Monster Hunter Freedom

Have you ever dreamed of taking down monsters with a giant sword? How about shooting wyverns from the sky or taking down packs of dinosaurs? In Capcom?s Monster Hunter Freedom for the PSP, you can hunt dinosaurs and wyverns to your heart?s delight. If you are familiar with the Playstation 2?s Monster Hunter game, you may see MHF as simply a port to the PSP. However, the PSP version of Monster Hunter has a number of additions and changes that makes this game a different experience from its predecessor. Even if you own the Playstation 2 version, you should consider picking up Freedom as well.

The gameplay is a mix up of action with some RPG elements. You will take on quests that require you to slay a certain monster, hunt a number of monsters, or gathering things such as monster eggs from the monster?s nest. You may find the gathering quests to be less exciting and more tedious than the hunting quests, but you may find some thrill in avoiding a giant wyvern while you run off with her precious eggs. If not, don?t worry; most of the quests in the game are of the hunting type. Some quests require you to hunt the same monster in a different area, so the quests can get repetitive. As you advance in the game, though, you will face stronger and different monsters, and even take on multiple wyverns at a time. You will need to use brains as well as brawn to take down some of the stronger wyverns by using pitfall traps, flash bombs, and the like.

As for those RPG elements, each monster has a weakness to a certain element. With the right weapon, you can either take down monsters with ease, or with frustrating difficulty. Along with elements, weapons have attack power, sharpness, and status inducers that you must take account of. Each piece of armor, too, has defensive points and elemental affinity to keep in mind.


Now don?t think MHF is all about hunting monsters and gathering eggs. You can also take part in fishing and mining. Get yourself a fishing rod and some bait then head out to a pond or lake and cast your line. There are many fish for you to catch and you can combine them with other things to make useful tools. Or you can buy or make yourself a pickaxe and go looking for some iron ore and other metals. The metals you find while mining can be used to create or improve weapons and armor. You will also need to mix items to create the more useful tools, ammunition, and potions that will keep your life extended while taking on the dangerous monsters.

There are five melee weapon categories in the game: great sword, lance, hammer, sword and shield, and dual swords. Each has its own strength and weakness as well as its own style. Do you prefer the strong yet slow great sword? Or perhaps the quick but weak dual swords? With such a wide selection of weapon types, you can pick and choose which weapon fits you best.

Bowguns are the ranged weapons in the game and come in two types: light bowgun and heavy bowgun. Light bowguns deal less damage than their heavier counterparts, but you move slower and are unable to dodge while wielding a heavy bowgun. When playing solo, the bowgun can be somewhat lacking; it seems to be meant more for cooperative play rather than solo play. Still, that does not stop it from being a decent weapon.

The monsters of this game are mostly dinosaurs and dragon-like wyverns, though you may face something different from time to time. When I imagined hunting monsters, I thought of slaying giant ogres, sea serpents, and massive snakes. Even though the game does not include such monsters, there are a wide enough variety of wyverns that should keep your bloodthirsty desire quenched. The monsters? behavior could be less routinely, but each type has its own animations so you should find them to be quite realistic.


The control set up is different from the PS2 version to make up for the lack of buttons, but the control scheme is surprisingly well done. Rather than using the non-existent right thumbstick to attack, the circle and triangle buttons are used. Square is used to put your weapon away and X is used to roll. Tapping the L button centers the camera while holding it down brings up your items, which you can then use square and circle to scroll. The d-pad is used to control the camera. While this may seem odd if you need to both move with the analog nub and move the camera with the adjacent d-pad, it is possible. Though to do so you would need to awkwardly position your fingers in a way that may cause them to cramp up after a while.

As for the detail of the monsters, you may be surprised at how lifelike they can be. The graphics of this game can easily compare to the original Monster Hunter on the PS2. After slaying one of the giant monsters in the game, you can go over just how detailed one is. Even the quality of the environments may leave you gawking at the beauty of the rolling plains and lively jungle. The caves even have enough detail to make you feel like you are actually in a dark, eerie cave. The various weapons and armor you create are also rich in detail. The only thing in the game that is graphically worse here than on the PS2 version would be the menus. Though it in no way hinders the experience; they are well done for a portable version of the game.

The sound in the game is very well done. Especially considering that many of the monsters? attacks are announced through sound. The sounds the monsters emit are very in depth and only add to the realism. Almost every monster has a distinct sound, so when looking for a certain wyvern, you can just listen for it to come near before pouncing on it. The music changes with each environment and can be either melodic hymns or the sounds of thunder in the distance. As you wade into battle, the music picks up to a tune that can relate to the quandary you may be in. With Dolby Digital, the surround sound can be very stimulating and can even alert you of the monster?s location by sound. Some may find the music somewhat repetitive, though there is an option to lower or mute the music.

Some of you may be thinking, ?Hey, I already have Monster Hunter for the Playstation 2. Why should I bother getting this game?? Well not only is Monster Hunter Freedom a portable title, but it does have some additional features. First I will mention the Kotoko Farm. If you do not feel like starting a quest just to go mining or searching for mushrooms, you can instead travel to the nearby farm to gather what you are looking for. To upgrade your farm you need a certain amount of points which you can get by completing quests. Each upgrade adds a new area to your farm for you to gather things, such as a mushroom patch. Along with that is a Felyne Kitchen where you hire up to five felynes and have them cook for you. From a list you choose a combination you want for your meal and, depending on what combo you chose, your stats may increase or decrease for the next quest. You can train against certain wyverns at a training school where you are given a set of equipment and items and put against a wyvern for you to practice on. More equipment can be created in this version of Monster Hunter, as well.

Monster Hunter Freedom also includes multiplayer for up to four players via ad hoc. Much like online mode for Monster Hunter on the PS2, you and your buddies can go on quests together and cooperate to take down even the largest of monsters. Your team can pummel your target with a variety of weapons, and if the wyvern decides to take to the skies, a gunner can bring him back down so the rest of the team can finish the job. MHF introduces a treasure-hunting mode where you and a friend can hunt and gather treasure for points.

If beating up monsters with large weapons sound like entertainment to you, then consider picking up this game. Even if you have played or own the PS2 version, you should give this game a play. Monster Hunter Freedom not only efficiently mimics its older brother, but it improves on it as well. Those who are bothered by repetitive gameplay might want to take some time to consider this game. However, despite it seeming like a hack and slash game, MHF really delivers on finding different ways to defeat the great monsters in the game. With combining items, forging armor and weapons, using wit to best your enemies, and having cats cook for you, Monster Hunter Freedom branches out from being a regular action game and gives it more RPG elements to make this a unique and interesting game.

3.5 star(s) out of 5

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