Throughout their time in Monster Hunter World, players will have to make a lot of decisions, but none of them are as important — or as difficult — as deciding which of the game’s 14 weapons to take up. With so many options to choose from, it can be a daunting task to figure out which weapon best fits your playstyle, and even after you’ve made up your mind, there’s still the matter of figuring out how to master your weapon’s mechanics and moveset, as well as deciding on which skills to incorporate into your build. In the hopes of making the process a bit easier for both greenhorn and veteran hunters alike, I’ve compiled some brief (and some not-so-brief) rundowns of each weapon and its playstyle, core mechanics, useful moves and combos, and recommended skills. These are by no means comprehensive guides, but I hope that they’ll serve to give players interested in picking up a new weapon a good idea of how they play and which skills … [Read more...] about The Hunter’s Arsenal: Massively OP’s guide to the weapons of Monster Hunter World
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One-month impressions of Monster Hunter World
It’s been just over a month now since Monster Hunter World launched on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, heralding a brand-new generation of Capcom’s acclaimed action-RPG franchise. As the first entry in the series developed for current-gen, non-handheld consoles since 2009’s Monster Hunter Tri, World marks a major transition for the series, one that brings with it sweeping changes to the time-honored formula upon which the series was built. There’s been, of course, some anxiety among the game’s community about what these changes might mean for the game’s future, with some fearing that the game would be watered down to attract a wider audience. However, after putting a frankly embarrassing number of hours into the game, I’m happy to be able to say that there’s no need to panic. New features have been added, mechanics have been streamlined, and the world – fittingly enough – is more expansive and engrossing than ever. That’s … [Read more...] about One-month impressions of Monster Hunter World
MMO Week in Review: Star Trek Online is going free-to-play, again (May 6, 2018)
Support Massively OP on PatreonWere you too busy gaming this week to pay attention to MMO news? Get caught up every Sunday evening with Massively Overpowered’s Week in Review! There are hardly any proper MMORPGs that haven’t already seen at least one major business model shift over the years, and this week Star Trek Online announced its second: It’s going even more free-to-play, or maybe more buy-to-play, depending on how you look at it, as it’s trading its optional subscription away for an optional flat-fee buy-in. Meanwhile, we’re looking ahead to Guild Wars 2’s underwater update, watching players quibble over Elder Scrolls Online’s and Star Citizen’s business models, debating the state of modern MMO raiding, genuinely enjoying SWTOR’s latest update, being surprised that WoW’s doing so well, and mourning the impending loss of two PWE MMORPGs. Read on for the very best of this week’s MMO news and opinions. THIS … [Read more...] about MMO Week in Review: Star Trek Online is going free-to-play, again (May 6, 2018)
S.O.S. ditches survival mechanics to become a full-on battle royale game
What’s that sound? It’s the sound of a genre becoming even more saturated, that’s what, as SOS is converting into a battle royale game called (drumroll) SOS: Battle Royale. The original idea behind the game was to toss 16 players into a map and have them play a 30-minute match to find a relic and escape in a helicopter, with up to three winners per match and the chance to coordinate via voice chat. There were plenty of survival mechanics along the way, including making your own weapons and traps to survive. And a la Running Man, the streaming audience would be pushing buttons too. Yesterday, Outpost Games announced massive changes to the early access survival game, to the point that it’s now a battle royale game, not a survival game at all – in fact, it appears the survival elements have been stripped out entirely, and you’ll just be looting things like weapons from the island. “You thought you were signing up for a reality TV show, but the … [Read more...] about S.O.S. ditches survival mechanics to become a full-on battle royale game
Blizzard Jumps on the Social Justice and Identity Politics Bandwagon
The Blizzard Entertainment we once knew and loved has vanished into the mists of time. Blizzard was once a shining city on a hill that stood out as a beacon of gamer-centric righteousness in the sleazy wasteland of the video game sausage factory. Blizzard’s extraordinary game development philosophy defied conventional wisdom. Blizzard did things their way. They didn’t care what anyone thought and their fans loved them for it. Today, the maverick Irvine-based gaming studio once known for its unwavering commitment to quality has been transformed by ambitious leadership that wants to turn Blizzard into the next Disney. But, there is a price to pay. To gain membership into this exclusive club you must be willing to sell your soul and conform to the obligatory leftist worldview that is held by most California-based entertainment and tech companies. For the last few years, the new Blizzard — Blizzard 2.0 — has proceeded to implement their part of the Faustian bargain. … [Read more...] about Blizzard Jumps on the Social Justice and Identity Politics Bandwagon