With Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate set to launch on the Nintendo Switch at the end of the month, folks eager to learn how the game plays on the new hardware can try out a trio of hunts right now courtesy of a freshly launched demo. If this is your first time trying out a more "classic" style entry after being won over by Monster Hunter World, though, you should prepare for a pretty jarring transitional period.
While the mechanics and hunting strategies you may have learned while playing World will translate well into Generations Ultimate, there are quite a few aspects of the game that were altered between the two, which means you're going to have to spend some time relearning some things. Thankfully, you can get a head start on becoming comfortable with those changes since a demo for the Switch game went live this week. In fact, you can download it right now and hunt to your heart's content.
The demo is actually pretty meaty, though it assumes you already understand the basics of the series. If you've never played a Monster Hunter game, you will be doing yourself a favor if you decide to seek out some tutorial videos before throwing yourself against the wall. That's not to say that the series is too obtuse for newcomers, just that it might not play like the hack-and-slash adventure you are expecting.
Rather than offer any sort of a tutorial, the demo instead gives you the ability to drop into three hunts of increasing difficulty, either solo or online with some friends/strangers. You'll be taking some solid gear into the fight, freely choosing one of the game's dozen-plus weapon types. You'll also get to try out all six of the game's Hunting Styles, fan-favorite feature from the 3DS version of Generations that didn't appear in World. Finally, you can also play as a Palico and even take a couple of Palico helpers into your solo hunts. Once you get dropped into the hunt, you'll also find an inventory full of useful items that will help make the demo hunts a little less challenging.
One of the biggest differences you'll notice between Generations and World is that the maps in the former are broken into sections, complete with brief loading screens, rather than being an open world. As you start playing, other small differences will start to pop up. Catching insects and mining resources in Generations, for instance, are tied to usable items that can break and will need to be recrafted. If you've gotten used to chugging a healing potion while fleeing battle in World, that ability has also been removed. The lock-on camera is nowhere near as deliberate in Generations, either, meaning you will need to keep a more steady eye on your target. Thankfully, the Switch has a second joystick for controlling the camera, something that was lacking from many 3DS series entries.
You'll also discover that some of the game's weapons function a little differently in Generations than they did in World. These differences aren't too major, thankfully, but you may need to relearn the abilities and timing of your favorite gear.
Honestly, I was a little worried going into Generations after falling head over heels for World. But while they are pretty different experiences, they're still made from very similar skeletons. It's exciting that the Switch game is finally coming West and, again, if you're still not sure about adjusting to Generations, the demo should help ease you through the transition before the Aug. 28 launch.
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