Everywhere we look, there are games hyped as the next big franchise. We see it constantly, as sequels and requels, remasters and remakes are gracing our screens more often than not now. Some of them are going down the full-blown remaster trend, while others continue to chug along with new ideas intermixing with the old standbys.
In a way, looking back at unique titles is more fun through this lens, because we get to see how those titles and franchises have evolved over the years. The Monster Hunter series is such an example. Since its eponymous debut by Capcom on the PlayStation 2 back in 2004, the series has taken Japan by storm, making it a massive franchise that has only grown in popularity overseas. The series is so popular that, at one point, Monster Hunter Tri, the entry into the series for the Nintendo Wii, was the highest-selling non-Nintendo game on the system at one point raking in over 1 million in sales within a year.
The key part, though, is it’s only a top seller in Japan. At the time, Monster Hunter was more of a cult niche title out in North America, but has pretty much established itself with Monster Hunter: World as a global franchise. A game like Monster Hunter Tri was another minor success for the Wii, estimated to have sold about 500,000 copies to match the final 2 million in sales for the game. For Tri, we see the continuation of the Monster Hunter franchise's penchant for hardcore action-RPG gameplay is still solid to re-experience, despite a few flaws that may hold it back from true greatness.
Monster Hunter Tri has you play as a self-created monster hunter, basically a working stiff who is hired to kill local wildlife for contracts. Your headquarters is a small fishing village named Moga. From here, you basically hunt monsters, forage for various items like berries, grass, meat, and other supplies to craft items for your hunter, and build up your reputation for your guild. From here, you can improve the village's life and hunt bigger monsters as the game goes on.
The game has pretty decent controls for a Wii title, with every button on the Wii Remote and the nunchuck used. There is a learning curve, however, as the player must slowly get used to the control scheme, as they are somewhat obtuse at first. For example, to access menus and your journal, you need to click down on the directional buttons on the Wii Remote and cycle through menus. While clicking the A button, you can swing your weapons for an attack, and using the plus button makes you forage for items in the wild.
The controls take some time to get used to. The option of using a classic controller is a great plus. So much so, when it was originally released, it came with a Classic Controller Pro in Japan, which was a big boost in its initial sales. The Classic Controller Pro was also bundled for the North American release, and in one respect it's a good addition, as Monster Hunter Tri is just another game in a long list of Wii titles that simply plays better without motion controls.
Gameplay-wise, it is the same loop you would expect from a Monster Hunter title. You go into the field after doing some quest lines and hunt Monster X to gather McGuffin Y for Merchant Z. Standard stuff, to be frank. There are some progression points where collecting parts of larger monsters is required for progression, as those parts would upgrade your gear stats enough to take on higher-end contracts from the guild. In between that, your typical setup of weapon and armor sets allows players to essentially tailor their playstyle, though mastering a few weapon styles will make hunting some monsters easier.
Outside of this, there is not a lot of deviation from the gameplay loop, so if you don't feel like doing the same type of missions, hunts, or preparations, you won't have fun with Monster Hunter Tri. Still, this is what makes the series so popular: the complexity in the setup. To hunt certain monsters, you need certain equipment. Baits and traps can help you corner tougher, more elusive prey while using a specific weapon, like a blowgun, to take down flying monsters. There are also underwater battles, a first for the series, that add another degree of equipment or resources that are necessary to survive underwater. To get these items, though, you need to spend a ton of time foraging.
That time sink sits somewhere on the side of being overly tedious. Early on in the game, you will have to wade through the really annoying load times of Monster Hunter Tri to basically pilfer all the berries, mushrooms, stones, and meat you can carry. Building up a collection of items is honestly daunting at times, and an un-timed quest can take up to two or three hours to complete, especially in the later levels. There are timed quests that can give you up to an hour to complete, but for those it is vital to have the items and equipment you need before beginning such quests.
But the intricacy of the game's item system and equipment customization is rather impressive. Most role-playing games and MMO’s do this grind matter-of-factly, having you swap out equipment for a one-time use because it is more powerful or protects you better than before against all enemies. In Monster Hunter Tri, you will often switch through weapons and equipment when necessary, like a true professional, which is needed to survive.
You will survive, as throughout the game you build up Moga Village. You can set up farms, fishing areas, and even provide new traders for the village that net you resources and rare items without the foraging grind. All of this makes resource collection so much easier, taking the edge off for the player. Of course, the catch is this takes a lot of investment to get set up, but the payoff pays back in dividends.
Perhaps, more ironically, Monster Hunter Tri is more valuable as an online multiplayer game. Capcom has included online player games with specific quest items to take down big beasts for a party of four hunters. These matches are just as long and even more fun than the offline story missions, and require a lot more preparation. The missions also offer rare and online-only loot, giving players an incentive to jump on the friend-code-less online lobbies. Unfortunately, with the Wii online shutdown, no one can truly experience this aspect of the game anymore, becoming another lost relic that locks out key rewards. Capcom may have noted the limitations of Monster Hunter Tri, because the game later would get several re-releases on other consoles as Monster Hunter 3: Ultimate for the 3DS and Wii U. These enhanced ports were also widely considered excellent additions for the franchise, though the multiplayer for all of them is now no longer functional.
The game is visually solid and appealing. The Wii pushes the limits, providing a nice mix of detail on your quarry and your player character. Sadly, there is slowdown against big monsters with some framerate dips and graphical glitches, but overall the designs are rather good, and the world shows some solid detail, despite being mostly a mix of plains, chasms, and beaches you traverse.
Sound-wise, it is less impressive, with the lack of voices in the dialogue kind of hurting the overall experience. The monsters have decent personality, with grunts and growls, squacks and roars all befitting them and providing some heft when you need it. The game's music is really tame and annoying, ranging from tropical island riffs to generic guitar licks that, while they sound ok, are nothing to write home about.
There is a reason why Monster Hunter is a powerhouse franchise in Japan, and it is because it knows exactly what it is. It is a quintessential action-RPG series with a small but simple loop of gameplay that takes time and dedication to master. Control issues and daunting mechanics aside, Monster Hunter Tri is a grinder's dream, and anyone who does love action-RPGs will likely sink their teeth into this game for breaks between raids. Monster Hunter Tri is just further proof of the longevity of the Monster Hunter series, and why the franchise was able to explode in massive popularity outside of Japan as time went on.