Get ready PSP-owning Monster Hunter fans, Capcom has just announced that Monster Hunter Freedom 2 (newly released in Japan as Monster Hunter Portable 2nd) is heading to North America for a release this September. With this sequel, Capcom is promising to deliver 50% more content than what the original had to offer, including over 350 quests, 8 new maps, 70 different monsters, 700 weapons 1400 armor items. In terms of modes, MHF2 will offer Ad Hoc multiplayer for up to four players, new Infrastructure support for downloadable content, and a 1-2 player “treasure hunters” timed co-op mode.
This all sounds great, especially considering how cool the first game was, but my only question is where in the hell is full Infrastructure support for actual online multiplayer? Ad Hoc is fine, but the Monster Hunter games are all about multiplayer, so it’s disappointing that we’re still not getting online play with the PSP titles. Oh well, the game should still be awesome, and judging by these first few screenshots it’ll look great too.
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See, I loved the PS2 game, even though the single player was rather slow-paced and I never got the chance to take it online before just getting bored of trying. Crafting your gear was a cool idea, but it wasn’t as in-depth as I was hoping for…I was looking for something along the lines of an improved Vagrant Story. Still, I heard the PSP version fared far better in terms of gameplay and with the AD HOC idea. Oh well…if they would just release a pretty looking Unreal Engine 3-powered version for PS3 or 360 and update or change up the way you make your own gear to allow more customization, it would be a much sweeter game, I think.
I’m like the other way around lol. I still haven’t been able to check out the original PS2 game yet (though I’m trying to track a copy down), but have the first PSP version and it’s really great stuff. I just don’t get why Capcom isn’t putting full online support in the sequel. So many of the PSP’s latest titles are going online and it was the only thing really missing from the first, so it seems like the obvious next step. Medal of Honor Heroes has frickin’ 32-player online play (yeah, on a handheld game!), so it’s hard for me to believe that putting basic four-player play online is that difficult. Ad Hoc is always better if you have nearby people to play with, but if you don’t you’re out of luck.
And don’t be surprised if a next-gen version comes along soon. Capcom did recently pick up the Unreal Engine for an undisclosed next-gen project, and the Monster Hunter series has become quite popular (especially in Japan), so a follow-up on the PS3 and/or 360 is a certainty I would think.
Monster Hunter is one of my favorite games ever. lol SO THERE IS NO ONLINE PLAY ON MHF2?! Man.. what a dissapointment. I’m still gonna buy it for sure though. I’m trying to use xlink kai to play online with MHF1, but i need a wifi max and i can’t find one to buy. Why wont they just confirm it that there is no online play. All the interviews says there is multiplayer but the jerk wont trully say it. Dont keep us hoping..
Oh, trust me…I really liked the first game a ton on PS2. Sure, the pacing was slow and a bit methodical at times, but that’s fine with me…so long as I am accomplishing something. However, for me:
1. the areas are too sandboxed…I want bigger
2. the weapon and armor building is very limited, like most console-based RPGs seem to be anyways, but when you are working around semi-online strats, I want more armor and weapons…let me make MY OWN stuff!
3. the game is too short
That’s all what I know from the first one on PS2. Whether all that was updated in the PSP stuff…I don’t know.
Still, this game could be a massively incredible Western franchise as well if they would just put a little elbow grease into it.
Capcom’s original announcement and current features listing for MHF2 only mentions Ad Hoc support for multiplayer. The game has infrastructure for downloadable content, but that’s it as far as I know, which seems like a tease to me lol. I can understand online not being in the first one, but all this time later and after online being a demanded feature by fans I just don’t get why Capcom couldn’t get it into this one.
I still haven’t been able to play the PS2 original, but from what I gather the PSP games don’t change the formula. The first MHF is great either way though,very impressive for a portable game.
The inevitable PS3 and/or 360 entry would be required to fix some of the complaints you listed. Expanding the environments and customization would need more tech than the PSP has.
And see…that’s what I’m kind of saying. It’s sad that they aren’t changing much. I mean, people complain about how “EA never changes anything”, yet I can definitely see a HUGE difference in Madden 08 from previous games (I know, it’s amazing)…and the Need for Speed games have always been pretty diverse from the others. Fight Night and NCAA have always been innovators in their fields. Their original IPs, when they do surface, are awesome.
MEANWHILE, you had Capcom constantly coining in on the RE license with HORRIBLE side-games like Survivor…you’ve got them constantly doing nothing to freshen up Monster Hunter…hell, they didn’t do much from DMC1 and DMC2 except delete the story in the second game mostly. Koei does the same thing with almost EVERY GAME THEY MAKE! Dynasty Warriors, Samurai Warriors, Warriors Orochi, Gundam DW, and so many more…and then you have Romance of the Three Kingdoms! ZOMG!!!
Therefore, I’m sorry…I’ve come to the point that I can no longer hate on EA when I have companies that are FAR bigger committers of the same thing they accuse EA of. At least EA knows how to annualize something with a pretty damn solid experience most of the time!
Capcom does ride its big franchises (Mega Man especially), but they are hardly as bad as places like EA, Activision, Ubisoft, etc. Capcom has published some of the coolest original IPs in recent memory: Okami, Lost Planet, Viewtiful Joe, Dead Rising (don’t care for it myself, but it’s a huge hit), Phoenix Wright, Darkwatch, Killer 7, Shadow of Rome, God Hand, etc.
Yes, EA Games is starting to produce many more great original games, but EA Sports is still the pits. I haven’t played Madden 08 yet, but NCAA 08 doesn’t seem noticeably different from 07 from what I’ve played, and the same is true of the other sports franchises. Ever few seasons one of them really ups the ante, but then the next few just ride on those new features with some roster updates and not much else.
As you said though, Koei is the worst. They need to let Dynasty Warriors die already, the series hasn’t changed since the first fucking game lol.