The RPG where YOU gain EXP, not your character.
No sir, this is a game with a story that harkens back to the olden days of gaming.
The story?
"You are hunter, go kill things"
That's it.
But we aren't playing this for the story. We are playing so WE can be awesome dinosaur hunters. So that WE, not some spiky haired trump, can be a legendary dragon slayer.
First, let's talk about the main reason we play this game: Gameplay.
You take from many weapons of choice to dragon slaying with. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses and are very viable in their own way. For example, the Greatsword, extremely powerful. Perhaps one of the most strongest weapon types in the game. This is offset by the fact that it is also the slowest.
The basis of this game is quest taking. You talk to the Village Elder near the back of your village and take quest and perform its conditions. If you die on that quest three times, you fail it. And each quest comes with a little story as to WHY you are taking it, along with information about what monster you are hunting as well as the area you are facing it in. Pretty basic stuff. Take a weapon and go kill things.
Each weapon requires a different play style and strategy to use. But that's not all. Each monster also requires a different strategy in combat. Some monsters are capable of flame breath. Others charge at you repeatedly, requiring skillful dodging or a good shield. And still some are absolutely reckless in their attacks, requiring study and trail-and-error tactics.
This isn't some DMC hack'n'slash super-stylish game either. This game requires patience, along with skill. You can't go into a fight all guns blazing, or you will die. Sometimes you have to take the defensive and learn your enemies movements. Maybe they have a certain taunt animation. Maybe after an attack, they're vulnerable. As you fight more and more, you learn more about these awesome creatures as you skin their hides for materials to make weapons and armor.
The customization in this game is near infinite. Although, you can't mix and match armor pieces willy-nilly. Instead, the armor you make give certain bonuses to skills. For example, one piece of armor might give a point into blocking, so you would want pieces of armor that gives points into blocking. There's all sorts of skills you can use to aid you in your hunt. Ranging from the ability to reload faster to consume your healing items faster. And of course, you can gem those armor pieces to ensure maximum skill point gain.
New in Freedom Unite is the ability to have a meowing sidekick by your side. In previous installments, these "Felynes", as they call them, were usually just cooks. But now, not only will they cook your food, but they will also take up a weapon and fight alongside you. Some cats are rather explosive, and love to use bombs. Others are brave and use hammers or swords. And some, never fight. Fortunately, you can teach these cats all sorts of skills. So, for those pacifist felines, you can give them buffing skills to keep you alive.
The graphics are excellent, especially for a PSP game. Everything is very detailed and the environments are absolutely stunning.
This is aided by an amazing orchestral score that plays truly epic music while you fight a dragon. Most wyverns have their own theme that plays only when you fight them. Others share a theme that plays when you fight in a certain venue, like a swamp or a desert.
The only downside to this game is its false advertising. "You are never alone". In reality, unless you have a PS3 or Xlink Kai, you ARE alone. So you'll have no one to hunt alongside you in the multiplayer content. Not to say that you can't solo those monsters in the Gathering Hall, which is where you take the multiplayer quests. It's very difficult, as the monsters are tuned for more than one player, but with enough skill and determination, you can do the multiplayer quests on your own.
The replay value in this game is near infinite. The tales of people having more than 300 hours logged into this game? Are not tales. They are reality. I myself have over 170 hours logged in, and I have yet to even TOUCH the multiplayer content, which there is far more than the single player content.
This game is highly recommended to anyone with the patience and the virtue to grow stronger and better at a video game for the sole purpose of yelling to your game "YEAH, I BEAT YOU. I FINALLY BEAT YOU!!"