I got into the franchise with MHW but me and my brother collect old consoles and I played the older games. The older games would have 100% have been some of my favorite games of all time back then
I started with the first on PS2 but didn't really care for it so i stopped playing it relatively soon. Got Freedom and liked it a bit more but hit a brick wall. Then i got MHFU and that's when it finally clicked. I got 3 buddies to get it so we all used to play all the freaking time. Spent a thousand hours on it, that was before Ad-Hoc Party on PS3 and i put in a few thousand more helping people online. Still play all the games to this day with one of those guys from all those years ago.
That's awesome! Sounds like MHFU was a game-changer for you and your crew. I love hearing how people connected with the series, especially before Ad-Hoc Party and modern online features. There was something special about the older games like Freedom and Freedom Unite-the difficulty and sense of progression felt so much more rewarding. You had to work for every victory, which made it satisfying in a way that the newer games just don't quite match. Nowadays, it feels like the series has gotten a bit watered down, with less challenge and more hand-holding. It's great that you're still playing with one of your buddies from back then-those long gaming sessions really built strong bonds.
This video ressonated so much with me because i had a similar experience. Started with Freedom and then went to Freedom 2. Although i always played alone, i had no one who enjoyed these games to play with. I did spend a ton of time trying to convince my friends tho, i always wanted to go on hunts and progress with someone else! The older games definitely were something special- a strong connection to nature, they were atmospheric and grounded. Weapons were simple and the combat was more about how you exploited the monsters weaknesses with those attacks. Preparation for hunts and gathering/knowledge of the maps also mattered a lot more. Music was also more tribal and grounded to the world. The focus was more on the hunt and the on how scary the monsters are in comparison to the hunter. Modern monster hunter is different- altough Monster Hunter World and now MHWilds do have strong connections to nature, the aethestic of the old games is all but lost. The combat is extremely complex, it can almost be compared to a fighting game in how hard to learn some combos are. Positioning and deliberate action arent as important as in the old games. I still enjoyed MHWorld a lot, but i didnt enjoy Rise, its way too watered down, the monsters dont feel threatning, its way too easy and forgiving. Its definitely a good game for those who enjoy action games but personally Rise is that one game that made me rethink about what i did and didnt enjoy about Monster Hunter and think about what was lost from the old games. Unfortunetly accessibility sells and capcom is increasingly incentivised to make the game more accessible and easier to new players which sucks for people who enjoy the tough as nail challenge of the past games.
Have you tried Sunbreak? Monsters aren't watered down there. But i feel ya, Rise overall was too casual. But so is MHWorld, just Iceborne that made it intense. Old monhun is special indeed. Im on the same boat with DMC.
I remember playing one of the freedom games on psp on release and not liking the franchise, but getting hooked years later playing a translated Portable 3rd rom with friends on PC. I swear by 4 Ultimate being the best work Capcom has ever done with the franchise, but World was a refreshing take and Rise is fun to get into. Haven't really played much of MonHun or Dos (Yet), but I like the respect the game gives the player in those old titles, nobody holds your hand and you have to prepare for fights on your own with no external help. P.D: More people should play Freedom Unite, Generations is also very good.
bro same goes for me. back in elementary school. I was introduced to MH on psp. we have those limtied starwars psp and god of war psp but we played MH freedom Unite. god that was such a nice time.
I started with monster hunter tri and when i finally found a copy of freedom unite i started playing non stop and you are right its a stark diffrance from one generation to another freedom made you really feel like you're just a man going up against the forces of nature,no music, no special attacks just a weapon and a hunter.
Monster Hunter has lost much of what made it special as a game. It used to feel like a real hunt-going up against the forces of nature, not even knowing exactly what monster you were hunting. There was a sense of mystery in everything you did. The atmosphere was silent, with no music at first, but then as the battle unfolded, the music would come to life along with the fight. Sadly, the newer games no longer capture that essence. It's heartbreaking to see such a rich idea of hunting with your closest friends fade away.
@@McBillyBoy I feel like that was still very present in MHW, but not so much in MHR. The thing about World is that the quiet parts were optional, and not required once you got past a certain research level on the monster. I think a big cause of that was the way that MHW handled cutscenes. You couldn't have your friends join in and help you find the monster, you had to do that solo while they waited around, usually impatiently because they had nothing else to do in Astera. That made anyone playing in a group try to rush to the monster to get the cutscene triggered to just get to the fight. They tried to force you to slow down for the Pink Rathian and Elder Dragon sections, but I think they were too late into the game. Running around doing the Grimalkyne quest, endemic life capture, and early game resource gathering fits more of that vibe, but most players skipped it. And to be fair, a lot of that was skippable in MHFU on anyway. There were items like Psychoserum, armor skills, food buffs, and waving at the airship all showed you the monster's location. The resource gathering was also not required after early game once you unlock the farm. I really think the main reason that the "mystery" is gone is because it's so easy to find answers now, plus you understand all the basic mechanics that are foreign to new players. You already know that different monsters drop parts to make equipment and how skills work. You know that the canteen gives you buffs, and the importance of building out your farm early. If you force yourself to only use the in game guides and level up your research levels in MHW and avoid wikis I think you'd get a lot of that back. As for Wilds, it seems to be addressing the cutscene issue and letting you just head out with your friends. You want to fight a certain monster? You don't just post a quest, you go find it and start the quest from there. I'm really hoping they bring back the 16 player lobbies from World. It lets new players go their own pace, people that want to do all the side (usually solo) stuff, and the players that just want to go 100% all the time to jump between the two groups.
