First Look On Monster Hunter Generations Demo : Improvement Over Perfection.

Monster Hunter Generations is the fifth major installment in the series and although the localized version is still about two more weeks before we can get our hands on it, the demo is available to download on June 30, 2016. I downloaded it. I played it. I am now having a light scratch on an itch you so desperately want to scratch only to realize that it just gotten more itchy. You just can't wait for the game to be released.

Capcom have seriously outdone itself. I gotta admit, what they've done to the game is seriously genius. Gigantic franchises often hit the point where players will grow tired of the whole game. Die hard fans will endure and persevere. But mainstream gamers will gradually lose interest. So what will developers do? They change things. The game industry is doomed to undergo perpetual change. A certain game has changes from survival horror into a generic shooting game. A certain angry, god-slaying, demi-god grows a beard and angrily teaches his children how to hunt. Things change. Some accept, others deny. Of course, not every changes is for the better albeit every changes in game franchise development is always for the better. Compare Final Fantasy series prior to the super linear III. But Capcom though...

What Capcom has done is improving an already perfect product. That is theoretically impossible. I can't believe it myself but after about 5 hours into the demo, I can feel it. Of course, given the right team, budget and fresh IP, a team of developers can yield a great game but what is so brilliant from Capcom is the decision to include these features: Hunting Arts and Styles.

One of the three monsters to fight in the demo. This is called Malfestio.

Hunting Arts comes as special attacks or maneuvers that you can perform in a battle. The demo version comes with the arts pre-selected on each weapons we choose but I have a hunch we will be able to customize which arts you want yourself.

Styles is the main meat of the game. Styles affect your available moves for attacks and evasions. Some style are offensive, some are defensive and evasive. The styles available in the demo are:

• Guild Style

Basic, versatile and balanced. This is the old and essentially the same moveset from the previous MH series. This style allows you to equip two Hunting Arts. Honestly, I don't play this style, simply because I know most of them will be identical with the previous titles. Some weapons undergo changes in their moveset, however. Very balanced and friendly style.

• Striker Style
  

Super offensive style as it lets you perform three Hunting Arts at the expense of some original moveset of weapons omitted. This style may seem powerful but in the real fight against monsters, you gotta consider the timing of using the arts. Most arts takes a while to actually deal damage, some takes forever, even. On top of that, most of the power moves, like the full spirit combo from Long Swords and the overhand-swing charge attacks from Great Swords are missing. It kinda limits your damage output and I totally understand it for the sake of balanced gameplay. I have to say, though. Striker seems to be more oriented for Blademasters than Gunners. Blademasters will enjoy a sudden spike in their damage output given the arts manage to hit the monsters full on. Gunners, on the other hand, often has long animation and straight, narrow hitzone. I'd rather use the time to either dodge, heal or reload.

Striker Style is a shock trooper in a team. You will be whittling monster's health as you build your arts gauge. Once the gauge is full, however, Strikers will be the nuke of the team. Good thing this style lets you build the gauge faster than other styles. Try this when you use Switch Axe: *fill the phial gauge* -> use Demon Riot -> use Trance.

• Aerial Style
  

Aerial style is... tricky. I spent some time fiddling with the aerial style on Blademasters and I genuinely had a hard time. It's even worse on Gunners. Malfestio killed my archer twice. Anyway, Aerials WILL work wonders on flat, open terrain, which practically present in all MH maps. One argument, though. The monsters seem to have either increased tolerance on falling down from jumping attacks or they possess a sweet spot that needs to be hit for the attack to be counted as jumping attack. I'm not sure myself. I used Aerial in a Long Sword run and the Malfestio only falls ONCE in the span of ten minutes clearing the quest, and I did A LOT of jump attacks. This kinda bugs me over the actual effectiveness of the style. I'd personally prefer utilizing Insect Glaive for the built in vault attack OR jumping off ledges.

This style really shines in a team hunt far better than solo. Aerials are the utility guy with the task of technically dropping and mounting monsters to leave openings for the rest of the buddies for a gangbang. Now, I know I contradict myself by saying that this style is bad on Gunners, but that's just me playing it. A good gunner can actually benefit from the increased maneuverability and options from this bouncy, awkward style.

• Adept Style

Adept is the most technical of all style, and in my humble opinion, the most fun. The style suffers the same missing moveset from weapons, this limits your offense but if you're good, you can practically clear a Deviljho quest naked. You will perform the art, Absolute Evasion everytime you press the roll button a split second before a monster hits you. This takes clever memorizing of monsters' attack pattern. I ended up trying all weapons with this style. Gunners will rejoice. The paper-thin armor will benefit from the invincibility as you perform the corkscrew dodge. If my hunch is correct that you can choose your own art, then a team of three Gunners and one Hammer user with Provoke and Adept style will be virtually invincible.

Need more? Adept style lets you perform a counter attack distinct to each weapon after successfully dodging. Sword and Shield's counter move is the best. Try it.

Now, where's the genius in Capcom, you ask? Most games's new installments either suffer from missing identity and/or stale, overused concept where they used their source material too often that the game becomes boring. Recent Final Fantasy series are struggling ever since they left their classic turn-based system and end up being ambiguous in their gameplay. It feels too linear to act like western-RPG but too fast paced and action-oriented as J-RPG. Another example will be Resident Evil (Biohazard) series, which is ironically comes from Capcom itself. But in Monster Hunter Generation they add new gameplay concept. Risky. They still maintain the old gameplay (Guild style). Safe. That there, is genius.

Did I mention that you can play as your Felyne, too?