Monster Hunter Generations takes Capcom’s hunting series and changes the core combat to make it more fast paced. All fourteen weapons from Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate are in the game along with the new Prowler mode where you can play as a Felyne. Siliconera spoke with Monster Hunter Generations producer Shintaro Kojima about making Prowler mode and endgame content.
The west got Monster Hunter 4G in the form of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, so players are used to having an extensive G-Rank for endgame play. Monster Hunter Generations doesn’t have a G-Rank, so what kinds of difficult endgame content can advanced players look forward to?
Shintaro Kojima, Producer: There are new challenges like Deviant Monsters and Hyper Monsters. These are challenging and are different from what players may expect of these monsters, so both advanced and new players can look forward to fighting them.
In regards to StreetPass, instead of Guild Quests and Expeditions, Monster Hunter Generations has a ticket system for new Deviant Monsters. How are these variant monster quests different from Guild Quests and Expeditions?
Deviant Monsters are tremendous threats to face, so much so that they have earned special names. The level of these monsters will rise as you complete the quest. At a certain level, players are asked to play within a special rule. Though the Deviant Monsters will really test a hunter’s abilities, the gear that can be crafted from their materials is extremely powerful. I hope fans will try their best to earn these!
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate was one of the first Monster Hunter titles to have a strong main story. Can players expect the Elite 4 (Gammoth, Astalos, Glavenus, and Mizutsune) to tie into a greater story, or does story not play a big role in Monster Hunter Generations? Why?
The story in Generations is different from the one players experienced in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. In Monster Hunter Generations, throughout the journey players will meet many unique people from the game’s four different villages that will ask for your help. Completing quests to aid the greater world of Monster Hunter Generations will earn you rewards that can help your hunting life.
The Sword and Shield now have the option to use oils, granting the user certain buffs for a set period of time. These buffs are similar to existing armor abilities. Why did you give the Sword and Shield this new mechanic?
Every weapon type has been well-balanced throughout the series and that is of course the case with Monster Hunter Generations as well. The Oils for the Sword and Shield is the feature we added to balance that weapon for this game.
People joke that the new weapon is the Felyne (Prowler Mode). Did you approach Prowler Mode the same way you approach adding a new weapon? If not, how did you approach it differently?
Prowler Mode was actually not in the original design plan. It was added during mid-production in order to help players who like the series but may be having difficulty with the action part of the game. We wanted this to be more than a mini game so, yes, like you say, Prowlers basically became playable just like a new weapon type. The gameplay feels very unique and different in this mode so I hope players will try this out for themselves.
The hunters have big arch enemies like Gore Magala, Dah’ren Mohran, and so on in the main game – but what about the Felynes?
Although Prowlers can be thought of as more of a support character, they can take on any quests that a hunter can, so Prowlers and hunters alike share common foes throughout the game.
What was the most popular weapon and hunting style in the Monster Hunter Festa competition held in Fukuoka this year? Why do you think that is?
Weapons, Hunting Styles and the combination that people chose differed based on the quest they were taking on, so I don’t think there were a particular style or weapon combination that was used more than another at Festa. People tend to discover their favorite combinations based on personal efficiency.
Also, in regards to Monster Hunter Festa national competition, the winners were a mother and her son. I think that that’s great. I was really surprised by the diversity of people who play Monster Hunter in Japan. I even talked to a lot of female players who brought their boyfriends to Monster Hunter Festa. Why do you think Monster Hunter attracts this broad audience in Japan and how do you plan to capture the same audience in the west?
It has been 12 years since Monster Hunter was first released to Japanese audiences, and since then, a large variety of people have been playing the game in many ways such as at official events like Monster Hunter Festa, at local community events and even online. I know that the western community is getting bigger and bigger and I would like to be a part of that community by joining some of the events when I am able. I am looking forward to seeing and meeting many fans in the west.
Published: Jul 22, 2016 01:30 pm