My fellow Features Editor Eric Switzer won’t stop going on about Monster Hunter Now. It’s insufferable because he has no end of great things to say about the mobile game, he’s having amazing experiences with it every week, and it generally sounds brilliant. So why is it so frustrating to listen to him? Because I know I can never play this game.
Monster Hunter Now takes Niantic’s well-versed formula and adds the monsters you know and love from Capcom’s Monster Hunter series. Except, I don’t know and love any of them. I’ve only played a handful of Monster Hunter games and, while I was impressed with how well Rise performed on the Switch, it didn’t grab me. That’s probably because I haven’t played all the other games and built up that relationship with the series as I have with Pokemon, but it affects my mobile gaming experience.
This is my first problem. I’m a Pokemon Guy. I love finding Phanpy in the wild, I’ll do Zapdos raids, and I’m happy pouring all my resources into a Shadow Raikou. They’re cool monsters and I’ve got a fond nostalgia for them. Seeing them in the wild brings a warm feeling to my tummy. No, it’s not gastric distress, it’s remembering that I’m living my childhood dreams and catching Pokemon in the real world.
Monster Hunter does not evoke the same emotions for me. This is not to discredit the game at all, but I’d much prefer to spend my free time hunting Pokemon than, well, monsters. I assume that’s what they’re called? This is how little I know.
Pokemon Go’s Sunk Cost Fallacy
But I’ve got a bigger problem. I only have one phone and two hands. If I was a Machamp with a burner iPhone, I could feasibly play Pokemon Go at the same time as Monster Hunter Now. Alas, I am but a humble trainer with the normal number of appendages.
If I can only play one mobile game, it’s going to be Pokemon, even if it’s the worse game. I’ve played it for eight years now, poured my heart and soul into making an epic collection, reached level 43, and I’m pushing on further. I’ve spent money on this game, and I recently worked out that I’ve spent about 2,107 hours playing. You can’t just turn your back on that kind of spiritual investment.
Sure, I could transfer all my shinies to Pokemon Home and then a mainline Pokemon game of my choice. I could even Wonder Trade all the duplicates if I was feeling particularly generous. I could see them all on my telly, glorious and resplendent in their beautiful colours.
But I’m not going to do that. I’m going to persevere with a game that treats its players like mugs, that exists solely to extract cash from my wallet and is transparent in how it attempts to do so. I’ve grown wise to its ways now, and will no longer spend money on raid passes or incubators, but the game is worse for it. As a free to play player, the game is exponentially more boring than if I was happy to splash the cash on constant raiding to catch the best counters and restock that valuable stardust.
I’d love to have an event that took me on a curated adventure around the city like Monster Hunter Wild’s Tokyo Carnival. I’d love to have an AR game that actually encouraged exploration rather than pushing paid-for experiences at Starbucks and the EE Store. But I’m stuck with Pokemon Go’s stuttering, expensive gameplay loop that gives little satisfaction. But as soon as I see a wild Jolteon, I remember I wouldn’t have it any other way.
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Monster Hunter Devs Discuss A 15th Weapon “All The Time”, Even If Wilds Isn’t Adding It
It’s on the table, it’s just a matter of resource allocation.