MONSTER HUNTER FREEDOM UNITE for iOS Review
PROS
- Incredibly rewarding multiplayer
- Deep RPG leveling
- Interesting world and monster designs
CONS
- Very slow to get going
- There is a lot to learn
- Cumbersome controls
VERDICT
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite for iOS is a slow burn that takes time to master, but if you and some friends are willing to put in the effort then there are few co-op experiences as satisfying.
- Full Review
- App Store Info
When starting Monster Hunter Freedom Unite for iOS, it helps to know what you're getting into. It promises you the chance to bring down monstrous creatures in a fantasy equivalent of big game hunting, but it makes you work for every moment of enjoyment.
Before heading into the field you have to familiarise yourself with the basics. As a port of a PSP title, there are a lot of controls crammed onto your touchscreen. The result is confusing mash of context dependent virtual sticks, buttons, and swipes that take some getting used to, but which prove no more cumbersome than the original.
At its core, Monster Hunter is an action RPG. Rather than leveling-up your character's stats, though, the focus is on your equipment. Beginning as a lowly hunter, you have to undertake missions from townsfolk to gain supplies and improve your gear. Tasks range from gathering herbs to stalking massive dragons. It is a slow, difficult, but rewarding crawl to greatness, as you use the bones and hides of monsters to construct better armours and weapons.
Though there are plenty of solo missions, the game really comes alive when you start entering online hunts with up to three friends. Monster Hunter is designed around this cooperative experience, with many of the game’s more esoteric design choices suddenly making sense when working as a team. The way the beautiful and varied environments are broken up into separate numbered sections suddently clicks, with the numbers allowing you to instantly let your team know where you and your prey are located.
The character classes also work better in combination. No single class is powerful in isolation, but teaming up with others their potential is revealed. Tracking a huge dragon with a horn blower to provide buffs, a lancer to deal damage, a nimble double-blade weilder, and a bowman encourages clever teamwork, and makes victories all the more satisfying.
There is a flipside to this. The game's slow pace means games regularly take upwards of twenty minutes. This, combined with high demands on battery, make Monster Hunter ill-suited to co-op gaming when you're out and about. It's also tough when playing alone, and repeating missions is a lengthy process.
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite for iOS can be brutal and unforgiving. But, if you can find the right group to play with, there are few experiences on iOS as satisfying - as long as you are prepared to put the work in.
Screenshots
$14.99
