece of art named Monster Hunter created is so beautiful and engaging, focusing on the canvas just seems… a bit ridiculous? That's just for me though. Anyways, I don't know about you, but this “edge” has always been here, even though it doesn't really matter to most players including me.

[@jakobmonsterhunter]

This is an excellent point! Something to consider for sure.

[@legendarytat8278]

@@jakobmonsterhunter I'm really glad you took this positively! I personally am actually quite dismissive of this topic though, because stuff like aesthetics never really appealed to me. I just wanted to offer another viewpoint, sorry if it somehow came off rude.

[@ayakashimira1417]

The scroll records in the ice region was terrifying asf. Poor travelers

[@thmistrapillay1811]

@@ayakashimira1417 haven't collected them all cuz I've been away from my games for a while , but I did collect most (not all, so that added to the mystery factor for me) of the sword scolls of the Shrine Ruins. Kind of scary spooky ominous stuff going on there👀

[@MoonLight-uk8ce]

Are you a journalist? I have never thought this deep about monster hunter and I already paid attention to the lore but never this deeply?

[@snowingsteak8761]

I think the change in tone is two things, A most players who I've seen have celebrated the sillier aspects of the series and B the charm of said tone seems to help monster hunter contrast from games it games compared to whilst also making it more mass appealing. As for what I think, I'd like to see the portable continue with the sillier tone but have the main team focus on giving back MHs edge because if we are gonna have two MH teams capcom should at the very most use that to their advantage and please both sides.

[@unicorntomboy9736]

In Generations it's a bit insulting in how overly silly it gets, especially with that dance video with that wyverain girl at the end of that game. How did we go from the gritty eeriness of Freedom 2 to that?

[@sekiro_the_one-armed_wolf]

@@unicorntomboy9736 generations was a celebration of the series. It was never meant to be gritty and realistic.

[@evilformerlys4704]

@@sekiro_the_one-armed_wolf Which monster hunter is gritty and realistic? Wtf have you guys been playing?

[@sekiro_the_one-armed_wolf]

@@evilformerlys4704 none of them were. That’s my point.

[@emenova3553]

@@unicorntomboy9736 Where the hell is the gritty eeriness exactly?

[@CrestOfArtorias]

Nah it was always like that. A lot of what you consider "core" wasnt a design decision but rather technical problems and limitations. I played the old games and I never got the "dark" vibe from them, quite the contrary as a matter of fact.

[@OTBASH]

This is actually funny, because as a new player who played through World first, I remember hearing older fans whining about the serious tone not being goofy/colorful like the older games. And now I'm hearing that the actual OG games that came first were the opposite, and were more serious and dark.

[@WisdomAkpan211]

Thats a good point xD. Many fans started with the highly saturated games of gu and 4u.

[@OTBASH]

@@WisdomAkpan211 I know it goes down to personal preference here but after seeing how dark and eerie some environments looked, I much prefer that look over the colorful wonderland looking ones. Makes the world you're in actually feel dangerous.

[@abyssalrayz9499]

@@OTBASH That’s why i fell in love with MH. The world felt dangerous. But that started to slowly fade.

[@muhammadadam9774]

@@abyssalrayz9499 me too..

[@madlad1912]

There is one time i recall getting the feeling of dread and mystery in iceborne as i did when playing the MH1/2 Its when you fight black val vaalhazak and he turns the entire map into a greenish fog

[@haswinatmadi9586]

Yeay welcome back JAKOB ! I will always be waiting for your next video :). Keep up the good work!

[@LayZKimochi420BlazeIt]

I'm glad you're still making videos, I actually do hope you don't quit outright because there's not that many old gen monster hunter reps on KZbin, the only other one coming to mind being MH United. Love to see old swamp being brought up so prominently because what struck me so evidently from playing mhf1 was the absolute drab and bleakness of the world outside of the village. I imagine what it must be like to kneel down to over a Genprey corpse to carve out its hide as the otherworldly mirror-like swamp water ripples and seeps in between the metal plates of your greaves before making the long journey back to the small village where something as mundane as slaying a Monoblos is considered a legendary feat embedded stone deep into the villages mythos. A village who's guild tavern is a small hallway of aged wood because to the guild your village is nothing more than a blip on piles of paperwork and forms that is only ever glanced at occasionally by a region manager that's about 10 superiors removed from actually having a substantial impact on your local guild's funding or what kinds of quests or monsters hunters from this village are allowed to even hear about. But its all good because at the end of the day you get to have a drink with your hunter buddies as you discuss the next monster to be slayed, being an easier one, giving you the rare luxury of slipping into that comfortable guild receptionist uniform and bring that ridiculous oversized teddy bear hammer.

