Monster Hunter. A game about hunting monsters. In fact, the most accurately-named game I've ever played. If killing giant monsters, harvesting their organs, and making new equipment out of said organs (rinse and repeat) does not sound attractive to you, then you probably won't like it, though I still recommend a rental. If you hate anything that doesn't give you instant gratification, you won't like it. If you don't crave a challenge, you won't like it. This game is for people with the requisite large amounts of free time and a great deal of patience. You will fail. But it will only make victory sweeter when you finally achieve it. And it is this euphoria that will make you keep coming back for more. You will come to respect these god-like creatures as the ultimate foes. They are your quarry, but you are their prey. And for overcoming such odds, you are rewarded with armor and weapons crafted from your fallen foes. There is no best weapon or best set of armor. The game focuses instead on customization. Each of the various weapon types functions completely differently from the others, almost like playing a different game. Each set of armor has its merits and detriments. Each monster is equally as challenging. At first glance, Monster Hunter appears to be an RPG, but it is more of a simulation. An incredible amount of detail has been put into the ecology of each monster, and in the absence of a levelling system your progression will come solely from an increase in player skill. If you lack the patience to make it through the long introduction and to make it through the initially bumpy difficulty curve, I pity you, for you are destined to miss out on one of the greatest game series ever designed. However, if you can endure the early hours of the game, you will soon find yourself addicted to and immersed in a masterfully-crafted world where lords of nature and masters of combat do battle. Oh, and did I mention there's multiplayer?
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