If you don't own Sony's PSP handheld, the chances are you may not have heard of Monster Hunter. An incredibly popular series, Monster Hunter will be making its debut on the Wii this Friday with Monster Hunter Tri. Putting you in the shoes of - well, a Monster Hunter, you're tasked with investigating a series of earthquakes that have been causing havoc in your village. Along the way, you'll be sent on quests, and find numerous monsters that need slaying - gathering items, weapons, and rarities as you go.
Its appeal lies in the addictive nature of the exploration and combat - you'll find yourself constantly searching for the next rare piece of loot, or the rarest monster - and even better, in Monster Hunter Tri, you'll be able to play along with a friend in split-screen, or online co-op.
While the series has sold 11m games worldwide, nowhere is it more popular than in its homeland of Japan, where the country has been held in the franchise's grip since it launched in 2004. With an emphasis on co-operation, the series has captured the public's imagination, with the more devoted fans going as far as to set up their own Monster Hunter festivals, and training camps, to help people looking to get into the game, and celebrate all things monster-y. You can imagine then, what Monster Hunter fans are like at the moment, in preparation for the game's launch this Friday.
Not quite your average Monster Hunter fan. Although, maybe in Japan. Source
Luckily for us then, that Capcom have announced that the fun won't just end with the story. Once you've finished the single player campaign, Capcom have announced that you'll be able to access a number of brand new quests via the much vaunted online mode - although they'll only be available for a limited period.
Letting you collect new weapons, discover new monsters, and presumably fight across new areas, there will be three distinct types of new quests making up the offering:
Event Quests
Event quests offer a variety of challenges on a cyclical basis. Certain challenges will come with a minimum level requirement that your character must meet, but luckily, as each of the quests that are offered will eventually come round again, you shouldn't end up missing out.
Gigantic Monster Quests
The Ronseal of the downloadable quest offering, this does exactly what it says on the tin. Putting the player on a ship as it battles a, er, gigantic monster, this is where you'll head when you fancy a stiff challenge.
Arena Quests
Arena quests work a bit like a colosseum - pitting two Monster Hunters against a "specific massive beast", you can choose to either play normally, or in a time attack mode, which will award you better loot depending on how quickly you defeat it.
We know there are plenty of other games we finish, and then wish there was something else we could do - luckily, it looks like Capcom's doing all it can to keep people playing for as long as they can. We can't tell you how many other developers we wish would follow suit.
Make sure you come back in the next few weeks, where we'll be bringing you our full review.