[@OffTheRailGaming]

You do not need to second guess yourself. Your points are valid and I agree with them.

[@pyoheliobros5773]

In my mind, Monster Hunter had never a dark tone. MH was always goofy and fun. And that's the charme to it.

[@unicorntomboy9736]

I remember the Swamp from Monster Hunter Freedom 2. That environment was so eerie and creepy to be in, especially at night.

[@Tom-jy3in]

mh freedom unite had some scary shit in it. even the shogun was scary at first. and the creepy gathering spots where you basically collected khezu larvae???

[@friskycalibri2293]

@@Tom-jy3in Stop. Do not make me think about the Khezu larvae again, that is horrifying.

[@bhudzSanctus]

Well, i love the environment of world.. it made the maps feel alive. And when i go back to play older games or even rise i just feel like something is off with the maps. Then i realized i got spoiled by how alive world's maps are

[@victorribeiro6772]

These are all valid and true points that you pointed out, I started with Tri and 3U was the next game I got (Temporaly had Portable 3rd as well), and I noticed the huge changes between the two, I missed hunting especially in the caves, I loved fighthing Barioth in the dark with only it's glowing eyes to guide me, don't even get me started with Gigginox... It was all awesome, I would purposely not use the tourch in those areas for the thrill of it

[@nono-ru1mm]

One thing I've noticed missing since the gen 1/2 maps is that ambient music which plays in certain areas of the map. Tracks like Beyond the Fog (even though it was a recycled track from RE4 and DMC) playing in certain areas of the Old Swamp highlights those areas and to me makes map exploration have a more lonely feeling. I feel this feeling makes exploring the old maps and paying attention to small details feel more fulfilling in comparison to 3rd gen onwards where the maps are more visually impressive but feel less engaging in a sense. While 5th gen has added ambient music to fights with small monsters it keeps the focus of the game on those monsters and doesn't add to the feeling of exploration you get from running into an area of the map with a cave or ruins or something. I don't really know how to really put this into words though it just feels like a vibe thing.

[@ripporoo2771]

I totally agree with you, that aspect of the old maps was really cool to me. Imagine coming across a specific area in a newer, seamless MH map and having ambient music play. I will say that there was a small hint of that in MHW when you enter the Gajalaka hideout. Also I think the inclusion of dynamic music was such a great idea in world, I felt like it was a little lacking in Rise, but overall a charming decision.

[@ebering4.039]

My favorite maps were the old maps of MH freedom unite, the game which was my first. I know the old jungle and the old volcano were from Monster hunter 1 but for my argument I‘ll just use them anyway: I liked how they tried to do it like they did in World, the old jungle was so full of plants to the point where I sometimes lost sight on the Nargacuga I was hunting but it still had that mysterious tone to it. In later games the areas seemed more like arenas with less live but still had the fog mentioned in the video, especially the freedom unite Tower that I actually had to climb up. For the villages I really like what they did in 4U Cathar and the Beach were amazing places to be in and almost brought me the serene feeling I had in Pokke back then.

[@thechugg4372]

I think the analysis is interesting, however Monster Hunter Cross/Gen was supposed to be a celebration game, so it's very acceptable to have one game where everyone is singing and dancing.

[@heyheythrowaway]

Based boomer! I liked the manga vs anime comparison. When everything tries to stand out, then nothing stands out and it's all noise.

[@adepressedcatwithabadnicot246]

honestly I think it's just the older games had graphical limitations, the fog for example gives it that silent hill vibe and thats because draw distance wasnt great, but now those limitations are pretty much gone.

[@lucid3711]

the hopelessness the older games made you feel when fighting these huge monsters, the feeling that you'll die and not kill the monster is kind of gone now. I remember playing Freedom unite and feeling scared fighting even the smallest of monsters! I also actually loved how much longer it took to gather materials and make the armor, because it felt much more rewarding when you completed a full set. Now all it takes is 3 runs and you have a full set.. which is not very rewarding at all. Also the old monster hunter games kind of showed me to not give up in the face of adversity as corny as it sounds! Because I would absolutely be getting destroyed by a monster but I wouldn't give up and I would kill it at 1 cart remaining and it would feel so good! It also goes well with the proof of a hero ost, the weak human hunter becoming victorious over an apex predator that nobody would think twice about facing. its just so cool. Sorry for the messy writing, love your videos.

