Worth the buy?
PRO'S
For a game on a handheld, Monster Hunter is pretty deep. If you like games that require a bit of learning to gain the edge over your twelve foot tall opponent, this game is a fun choice. The game starts out slow with players getting missions to collect herbs and various monster pelts to get a feel for the gathering/hunting mechanics. The sh** hits the fan when players are introduced to their first wyvern called a Yian Kut-ku. Its here that the first real taste of the heart of the game can be gleaned.
Combat is essentially broken down into the player and friends exploiting pauses and blindspots in the attack patterns of the enemy monster. Being that the creature is many times your size, and one small step would all but demolish your health bar, its a feeling of accomplished euphoria that you feel when conquering these first challenges.
Players are in a do it yourself world, where most of the items that are most needed in the field can be gathered and created by the player his/herself. Herbs can be found for on the spot healing, or components for a on the spot pitfall trap (provided you have a trap tool). For all intents and puroses, the player feels as though they are a part of the environment, as they rely on it heavily for survival, and the items they use, right down to the armor worn, is in some way a trophy of conquering challenges and mastering said environment.
Most out of combat happenings take place at a small village called pokke, so exploration is limited to the various habitsts in which your targer monsters are located. There are thigns to do in pokke (use the farm, go to training school, eat in the houses kitchen, etc.) but not enough to be justifiably termed "exploration".
CONS
This is not at all a story heavy game. "Progression" consists of players gaining harder and harder quests from various sources, but no story is being told, and the only cutscenes in question are ones that are unlocked in the gallery, or seen in first time encounters with particular monsters. Most of the incentive involved is in developing strategies for different monsters, farming that monster with that strategy, upgrading to better armor/weapons with the spoils, and moving on to the next challenge.
The game is best played with friends, and though i've goten a good 200 hours out of the game without such help, it is very easy to feel lonely, even with the cat that developers put in to help you with quests.
One particular frustration is hitbox and hit detection. There are times when a player finds himself blocking against an incoming monsters limb, only to be knocked off his/her feet with the health bar going down. This is not to say that the blocking mechanic is on a randomizer, but certain attacks at certain ranges can be visually in front of you, but the game reads them as coming from behind, or to the side.
BOTTOM LINE
This game is amazing for a handheld system. I've never been able to play with friends myself, but for most things, the more the merrier, and this might be a must have for the clique of friends that passes time with PSP's. If you are looking for a combat heavy, story soft challenge. A game with plenty of item combination potential. A game where brain(you) needs to beat brawn (the monster). This game should be a consideration. After all, there's nothing more fun than beating a mountain with a toothpick.
Cutscene/story: weak
Gameplay:Strong
Replayability: Strong
Graphics: Strong (for a handheld)