And before I know it, I’m hot on the trail of a Great Jagras, Monster Hunter’s fictionalised version of a megafauna iguana. So I start to gather organic clues from my surroundings, anything to help me locate my precious bounty. I’m here to hit something repeatedly with my hammer until it stops moving. Moody, palpable and atmospheric, though I’m not here to sight-see.

This steamy jungle is your basic primeval biome, replete with oversized hovering insects, raging waterfalls, dense vine canopies and even splendid carnivorous plant look-alikes (there’s monkey cups that boast an uncanny Nepenthes ampullaria resemblance-that’s my nerdy botanist side sneaking out). I just got done with some general hunting, so let me try and paint a riveting picture for you: As is the case when accepting many of the rudimentary quests earlier on in World’s extensive RPG experience, I once again get whisked away to an open environment called the Ancient Forest. Though as unexpected as the notion seems, it’s there, and it continues to linger, even after almost fifteen hours of exploring. What I am is troubled, and it’s honestly not something I thought I’d be feeling while playing through a complete grindfest like this. So why are you surprised that the fundamental gameplay loop involves tracking down creatures, killing them and harvesting their materials to use for weapon and armor upgrades? Well, random internet person who is kindly taking the time to read this article, I’m not surprised, not in the least. Now, I know what you might be thinking: Excuse me sir, you may not be aware, but this is just a video game.

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