We catch up with a few games that didn't make our Top Five lists, and then a special guest lends a credibility boost to our stupid yearly predictions!
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/39498/episode-414-glitter-glory
There are two particular episodes we do every January. One is the Top Five Games show, which you heard last week. The other one, which we on the show don't enjoy nearly as much as our audience, is the annual predictions feature. This time, we enlisted an old friend to make this chore a lot less cringe-worthy... But more on that later.
Up front in New Business, we take a critical view of several new games that are promising, but with obvious flaws. Leading that pack, perhaps inevitably, is the brand new demo for Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate on 3DS (with enhancements for New 3DS). Both veteran Jon and dabbler James had a taste of Capcom's upcoming game, including an online session together. What we learn is that yep, this sure is going to be Monster Hunter, and nope, the demo probably won't help anyone unlock the secret to enjoying this divisive series. Gui is far more positive on Chariot, the indie platformer just released on Wii U eShop, but the controls may be frustrating for the kind of intricate cooperation this game requires. Jonny finished up Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and definitely comes out positive on this weird little package from Nintendo, even though it ends in a whimper. James rounds out the opening segment with his first dedicated report on Persona Q, and his take on it will probably surprise you as much as it did us.
Then, it's finally time for our dumbass predictions for the rest of 2015. Thank goodness we have such a great special guest to class up the proceedings. We tried to keep it secret, but if you haven't heard by now... (spoiler alert) Chris Kohler accepted the challenge of predicting one of the most unpredictable forces in video games. He's a true Nintendo expert in the world of professional games media, and you better bet that he came prepared. The rest of us delivered the usual mix of trend-spotting, wishful thinking, and completely goofball ideas that our listeners know and love to mock all year long.
We'll try to get back to normal next time, so feed that email inbox and/or fling something pithy at our new Twitter account: @RFNpodcast! You should also read Chris Kohler's provocative work over at Wired Game|Life and listen to his fun and informative podcasts, Game|Life and Good Job Brain!
KF: One thing we have to be careful about is not changing what makes Monster Hunter Monster Hunter. We want people to be able to experience and enjoy what makes Monster Hunter good. And, at least as far as the current situation goes, the game play in Monster Hunter very much is based on this idea of having segmented areas you manage fighting against the monsters in. Changing that right now is something that wouldn't quite work. Obviously, even if you are going to move between areas, it's best not to have to worry about having a load time, so that's something we have to keep in mind. Furthermore, as far as what the future holds, who knows?
For instance, part of the reason this segmented map is important is that's it's very much part of the game play. Let's say you're fighting against a monster in a particular area and you're almost dead. If you can make it to the exit of that area, you can get out of there and at least heal yourself while the monster's in another area. There's a reward for players who can successfully take this risk. That's very much ingrained in the base of the game play right now. So, the reason we haven't changed that yet is because—if we are going to change something like that—that gets down to the very roots of the game. If we're going to change Monster Hunter so that it basically features one giant, contiguous area, then we have to really reformulate and rethink everything so it works correctly.
Fatal Frame 5 was pretty much confirmed as Japan only by Tecmo Koei last September.
To reiterate: I will probably only get interested in Monster Hunter if they fundamentally change the game; eliminating zones would be a good start. Obviously, I don't expect them to do anything of the sort, but maybe one of the clones or spin-offs will take more chances.
1001 SpikesI WISH i could buy this game, bugs and all.
To reiterate: I will probably only get interested in Monster Hunter if they fundamentally change the game; eliminating zones would be a good start. Obviously, I don't expect them to do anything of the sort, but maybe one of the clones or spin-offs will take more chances.Maybe Dragon's Dogma is more your style? The new Dragon's Dogma Online, if it ever comes to the west?