[@titansquirrel4408]

Actual literal lol at the art reflecting life, great as always

[@Terminarch]

5:13 In gen1 I would actually flinch if the monster found me before I found it. I was a kid at the time though... Overall it's the stark *casualization* that is driving me away from the series. I put thousands of hours into gen1 and Tri. Where it was actually an achievement to solo Alatreon. Atmosphere is important but I very much stress the "hunters are too strong" sentiment. Tone the game back to when it was a struggle... I miss it, man. I miss getting wrecked and needing to come up with a better plan, to prepare, to train *myself* to overcome something genuinely (but fairly) tough.

[@gojigiante]

In world, it still is an achievement to solo Alatreon. Unless, of course you killed it on you’re first try, while using a non elemental weapon, as to which you obviously didn’t. Gog, the veterans are getting out of hand.

[@nataliecameron]

Generations ultimates wyverns end map captures dark vibes so well

[@Alepbrahim]

I preferred the current generations rather than old generations. The fact that there is so much differences when it comes to graphics wise, mechanics and system. As much as I want to say, I'd still prefer new gens. Though, this is my opinions, and still I respect your opinions when it comes to old gens. The only problem that I have with new gens is that, there is not enough new monsters and they kept bringing back old monsters (debatable) but hey, I guess CAPCOM is still trying to relive the past by bringing them back to trigger the nostalgia towards Veteran hunters (old players). So they should keep making new monsters and introduce more new stuff, I'll be fine with that. If they somehow remake the old gens and put down new elements that would be fantastic and again it would be phenomenal.

[@unicorntomboy9736]

I liked MH 3/3 Ultimate's overall tone and aesthetic, which was a oceanic/maritime vibe to the setting. It was the first MH game at the time to go for a more colorful, vibrant colour palette, and I enjoyed it overall. It was a stark contrast to the gritty medieval fantasy aesthetic of Gen 1 and 2.

[@CTStyles31]

Your videos are always a treat mate, thanks.

[@LiterallyPolio]

Glad you decided to make some new content. Hope you are well.

[@TofuSG98]

MH3U flooded forest has that feeling but some other locales are pretty vibrant.

[@ScarletStarManor]

It feels like you both latched onto the wrong aspects of MH, and misunderstood it's main thing asthetic-wise. The focus was never on it to be dark, or to have edge most of the time or be super serious, it's always been comedic and goofy to an extent, and was meant to be past the first game in particular, though today... it's getting a little too silly at points, they still are VERY good at getting serious when they need to.

[@Aerie1405]

I'm glad you mentioned the whole thing where people were saying world was "too grounded" and "realistic" it just never made sense to me

[@colethenerd5014]

I think the tone shift was for the better, because the bright lively asthetic fits better for a game that has a mix of realism and fantasy in mind. While the games are never really fantastical they try to portray a living world that thrives and survives even in a more dangerous world.

[@katlicks]

