Chapter 236: Is This Really a Hunting Game? (Sixth update, Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Pass)

Chapter 236: Is This Really a Hunting Game? (Sixth update, Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Pass)

Chen Xu sat before his computer, chin resting on his hand.

Now that he had decided to develop Monster Hunter: World, he still needed to think carefully about how exactly to approach it.

In terms of gameplay, Monster Hunter: World was an exceptionally unique game.

Most multiplayer games contained at least some PVE elements.

But Monster Hunter: World was a purely cooperative hunting game.

In Dark Souls, players could invade other players' worlds.

And in later entries, many veteran Dark Souls players found their primary enjoyment in PVP.

Monster Hunter: World, however, contained no PVP content at all.

The game emphasized teamwork—players forming parties to hunt dragon-like creatures together.

As for scenarios like Demon Mode Dual Blades slicing allies, charging Lance impaling teammates, Light Bowgun blowing up a comrade's crotch, Heavy Bowgun piercing teammate defenses, or Great Hammer's three-charge home run—these were all exceptions, absolutely not part of the game's PVP design.

From the game's core design alone, including its narrative backdrop, Monster Hunter: World was a game with an extremely distinctive style.

First and foremost, the game's core selling point was its combat system and the relatively realistic hunting experience.

Every aspect of the game was crafted to serve the overall hunting experience.

In most games, battles against bosses typically lasted just a few minutes, at most ten.

But in Monster Hunter: World,

facing powerful bosses, even a fierce battle lasting fifteen to twenty minutes was considered quite normal for average players.

Of course, this didn't apply to speedrun veterans or hardcore grinders who had already farmed powerful gear to bully whelplings.

Combined with improved AI performance, Chen Xu believed he could deliver an even stronger sense of immersion in the hunting experience than the original Monster Hunter: World from his previous life.

Next was the game's class system—or rather, its weapon system.

The game didn't divide players into classes like warriors or mages.

Instead, it offered different weapons.

Much like how different weapons in Dark Souls had distinct attack styles,

Monster Hunter: World provided players with a wide variety of weapons, each with clearly defined characteristics.

Moreover, each weapon had its own set of combo attacks and Skills.

Similar to a Fighting Game, players needed to input commands to successfully execute weapon techniques.

That said, actual operations wouldn't require memorizing lengthy move lists like in traditional fighting games.

And even if a player didn't know how to chain attacks, they wouldn't be completely unable to play—

they'd just miss out on flashy, high-skill operations.

As for difficulty, compared to Dark Souls,

Monster Hunter: World was significantly more forgiving.

The game adopted a gradual difficulty progression.

Put simply, Dark Souls made you suffer first, then slowly learn the mechanics.

Monster Hunter, on the other hand, let you learn the mechanics first, then face the suffering—much more user-friendly.

Another key point was that Monster Hunter: World was an incredibly replayable game.

Why?

After grinding hundreds of hours and still not obtaining a single Attack Jewel, you'd naturally understand why it was so replayable.

While the game inherently encouraged grinding, grinding alone wouldn't be enough to sustain such long playtime.

Ultimately, even when hunting the same monster repeatedly,

each hunt offered a different experience.

Dynamic changes in the battlefield, potential interruptions by other bosses, unpredictable teammate behavior in Team Up mode, and the monster's own attack patterns—

all contributed to ensuring that no two hunts felt the same, avoiding monotony.

Most importantly, Monster Hunter: World offered various clever strategies. Even players with subpar skills could still clear the game effectively, as long as they understood the game's mechanics.

Of course, success wasn't completely mindless.

…………………

After two consecutive days of work, Chen Xu finalized the general design concept drafts for Monster Hunter: World and summoned Qin Yi, Ruan Ningxue, and others to the meeting room for a discussion.

The team had gathered early, whispering excitedly among themselves.

"I wonder what Mr. Chen's hunting game is actually like!"

"Yeah, I imagine it's set in ancient times, with players using weapons like spears and bow and arrows to hunt in the wild."

"What I'm most curious about is how the AI performance will feel in a hunting context."

"I'm inexplicably excited!"

Clearly, the team had learned over the past two days that the new work would be a hunting-themed game, and their anticipation was palpable.

At that moment, Chen Xu entered, and the room fell silent.

Taking his seat at the head of the table, Chen Xu addressed the group: "I'm sure you all already know some details about the new game, so I won't waste time with unnecessary talk."

"Today's meeting is about launching development on this new project. Please look at the main screen."

As Chen Xu spoke, the projector displayed the title: Monster Hunter: World.

"First, let me briefly explain the game's theme and direction."

"In terms of theme, this is a hunting-themed game, but the Combat System will be quite unique, setting it apart from other action games currently on the market."

"Additionally, we'll create a vast, living ecosystem to showcase the capabilities of AI intelligence."

"Finally, the monsters players will hunt will primarily be dragon species… well, that's about it."

Chen Xu swiped on his laptop's touchpad.

On the conference room's projection screen appeared a monstrous creature—huge in size, with yellow-green carapace, powerful wings, and limbs.

Its sharp claws and fangs looked terrifying.

Beside it was an introduction: [Queen of the Land—Rathian].

Staring at the image, the team was stunned.

The sense of shock brought by this wyvern was simply overwhelming.

"Also, in this game, players won't have class divisions. Instead, they'll choose from different weapons. In short, weapons replace traditional classes."

As Chen Xu explained, the projection screen changed.

Great Sword, Long Bow, Dual Blades, Long Sword—various weapons appeared on screen.

They all shared one common trait: every weapon was a melee or non-firearm weapon.

Judging from the Concept Art, the Hunter clad in leather armor wielded weapons that, while large, still looked like a pushover compared to the massive Rathian.

Additionally, there were some unfinished sketches—such as one depicting a colossal Elder Dragon with wings fully spread, covered in Spikes, and fearsome horns atop its head.

"Mr. Chen, is this new work… a Souls-like game?" Qin Yi swallowed hard, voicing the confusion on everyone's minds.

A massive dragon-like monster, a tiny hunter, and only melee weapons?

Was this really a hunting game?

Or was it more like monsters hunting the hunter?

Don't ask if there's more—because yes, there is.

(End of Chapter) <>