Man it was such a great time growing up with MH freedom unite(freedom 2), had a bit of time off after that until i got back into it when world released and it was like I never left. This franchise is so special and so fun it just brings me joy when other players talk about their experience with it.
I actually still enjoy the very first MH for PS2. Got it in 2010 in britain in a gamestop, took it back to germany and got hooked instantly. but to me Freedom Unite will always be my first big love. It really carried me through school.
Can confirm Akantor bow is busted in MHF2 they did learn and nerfed it in MHFU, it's kinda funny that the G rank version of the Akanator bow in FU is weaker stats wise than the bow was in MHF2.
I joined the hunt in freedom unite on the psp myself when a school friend told me to get the game so we could play together, fell in love instantly and bought every game that was being sold here (ended up buying every single one of them except portable 3rd wich is massive shame). FU was so good man, used to pull out the psp from under my pillow and keep playing until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore to wich I would turn it off, slide it under and fall asleep. good times. as to going back to the older games I keep saying to give monster hunter generations ultimate a shot (GU or XX as in double cross). that entry of the series is like a huge anniversary version of the game where it basically was 4 games in one. all the old towns where there the variety in monsters was amazing and overall amount of content is huge for that game and thats not even going into the gimmick for that one. its like the peak of old world hunting. there is 4 ultimate for a strong contender for a previous title to replay but imo GU edges out a win here as well. huge monster hunter fan since FU and will play as long as the games stay fun, wich they are for me and I'm excited to see how wilds and beyond will turn out. every game has its ups and downs and sure I will miss aspects of them going into the next game but hey that's life, game's still fun and that's all that matters. cheers and take care~ ✌
I'm all for the reliving the past dude! I remember there used to be a mall in my town and the only way to play mh in multiplayer with other people was through adhoc mode on psp! it was fun good times for sure, sometimes my homies back in highschool we would even stay behind afterschool hours just to adhoc and play monster hunter for an hour before we all went our separate ways home.
You were Idevaste's childhood friend then? 😂 JK . Well , kidding aside i enjoyed your story. Its really fun playing mh games with friends and not care about meta unlike today everyone is pressured to have the same builds.
random ahh video but i'm here for it. I remember not finishing this game as a kid because I was too scared also mainly because I have no one to play with, farthest I prolly got are the basic elder dragons like kushala and never touched lao shan nor the flagship nargacuga 😂 now I'm replaying the game and man it's still amazing despite it's flaws
Monster hunter 4 ultimate was my first and it was pretty tight, having to play with the claw method was pretty messed up, and has probably giving my hands some kinda underline issues LOL. Rise/Sunbreak is pretty neat due to the fasion sense of having Layered Armor / layered weapons. Nothing beats your first experience with a monster hunter game, they're all fantastic even when those insane side checks would make you wanna jump out a window.
Playing the old Monster Hunter games on the PSP with the claw method definitely took a toll on my hands, but you know how it is as kids-you don’t really feel those effects; you just keep improving! I haven’t tried Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate yet, but I’d be down to give it a shot one day.
You forgot to talk about the hand cramps from the PSP controls. Paired with legs falling asleep while in the bathroom trying to sneak a hunt in while hiding from the family. Also never beat freedom though. But yeah, my brother and I were hooked on the games back in our teenage years. Monster Hunter World has been a godsend though and I have gotten so much nostalgia.
I've always had a close connection with this game. My older brothers/cousins grew up with MH1-MHFU while I grew up on Tri. Such good times. Can't wait for MHWilds!
My first MH was 3U, for the Wii U, back in 2016-ish or so. But I had no idea how to play the game or do anything and the game barely gave you any explanations at all, so I didn't beat it. I think I just beat the first Rathian and that's about it. Then at the beginning of this year I decided to replay it because I wanted to play it. And then as soon as I started understanding it better, I had a blast. Then I found gameplays of World on RU-vid, and this was right during the return to the new world thing was going on. So I bought World + Iceborne. I got so addicted that I still have to take breaks because my hands hurt from playing that game.
I found Monster hunter World like 8 months ago and man I fell in love with the game, then I tried Rise and loved it even more, ever since I've tried pretty much all the old ones, played quite a bit of 4 Ultimate and loved Generations Ultimate.
i feel like there is still the main soul and origionality in newer monhun games. i dont really think it ever lost that, just built on it. starting with MHFU and seeing the franchise grow has been one of yhe greatest things in my life.
My cousin got me to play mh4u on 3ds and i absolutely hated it my first time around. It felt so clunky and weird so i stopped playing. I came back around like a month later and everything clicked! I loved the game so much thatnive bought MHX, MHXX, MH World, IceBorne, Rise, Sunbreak and now im waiting for February 28th with my preorder already processed! This is my favorite game franchise of all time and second place isnt even close!
My first game in the series was stories 2 of all things, and that was beautiful (they did NOT do enough stuff with oltura, I just wants its armor dammit), then I played rise (as you expect, it was a shocking change lol), after beating that i did mhgu (took a while to get used to old gen jank), then sunbreak, then back to finish gu. It was a beautiful journey
Started with the first one on the PS2 and I have been a fan ever since. I was lucky enough to play Freedom Unite, 4 Ultimate , and Generation Ultimate with my brother.