I think one reason for Portable 3rd being "Brighter" is, for the same reason other games like OoT was brighter, it simply looked way better on the 3DS screen which had to make do with a small screen with certain specs. 3U carrying this over didn't seem to be a design choice as much as tech thing that they just kept with. I do prefer the more mundane, and the more realistic grittiness, I was just playing 3U today, and was just thinking about how "Real" it feels. Fighting the lagiacrus, seeing its graceful movement in the water, the way it twists, and dives, and then how it acts on land, it felt like a real creature was observed to make it, rather than just a fantastic beast. The older games with their gameplay being very "Deliberate" brings wight to an otherwise "Silly" over the top selection of weapons, it gives you a new reality to suspend your disbelief for. You know where the lines are, what the stakes mean, what the gravity of the things around you means. When you go too far adding "Fun and fantasy", it robs the world of feeling like there's danger or struggle, and that was a major part of the series. 3/3U is my favorite, and Moga is a great example (Though the first 4 titles are all good examples) of a very simple, not wealthy at all (But by no means poor), village that lives very simply, doing hard and honest work fishing, farming, and doing small hunts. Seeing the ecology get all messed up, and worse, the earthquakes they can't fight against, start up, you really feel like the whole culture is in trouble, they don't have much, they can't just pack up and settle elsewhere, if they leave, their whole heritage disappears. There's a careful balancing act at play, and you don't feel like they have some silly thing waiting for you or like the danger isn't as real as it appears to be, the NPCs all worry about it, and when they cheer you on, they show gratitude, and trying to keep their hopes high, without reducing it to a joke. Although I will say, I think the more joyful and lively tone of Tanzia Port contrasts well with Moga village without undermining it, Tanzia Port is a major hub of the most advanced place in the world, most at the ready to defend itself, and the most prosperous. It's rich in every sense of the word, it shows how good parts of the world have it (Thanks to hard work, dedication, and everyone doing their part to keep it that way, very hopeful and optimistic), and as jovial as it is, it shows Moga's troubles aren't a joke, it's incredibly serious, and the guild is lending the "Firepower" that they need, they don;t have some cartoonish super weapon that'd make it trivial, nor are they holding out by doing dazzling thousand hunter army squads, it feels like even with as much as they have, they don't have enough to do much more than either evacuate, or send a small party (Or lone hunter), so it doesn't take away the "Danger" or the tone.

[@MA-go7ee]

Before even seeing the video, the title reminded me that for a very long time i've wanted to make a video about how MH lost it's grounded, harsh, hostile world in favour of a more gamey, friendly one that feels very different. I don't even know what the point of having resource gathering is anymore for example. It has been completely undermined by the floating health creature thingies in World and Rise and that's without mentioning the tonnes money and resrouces chucked at the player. The game bends over backwards to help the player. I knew the philosophy had fundamentally changed when they changed the Bowgun. Specifically when it became that if you run out of ammo in the clip and press shoot again, it automatically reloads for you. That's the game becoming less complex, requiring less of the player, automating something that you had to do yourself or siffer the consequences. It also takes away from the groundedness of the world - that these are sort of primitive weapons that have limits and are not perfect and have to be learned to compensate for their weaknesses. Another change is when it became a standard 3rd person shooting weapon rather than before when you had to stop to shoot. Again, making the game less tactically complex and more generic, speeding it up to the point it might as well be Godeater ot Toukiden. There's so much more i could say. MH has lost the grounded feeling. From the world to the combat.

[@marcusgo1160]

Mh4 has a teddy bear hammer

[@marcusgo1160]

Mh lost its groundedness when mh is made

[@MA-go7ee]

@@marcusgo1160 by Mh3u the change had already started. When talking about groundedness the contrast I had in mind was between FU and Rise/World/Xx.

[@marcusgo1160]

@@MA-go7ee Tbh, you might disagree with this but to me, World definetly feels like Mh with the most atmosphere

[@NippleTechnology-cc8bg]

theres a trade-off between hunting immersion and more fantasy action i guess. theyve been edging closer and closer to the latter

[@andrewdimaggio5045]

i think the key difference is that old monster hunter focused more on show dont tell, and newer ones tell more than show. like, as he says, old ecology and intro cutscenes were like nature documentaries. they displayed the personality of each monster to be seen. whereas the rise intros and world story told you what things were like and explicitly stated things that could easily have been left to the player to interperet and feel more accomlished for doing so.

[@chili-ax6823]

You should've put the Monkey Hunter Arc from Gintama as a example for the anime and manga thing smh.

[@SuperKratosgamer]

I get what you are saying but i dont think they should just make the game foggy, MH world maps are very interesting, rise background dont match the overcolored characters it looks weird and it is lacking stuff, world background and characters match really well.

[@Gasmurken]

I think they want kids to go monster hunting, that is all it is.

[@Garrad3]

Thanks JAKOB // Monster Hunter , it's refreshing to have a voice in this growing community that remembers the old games.

