Chapter 249: This is a Hack-and-Slash Game! (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Pass)
Chapter 249: This is a Hack-and-Slash Game! (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Pass)
Looking at the ground filled with Small Jagras corpses, Zhang Yi meticulously collected the materials.
Even though this was just the demo version, and progress wouldnât carry overâonly the character customization appearance wouldâ
Zhang Yi still collected every single item from the ground.
This was simply a long-standing gaming habit.
It didnât matter whether the items were useful or not, or even if theyâd never be used before clearing the game or the game shutting down.
As long as they could be collected, especially if it was effortless, they had to go into the inventory.
Unless the inventory or storage box was full, no materials would ever be discarded.
Frugalityâthis was an essential virtue for every player.
"My health bar is so tough! There's absolutely no challenge here!"
Staring at his still mostly full health bar, Zhang Yi sighed with emotion.
Ever since he first played the Dark Souls series, his perception and understanding of the concept of a health bar had, frankly, become somewhat blurred.
But now, in Monster Hunter: World, he had finally rediscovered that familiar sense of a substantial health bar.
"Though it's still a bit strange not being able to see the monster's health bar."
Inside the game, Zhang Yi had noticed something.
Apparently, in order to enhance the playerâs sense of immersion in the hunt, Monster Hunter: World did not display monster health bars.
Instead, there were only damage number indicators, and in place of a health bar, there was something resembling an electrocardiogram.
After completing the mission and returning to Astera Settlement, Zhang Yi didnât rush into a new quest. Instead, he opened the voice channel and started bragging to his friends.
"Old Song, did you guys finish your mission? These monsters feel like theyâre not even worth fighting!" Zhang Yi said, his voice filled with emotion.
A moment later, Song Ren and the others responded.
"Of course we finished! The Long Sword is an awesome weapon! One Spirit Roundslash and a whole group is dead! But yeah, itâs trueâtheyâre not challenging enough. Itâs just not satisfying!" Song Ren also sighed with emotion.
"Exactly, exactly! My Hammer is amazing! Charge up, then Whirlwind Attackâjust spin and spin, and those dragons are dead!" Wang Han was also extremely satisfied with his chosen weapon.
"Dual Blades are incredible too! Attack speed is super fast! And the Demon Mode frenzy dance? It's like chopping vegetables!" Joey added.
"Bow and Arrows are strong too! One charged Dragon Piercer, and a dragon drops! The damage is insane! This hunting game basically turned into a shooting game for me!" Wang Yifan also chimed in from the voice channel.
"This Monster Hunter: World really feels like a Dynasty Warriors-style hack-and-slash game! I wonder if there are difficulty settings later. Right now, the grinding feels very satisfying, but I have to admit, I do miss the slightly more challenging and demanding gameplay of Dark Souls." Zhang Yi expressed a slight sigh in the voice channel.
Even though he had been tormented and dizzy playing Dark Souls, he had to admit that the exhilarating feeling after defeating a powerful enemy was something he had never experienced in any other game since.
While Monster Hunter: World was indeed very satisfying to play now, there was still something missing.
It lacked a bit of challenge, and the dragons were so fragileâfighting them just wasnât thrilling enough!
Zhang Yi wasnât alone. Many players online shared this sentiment.
After entering the game and experiencing the charm of the New World, players who had just completed their first battle, regardless of their chosen weapon, had only one feeling:
Total bliss! The player experience was pure hack-and-slash!
Fighting monsters was completely stress-free, and it often felt like the battle ended before they even got properly warmed up.
Of course, some players had chosen weapons like the Hunting Horn or Insect Glaive. Though their damage was somewhat underwhelming, they still cleared fights easily.
Moreover, since the game featured Palicos,
players discovered upon entering the game that these adorable small cats werenât just the Hunterâs pets, but true companions capable of fighting alongside the Hunter.
During combat, the Palicos always attracted the monsterâs aggro, allowing the player to simply follow behind the monster and go all-out with damage output.
And beyond combat, the game also allowed players to wander through jungles, fish by the river, collect materials, and search for monsters.
The entire game felt incredibly relaxing.
So much so that many players felt like they had just started a task, and an hour and a half had already passed.
On major community forums, players who had just completed the first mission but hadnât even finished the demo content were already posting threads to exchange experiences.
"Monster Hunter: World is so fun to play!"
"Yeah! The health bar is so toughâmonsters barely make me lose health!"
"And the damage is insanely high too! Three hits and a Jagras dies. Is this a hack-and-slash hunting game?"
"Seems like it. Based on the content the game has shown, the main focus is challenging various dragons, grinding materials, and crafting gear. And arenât grinding games usually hack-and-slash anyway?"
"Haha, great! I was originally planning to take a wait-and-see approach, but now it feels like I can just get one's hands on it!"
"Feels like this game is perfect for retirement! Seems pretty casual."
"Exactly, exactly! I saw gathering and bug catching in the game. I wonder if fishing is possible. Hunting with friends, enjoying the scenery, fishing, gathering herbsâit all sounds so relaxing!"
"+1, feels like a super casual retirement game. And the weapons in the game are basically the Classes. Get tired of one weapon? Just switch to another and craft a whole new set of gear."
"By the way, what weapon do you guys think is the strongest?"
"Obviously the Long Sword! Foresight Slash into Helm Breakerâso damn cool!"
"Great Sword is strong too! Level 3 Charged Slash obliterates everything!"
"Pfft, Sledge disagrees! Tornado Destroys Parking Lot!"
"Everyone shut upâCharge Blade is Invincible! Sparks flying with every flash!"
"Insect Glaive disagrees! 360-degree aerial spiral, one rod and one insect, red, white, and yellow lights blazingâtruly unmatched!"
"Hunting Horn just smiles and stays silent. Who else has attacks that come with their own BGM? Every move has melody, every strike has power. One tune breaks the heart, where in the world can one find a kindred spirit?"
Players across forums and chat groups enthusiastically exchanged tips. Clearly, this game was far more beginner-friendly than most people had imagined.
Though in reality, their actual gameplay was nowhere near as smooth as their bragging suggested.
More often than not, it was Long Sword Helm Breaker slamming into the ground, Great Sword Level 3 Charged Slash swinging at air.
Charge Blade Super Amped Element Discharge mashed randomly, Dual Blades Demon Mode dancing awkwardly in place.
Yet many players completely ignored these mishaps, since the dragons in this game were genuinely weak.
Missed a hit? So what?
Just stab twice more, and the damage was all made up.
In no time, Monster Hunter: Worldâs community forums were filled with an overwhelming atmosphere of "It's so good!".
Of course, a small minority of players pointed out that this was only the early gameânobody knew what awaited later.
But these voices were few and quickly drowned out by the joyful chatter of the majority of Hunters.
Many players who had previously been watching closely, after seeing more and more gameplay videos and player discussions, couldnât resist downloading the demo. After experiencing the satisfying thrill of hunting, they immediately chose to pre-order.
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