Unite doesn't offer the kind of transformation at its higher levels that you might expect – the essential purpose is the same throughout: kill monsters, craft new shin pads out of dino-bladders, and swap your pig's wings for a magician's hat. Nonetheless, these simple motivations give way to a huge depth of execution which empowers and requires four players. Without accompaniment by fellow hunters, the reliance on grind becomes conspicuous; the infinitesimal combinations of items, equipment and upgrades seem less like depth and more like unknowable pedantry.
But with others to guide you and cajole you on, Unite comes into its own. It might not spark a handheld revolution in the west, but it'll remain a contender for our lunchtimes. Those pigs won't dress themselves.
Monster Hunter World is close to releasing, which means it’s no better time to reminisce and look back at some of the best Monster Hunter games that came before it.
An experienced Monster Hunter veteran looks at the best games in the series, explaining what makes each one so great.
A liberated trailer.