[@hilmanic28]

"Vibe of the music is cheering on the monster.." Tell that to Lao Shan Lung lmao

[@applenewmoon4402]

Tbh I always seen Monster hunter as goofy, cute, and dark. Especially playing through genU (my first game in the series) the ending got me geeking out lol

[@superdash7192]

Some really great points made in this video in regards to style comparisons. That said, I think there is a concept that comes up in all media and even hobbies that I dont agree with and that is “older is better.” It’s like the base opinion shared by almost everyone about everything. Everyone likes older music more than newer. Older anime more than newer. Cars? They all like the older ones better. Games? Older is better. So its just very hard to take criticism seriously when you see there is an overwhelming bias towards older things in pretty much all things entertainment. The combat in newer Monster Hunter games is something I think is objectively better. It’s flashier because you can do more. An argument could be made that combat was only a factor in a hunt and not the primary facet of gameplay amongst prep, tracking, then finally fighting to complete a hunt. In that sense, maybe the older style is a more “complete” experience but…the combat in my opinion has only improved with each new iteration. Worldborne did a great job of mixing classic tracking/hunting with big damage flashy combat.

[@jakobmonsterhunter]

I have more hours in Monster Hunter World than I do most other MonHun titles. Monster Hunter World is a good game, I never said the older is objectively better, but there is a reason many people have bias and complain: They want Monster Hunter 1 (or 2 or 3 or whatever) to be BETTER. And unfortunately Capcom (like most other video game companies) stops improving old titles and switches direction significantly to cater to a different audience (and potentially make more money). The original audience naturally gets confused because it's no longer the same product. So whether or not the product is good or if they like the product, a bias naturally forms.

[@superdash7192]

@@jakobmonsterhunter Yes, Capcom is great at confusing the player base and drastically changing trends in their games that don’t need fixing. My favorite game is MHGU because I feel it has the best elements of all the MH games well incorporated into one package with a giant roster. What’s yours? Enjoyed the video, btw.

[@jakobmonsterhunter]

@@superdash7192 My favorite is a tie between Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate and Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate! It's hard to choose between them. :)

[@superdash7192]

@@jakobmonsterhunter Makes sense! MH3 was my first! Thanks for the reply, looking forwaed to more vids!

[@blankblank6214]

monster hunter was always goofy and has progressing in goofyness iv been playing mh freedom of recent

[@thorveim1174]

Malzeno: "did you say.... EDGE?"

[@azurSPAWN89]

3:53 touhou cirno what she doing there it's vary cute picture and vary good video keep up the work.

[@blackblitz2011]

I see rise music as if the tale/legend of the hunter is being a song about how his amazing battles were. similar to old games where they told stories of hunters, i feel like these hunts are you the player playing out that story.

[@RavenCloak13]

Honestly, it feels like newer games in general don't want to use fog mechanics and the like because they don't need to anymore. A lot of those fog aesthetics you see in older games were usually used to hide or obscure the map loading in for the player or to make up for graphical limitations. Nowadays graphics and the models for the worlds made are so detailed that people don't want to hide it even if it would work with the aesthetics your trying to make. I do like the direction Monster Hunter went into, feels more bombastic and makes more sense how you'd be able to fight these grand beast though I can understand the feeling of lose of the older games of everything counts and the monsters were more oppressive but man fuck those controls though... Also the hitboxes... Diablos damage aura and Plesioth hipchecks... Like it still does feel like Monster Hunter since the series always had that element of fun and enjoyment to that. Classic meat cooking mini-game jingle, bug catching and mining, gathering herbs and such, the animation you do for healing, the emotes you could do and the thrill of always progressing to new monsters and beating them. You also had the cats be added in pretty early on in the series life span as companions. You even had that thing with how they originally wanted to go with the Monster Hunter series. Have it be more high fantasy and such but they ended up going more into making these monsters feel real and trying to make a more realistic feeling world but still have an element of that fantasy with the armor and the bowgun weapons and mystery with the Old Civilization. Though the main things I miss are the ecology videos. They really gave a sense of the monsters just living and like you said gave the series a nature documentary feel. The fucking Plesioth seems so much more terrifying then in game as an ambush predator until you start fighting it and then it becomes terrifying cause fuck that things hitbox with the swing of its tail and hipchecks in the smallest section of the desert map in that little cave. True oppression there. And Khezu felt way more threatening then other monsters do to how low your weapon sharpness could still be at the time you fight it and you bounce off that things hide and somehow it would feel more difficult to fight then other monsters, even the ones with harder scales. I must say though I never really found the maps of the old games to feel oppressive and lonely. Felt just more like a realistic place to fight these monsters in. A lived in place these creatures live and your off on an adventure to slay them. Especially so since even in 1 the opening cutscene has multiple hunters fighting together to take on a mighty Rathalos and the game was promoted as hunting with friends if memory serves. Though I usually played more 2 and Unite when I really got into the games as a kid. While 2 had the more solo feel Unite was definitely promoted as a game to play with friends. "In the world of Monster Hunter, your never alone." Though somehow I felt more lonely in the Borderlands games where I ended up picking Mordicai so at least I'd have Bloodwing with me. Might have been the overworld moody sound the original Borderlands had to it. You see the characters always promoted together but when you get into the game your the only one who gets off the bus if you play alone. While true for Monster Hunter as well if you play alone it still felt more adventurous then oppressive. Your taking on this mighty beast alone but with time and great effort you can succeed and it would feel great. I always wished that they would take the style of the ecology videos and do more spin-off media like that. Make literal full length nature documentary videos like old school Animal Planet or Discovery Channel with the Walking With Dinosaurs or Prehistoric Planet. Would give a real sense of life to the series and a good complement to the gameplay I always felt the ecology videos provided. Really make you fell these are living creatures even more. Hell, even do videos of hunter culture in the cities like it's Dinotopia.

