This game was my first Monster Hunter game, and probably one of the best gaming experiences I've had in quite a while honestly. I got the game on a whim when it was on sale and have not regretted committing to it. The genre is not for everyone and while I believe it to be an amazing game I can still recognise its flaws but most of the positives make up for the shortcomings of the game. I know that to most veterans of the genre that this game is quite the shift from what Monster Hunter is like traditionally but it's because of World and Iceborne that I even took an interest in the series as a whole and am currently working through the older titles to experience what past players have.

Monster Hunter World is pretty long for all the content that was added during the game's support, Thankfully if you missed the seasonal events they're still being rotated according to the time of the year. The game is no longer supported which means it's a complete game when you buy the base game and the expansion. It can be played offline as well so your experience isn't dependant on internet connection. While the store has plenty of cosmetic DLC these are transmog armour sets and stickers and weapon charms that have no gameplay value apart from just looking pretty. There are plenty and I mean PLENTY of event quests and endgame quests that have a range of cosmetic items to choose from so purchasing the DLC is more of a personal preference thing. (Make no mistake microtransactions in games in general are bad even if they can be ignored) The only expansion you truly need is Iceborne which is in my opinion the MEAT of the game.

The expansion (Iceborne) adds plenty of content to the game that can keep you busy for hundreds of hours. Though a new mechanic introduced to the expansion is a bit of a hit or miss depending on the weapon you use and your opinion on what makes a hunt in the game fun to you. Given that there are plenty of ways to enjoy the hunts in the game people's opinions differ, but it's not too much of a change that'd ruin the experience. The pure endgame content while possible to do alone is best done with a group, thankfully there are a good amount of players still invested in the game helping new players. The endgame is brutal but worth the rewards and the event quests add some neat challenges you can try out when you want a change of pace.

The game itself has plenty of charm, cute one moment and epic the next. The ecology of the game itself is also very interesting and impressively detailed, knowing how these monsters interact with the environment and with one another through the turf wars and introductions makes the world itself feel so alive and god I LOVE the gameplay loop the most especially with how complex and layered the mechanics of each weapon are and the ways in which you can experiment with builds. I recommend giving the game a shot, especially if you have friends to help you through it, its so worth it!