I've played several Monster Hunter titles in the past, but I've always been very much a casual fan of the series. I was never the type to be teaming up with buddies to take on huge quests, and I wound up spending way more time with Monster Hunter -style games ( Toukiden , Ragnarok Odyssey ) than the...

Gameplay has never felt better; Plenty of monsters to hunt; Deep post-game

Arbitrary online restrictions; Some awkward menus

Whether or not it's the best, this is certainly the most audacious Monster Hunter game. World takes a dramatic leap into a look, feel, and size that feels truly new, simultaneously staying true to the series' ideals by maintaining the addictive loop of combat, intimidating monsters and meaningful...

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne adds just what Monster Hunter World needed and even more quality of life changes to the greatest Monster Hunter game of all time. The new monsters and quests pack a punch, and there's enough content to justify the price.

Plenty of new quests; Extremely challenging for players looking for a greater challenge; New equipment including layered equipment and upgrade levels for weapons; Beautiful new locations

Way too difficult to tackle alone; Long loading times for Hoarfrost Reach

Capcom took the gaming world by storm in 2018 when they released the first-ever Monster Hunter game to be available outside of the Nintendo system. Monster Hunter World is an amazing game with beautiful graphics, great AI and fantastic gameplay.

More grind; New weapons add level of dynamism to gameplay; Many more hours of content; Improved multiplayer difficulty scaling

Still some AI glitches that can cause frustrating defeats; Hefty price tag

Monster Hunter has always been one of those franchises that have really stood on the precipice of becoming a hit in the West. While the series has performed well in its native Japan since its inception, certain aspects have prevented it from being a smash in other territories.

A major upgrade over previous entries in almost every aspect; Satisfying and complex combat system; 100+ hours of content; Palicos

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While its weighty combat (often erroneously labelled 'clumsy'... it's anything but, once you know what you're doing) means it still may not appeal to...

Packed with incredible encounters; Open environments work brilliantly; Quality-of-life improvements everywhere

Online systems still a little clunky; Relatively low monster count; Likely to devour all your time

Monster Hunter is one of those franchises that its fans fall utterly in love with – piling many dozens, or even a few hundred, hours into each title – but a significant number of newcomers find almost impenetrable.

Monster Hunter World's first paid expansion, Iceborne, is now available on PS4 and Xbox One. Our review has now been finalized after a brief stint as a review in progress. For more, check out our Iceborne tips guide .

Variants on familiar monsters makes for a well-designed progression curve; Introduction of the Clutch Claw adds variety to combat without sacrificing difficulty; Integrating tougher foes into existing environments feels like a seamless addition; The new ecosystem provides interesting layers of...

The narrative doesn't quite give you the chance to be invested properly; Brand-new monsters are relatively few

Monster Hunter: World is the best entry in the long-running action RPG series to-date, accessible for both new players and returning fans expecting the in-depth gameplay systems and rewarding hunt/craft/explore loop we all know and love.

Monster Hunter World reached a wider audience than any other game in the franchise, mesmerizing new hunters and pleasing longtime veterans. World had its extreme challenges, but they were tucked away in late- and post-game content.