[@dgccfhf2581]

mh had small zones, there was no need to hide anything because hardware back then wasn't this bad, fog was used to create atmosphere

[@Knitmur]

@@dgccfhf2581 I mean I will not say 100% but loading zones etc are often their because they don't have enough resources to actually make a whole world constantly active while having the textures etc the way they want. Fog can be used the same way, it may have been a part of it for aesthetic reasons and hardware limitations.

[@dylantan4245]

Started with MHFU and my next game was MHG then GU then Rise. I really was taken back by the change in tone from the life or death fights, dolphin-diving to safety to the less stressful battles, skills and movesets that made combat so much easier. Especially in Rise, which borrows some mechanic from world. But aesthetic wise I love the climb in aesthetics, which make things more engaging, more optimistic but still calling back to the old games dark tones such as the magala battles, narkakos’ fight and the rampage missions where the villagers are screaming at you to protect the gate as its the last line before our village is hit.

[@Paleonyx]

I do prefer the more gritty feel of older games, they made the more jokey elements better and was much more atmospheric. But I still like the more light and jokey tone of the modern portable games too. It's a win win for me honestly, if I want a harder, slower, more gritty game, I'll play Freedom Unite, if I want a more fast, fun, and lighthearted game, I'll play rise or 3U. Games like rise still have darker and grittier parts too, so I don't feel like the grittiness is gone or anything. Though I would love a Freedom Unite or MH1 remake with modern controls, but that same gritty feel and difficulty

[@fatalishuntinghorn]

I like this more happy "style" if we just playing like dark games there is something more happy and colorfull really nice in my opinion something like mhgu is just Beautiful

[@sif2152]

I love Rise because of how it is. Charming, lovable, flashy and most importantly, fun. If I wanted a dark and gritty experience I'd go play Dark Souls or Bloodborne.

[@10kwithzerobitches20]

They should use the monster hunter world prototype as a baseline for the 6th mainline game. They got the environment, the gameplay mechanics, the aura of danger following monsters, and lagiacrus of course. I havent played it obviously, but from what I saw, it got EVERYTHING correct

[@jakobmonsterhunter]

Yeah it’s pretty awesome. I agree! The monster hunter 4 prototype is also really interesting and to me is the ideal direction.

[@marcusgo6784]

@@jakobmonsterhunter World has a different tone because it is part of a different continent

[@lovepooky]

Art critique is not objective, cannot be objective and you need to grow up past this childish assumption that only facts and OBJECTIVE TRUTH is worth discussion.

[@lovepooky]

You are alloeed to have an opinion, ecouraged, even. Just be confident in your opinion and state it for what it is. It's what distinguishes you from someone else

[@Janosch122lp]

As someone who started out with the psp games the newer titles on nintendo consoles seem cartoonish to me and I much prefer the realistic aesthetic of say Mhw

[@-WanderingNomad-]

For me, I've enjoyed the more whimsical end for monster hunter not too whimsical but just enough. When I saw the mh4u cinematic I wanted ro BE in that world, I felt like the world had so much vibrancy yet the monsters felt grand and intimidating and I love it! I drew the line with world since there are quite a bit of personal issues with design philosophy.

