Thoughts on the Hunting Genre?

[Korten12]

What is the Hunting Genre you may ask? Well it's a sort of niche genre I would say (outside Japan anyway, in Japan it's hugely popular), that mainly focus on one goal, killing big ass monsters, get better gear, fight even bigger monsters.

What games are in the genre?

-Monster Hunter
-Soul Sacrifice
-Toukiden
-God Eater
-Ragnarok Odyssey

And some games that have similar features, like Dragons Dogma.

Mainly these games have a set of features that is normal for each such as:

-Town Hub
-Upgrading equipment
-Farming Bosses
-Mission based stucture

Although oddly enough each game while having these basic features are all pretty different. Monster Hunter is one of the more hardcore and difficult of the bunch with a more traditional style of Hunting with actually tracking the monsters. Soul Sacrifice with it's focus on more Arena combat but with spells instead of weapons and very dark world. Toukiden is more similar to Monster Hunter (can't say to much until it comes westward), God Eater is more arcadey with it's ability to switch from melee to ranged with really big weapons and anime style. Lastly Ragnarok Odyssey which is more over the top battles with skills and the ability to double jump.

It's kind of interesting how there isn't many games in the genre yet they're a lot different from each other. Unlike MOBA's which is also more recent (although roots far older, even further than Dota 1), and has starting to already see direct clones of each other.

Anyway, for those who are familiar with the genre, what do you think? Do you like the games or do you ignore them?

 

[Karthenak]

I have always loved playing a hunter in just about every game I can possibly play one. It could have a little something to do with the first windows 98 game I played called Carnivores 2. Start out on a planetary game reserve, and you hunted the primordial dinosaurs that inhabit it, and at times it was flippin frightening. It was so good, my parents, who are decidedly NOT good at video games, played it whenever I got kicked off the computer. It basically influenced how I played RPGs and MMOs afterword.

Now as for the hunting genre, I had thought you meant like Cabela's hunting games. I tend to stay away from the Cabela's dangerous hunter games. The one I played wasn't awful, but it more seemed like you were an action hero, designed to mash buttons when leopards and crocodiles jumped you, and shooting a certain animal at a specific time when your guide told you to. Felt like my hand was being held.

Monster hunter tickled almost every spot I love for hunting games. The tracking, the facing nearly insurmountable odds with only your knowledge of the creature's behavior and the skill of your thumbs. Makes hunting predators IMMENSELY fun. But I felt it's maps were a bit small. And I understand they have to be, don't get me wrong, but I love the immersion of crouching through brush, watching the animal from afar, and hunting them down afterword.

To be honest, I'd really like to see more games lean towards a pure hunting curve, like the Carnivores series did. Sure it was pretty basic, but it had large maps for you to explore to find your prey. And heaven help you if you forgot to bring a scent masker. Predators like Velociraptor, Allosaurus, or god forbid T-rex could catch your scent and follow you FOR MILES. Then you make that awesome kill, your rifle shot becomes a massive dinner bell for anything that was least partially interested in your scent, and next thing you know your 30 minute hunt has been ruined by over 4 tons of flesh and teeth running enthusiastically to catch a snack.

TL;DR version: Would really like more hunting games on the market. Love open world hunting in games like Skyrim, but would really like more games that can scratch the hunter itch. Also, dinosaurs aren't a bad idea.

 

[Zhukov]

I thought this was going to be about those deer-hunting simulators.

My only contact with the kind of hunting game you're talking about was having a go at one of my housemate's Monster Hunter games.

Suffice to say, I was not impressed. Grindy as hell. Character design wasn't to my liking - silly, overly busy and over the top. Combat gameplay did not exactly rock my world.

I don't know if they're all like that or it was just the one I tried, but it didn't encourage me to look further.

 

[krazykidd]

I too thought this thread was going to be about deer hunting games .

I like monster hunter . However it os VERY time consuming . When they give you 50 minutes to complete a mission , and it's not uncommon to fail due to time out , you know this isn't a pick up and play game . However i enjoyed what i play of MH3 on the wii. The online was fun . If you didn't have retarded team members . I loved using the bowgun . I subbed with the longsword .

My only problem is that droprates for some items are ridiculously low . Getting full sets is hard.