Genre: Third-Person Action
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom

Having made the leap to 2160p and HDR, with real-time snow deformation and dynamic terrain destruction, going back to the pre-"World" titles is jarring. And this game isn't just pre-"World": many of the assets, the ridiculously outdated "triangle" lighting model, and even textures are lifted straight from the PSP port of the original Monster Hunter! Looking at what amounts to Dreamcast-level assets in a late 2010's release feels anachronistic to say the least. At least the art direction is strong, and some of the newly-added post-processing effects, such as the heat in the desert, look good. But the game could have used a bit of the bloom lighting which helped smooth things over in the Wii U's port of "3 Ultimate", which was oddly a better looking game.

The Monster Hunter games have always had their mix of boring, cliche "peaceful village" songs and dramatic orchestra fare during fights, and it's no different here. The sound effects are also unmistakably "Monster Hunter", as they are lifted straight from the various previous games in the series.

The big addition in this series iteration, and something of which even "World" can't brag, are the selectable "Hunter Styles". Not only are the usual twenty-odd weapons available, but the choice of "Style" completely changes how they are played, adding new combos, strategies, and even new moves in many cases! Another new addition is the ability to manage a veritable army of "palicos", which now come in different classes, and which each have unlockable and selectable abilities. They can even be used directly in combat by the player in an alternative, selectable "Prowler" mode of play!

From a purely mechanical gameplay standpoint, this Generations Ultimate rendition of the "Monster Hunter" formula is the best game in the series, "World" included: it has a positively staggering number of monsters-- something like 93 versus 31 in "World-- not to mention a correspondingly enormous variety in armor types. This reviewer found some of the differences, like the simpler stage geometry, paintballs, and the reversion back to discrete load time-seperated areas to be superior design. Unfortunately, while the core game loop is as good as ever, the absurd "several generations old" graphics combined with an excruciatingly boring early dozen-or-more hours of fighting tiny velociraptors and gathering mushrooms knock the overall package down a notch.