[@wallacesousuke1433]

This guy is living proof that nostalgia can have the same effects as drugs xD

[@tammyhall2530]

Personally, one of the reasons Monster Hunter Games are so much fun for me is how vibrant stuff is I dont really need to strain to make things out

[@JXZX1]

It seems the answers depends on the team developing the game. Ichinose’s games seem to play up the fantastical, gamey aspects of the series.

[@johncollins8070]

Personaly i loved worlds maps, it made me feel like i was actually in a world enhabited by monsters, it felt more lived in

[@onetoughpickl1729]

In my opinion I feel like monster hunter shouldn’t be defined by its asthetic but by its gameplay and what you make of the hours you log into monster hunter! I’ve been playing since 4U and every game, cute or not, has been a blast simply because I get so immersed in it!

[@AxiamWolfe]

Something that never made sense to me was that I had a couple of friends complain that the color palette of MHW was too drab, and they'd go out of their way to use Reshade to add more vibrancy manually. Now having come straight from a history of MHP3rd-MH4U-MHGU I too noticed the drop in vibrancy, but it was only after I saw that side by side comparison of Lagi in MH3 and MH3U did it really click as to why I didn't mind it. The dulled colors made the monsters feel just that little bit more rooted in (pesudo) reality, compared to the Saturday Morning Cartoon vibe that striking bright electric blue gave it.

[@jakobmonsterhunter]

It's funny, if you actually increase the vibrancy with Reshade, the backgrounds can actually get more visibly intrusive. I wanted to try it myself but realized that it's unnecessary and the game's color scheme was balanced as it was for a reason.

[@HonISfirE]

It's relic of bloom and brown ps2 days

[@RavenCloak13]

Which the funny thing is that isn't really true for nature. Especially for male animal species. They have very vibrant and distinct colors. Then you have the Lagiacrus comparison as well. It's a sea beast. It's scales should actually be naturally more reflective outside of the deep ocean like the giant fish we haul up here in Hawaii out in the deep blue like the big kind of tuna or marlin. The colors would definitely be vibrant. Though it also depends on the lighting you have. Bright sunny Hawaii weather? Vibrant colors. Overcast that covers the sun? More muted colors.

[@miguelmello6504]

in my opinion the old monster hunter aestethic is more unique and terryfying. i would love to see a new title with that OG vibe, it would be gorgeous

[@Expresso52]

Even if you believe you weren't able to properly portray your thoughts a couple times in this vid, you put a lot of thoughts I had into words. It always confuses me when people point to some of the silly aspects of MH like the flex to justify all of the crazy shit that's been happening under the guise of "MH has always been silly!". While true to an extent, can they really not see the tonal difference in MH1 vs GU? Like you said though, it's more of a portable thing where the tone is more lighthearted and flashy. MH6 will likely have a grittier tone than Rise, though I doubt it will give me that threatening, lonely feeling that some of the earlier MH games gave me

[@lisaschuster9305]

I honestly love all parts of monster hunter I have played so far, from Freedom Unite to Rise.

[@raizekalos5721]

Ok question if you actually read this, why do you seemingly insist on maps and such being washed out, bland, and mundane? Like so much of nature is fuckin beautiful, and colorful, and varried, and insane, so why should Monster Hunters world not be?

[@slenderhatesmillennials195]

nature can also be unsettling, dangerous and unnerving, ever been to a forest engulfed with fog? Or do you just think that fog and darkness make maps "bland and mundane"?

[@jakobmonsterhunter]

This is a discussion of aesthetic, neither are better or worse. And both of these separate descriptions can actually be applied at the same time. I personally would describe any forest to be washed out, bland, mundane, but also beautiful, colorful, varied, and insane. I believe most of the First Gen Monster Hunter maps could be described this way. These terms are ultimately meaningless, which is why images are better descriptions of aesthetic. I was discussing how the look of a fantastical monster and fantastical hunter against a visually calm background is a striking image.

