Monster Hunter: Freedom

When Monster Hunter first came out for PS2, a friend of mine brought it over and I was immediately hooked. While other RPG’s focus way too much on the more mundane details, Monster Hunter delivers plenty of action. You get to hunt and do combat with some fierce animals, and things can get pretty graphic at times. Yep, the original Monster Hunter is a very fun, and very addictive game.

So when I heard they came out with a version for the PSP, I immediately snatched it up, assuming it would be just as good as the original. And it is, for sure.

First off, there are some rather noticeable differences between the two games. For one, some of the action is a bit disappointing in comparison, and while the controls are easy to use, movement is kind of awkward at times. It just isn’t as fluid as the original. The control issue is particularly annoying when trying to hunt, because it has made timing a lot more important in this game, because you have less leisure and leeway with the controls. It makes hunting far more rigid and difficult.

But having said that, there are plenty of advantages to this version of Monster Hunter too. For one, everything just looks better this time around. The graphics are clearer and more defined, and there is more territory to explore in this game. The majority of the landscapes here look very realistic, and more attention has been paid to smaller details overall. Also, your arsenal is a lot more sophisticated, and you have a lot of options to choose from. You also have a lot more potential combos and other tricks you can pull out of your proverbial sleeve as well.

Monster Hunter: Freedom  is overall a lot more challenging than it’s predecessor, and while it definitely has it’s flaws, the extra features and the killer graphics far out weigh the negative aspects, making it even cooler than the original game. This is definitely a must own for PSP fanatics.