[@raizekalos5721]

@@slenderhatesmillennials195 yes, and I've also stood in a bright forest? I'm not saying both can't exist but he talks about how maps in general should all be like that, which why? Beyond a want for a more dark setting that was barely even there to begin with? And I don't think that fog inherently makes something bland or mundane, but he literally talks about how he wanted maps like the old games, and then describes them being "bland and mundane" as a good thing

[@raizekalos5721]

@@jakobmonsterhunter no offense but you're quite bad at conveying any actual meaningful ideas in these videos, and it just kind of turns into ramblings that have little direction or consistency, with poor backing for most of the points you do bring up. But that aside yes it can create a striking image with contrast, but ultimately how does THAT somehow end up creating a more "realistic" or "believable" moments or imagery for you? Like compared to something like World where the maps are very full and alive, where the monsters are actually "living" in the world that was created for them, rather than looking like they're unnatural cratures that don't belong. and this video really comes across as if you're saying that nature or the maps should be more washed out and dark, when theres a lot more to even our world than just muted colors, empty clearings, and grey skies I also heavily disagree with you about the music in Rise specifically, just cause a theme has vocals in it, doesn't inherently mean it's cheering you on, in fact there's plenty of themes where the vocals are basically dirrectly attempting to cause fear and dread like with Bazel, Tigrex, Elders, Magna, Frost Isle, etc (also Frontier Crimson Fatalis theme, nothing to do with Rise but it's a fuckin bop) and in some cases like with Frost Isle or Magnamalo, it literally meat to be the cries of lost souls or spirits, cause of the whole Japanese/Yokai aesthetic, so not sure how that adds "humanity" to their themes

[@AJ-tv9rn]

I get the argument with the complexity of the environments and how the amount of combat flare should match but I really like World’s locales and their complexity; I think the amount of flash/flare in World/Ice’s combat is a good middle ground and the complexity of the environments and amount of flare don’t need to match that much unless one is too much higher than the other. Gen/GenU (and I guess Rise now) being the flashiest and the others being lower on the flash scale, World sorta sits in the middle and I think it’s fine compared to the environmental complexity. I think the amount of complexity in the environments and the small details with the animals (like picking up bones in rotten veil unleashes spiders, etc) made it feel very alive (at least for a while until it just devolves into a normal game again) and I prefer it to the tone that you were trying to portray in the video. I only played 4U, Gen, World/Ice, Rise (+ Stories 1/2) so I kinda prefer the goofiness and extra flare.

[@tbc1880]

I'd like to see a game where they go hard in the beauty in the environment but have a cast of monsters that blend into it so you can just be walking around the map and be 2 inches from the monsters face, have it be harder to find the monster before it finds you. Then maybe add 2 invasion type monsters one which blends in maybe similar or a variant of chamy, and another which is impossible to miss but so insanely above bar for the longest duration of the game that it sends everything you included packing. Like put an end game g rank monster in the low and high rank maps and have you go the whole game fearing it until you get to the end and you get your chance to put it down.

[@nickbutler9831]

In my opinion, the characters and world were a bit on the darker side, considering the dragon war and all that. But the people don't let it keep them down, while in most media a giant dragon threatening to destroy a village would panic, in most monster hunter it's treated like a celebration and a time to get pumped up

[@scullyf2254]

Expectation: Some guy shitting on 5th gen again because new = bad Reality: Just a fun video Damn, now I have the urge to boot up MHGU again.

[@Ligmyster]

I tried the older games but I just couldn't get into them, but I'm playing World rn and its so much fun. I think adding a story to the game gave me more motivation to actually grind to progress in the story as oppose to just grinding to beat a monster and then grinding again to beat a stronger monster until I beat the strongest one.

[@AcediaIX]

Rise was honestly too easy that I had to go back to freedom Unite just to make up for the lost challenges, well I technically still enjoyed MHW iceborn more than the past titles even though Ive played them all, I always play solo and that's probably the reason why i did not enjoy the past titles as much as World, I get carted in world more than other games so World is the hardest for me(I am definitely not gonna admit that i got carted by Small monsters in FU)

[@mdjv]

fun video man, i have a friend who cant play world because he cant manage to get rid of the fog looking background, i everyone is different ^^

[@rathalomaniac6212]

I'm so glad I was able to find someone who shares my sentiments about the franchise and can eloquently put them to words! I just recently finished your over-three-hour-long video essay on MH2Dos, and I absolutely loved the points you had to raise (except the one about MH1 being unplayable, which I wholeheartedly disagree with). If you have anything, ANYTHING more to say about these games, I truly hope you can find a reason to continue making videos.

[@jakobmonsterhunter]

I’m gonna eventually give MH1 another try (actually MHG) because private online servers haha