Review: Monster Hunter Freedom Unite

MHFU is the latest game in the "Monster Hunter" franchise. Yet again, it comes to you for Playstation Portable. MHFU is an expansion to the original Monster Hunter Freedom 2. In addition to MHF2's original base game. MHFU boasts new quests, new equipment, new monsters, higher levels of equipment, new Felyne Fighter addition, and multiplayer. The basis of all MH games is you take your customized character and hunt monsters for profit. This newest expansion does no different. The MH have always shown a long-lasting playtime. Fun gameplay, and a large amount of quests to complete. Some quests however seemed repeated as the collection quests, which are the most of your beginning quests, seem like playing through the same level checking the same spots over and over again. Weapons are wide and expansion allowing you to choose a number of hunting tools to take along with you. With use of a certain weapon it's sharpness goes down making it weaker. To sharpen it, it requires whetstones, an item which can be bought and is usually supplied. However the sharpening goes dull much to quick. Making it a sort of annoyance than a realistic aspect. Felyne fighters are cat-creatures that, when bought, will aide you on your quest, or work in your kitchen. When aiding you on a quest. They will attack the enemy you are attacking at will. Place bombs and explosive if necessary and provide an excellent use of bait. The AI for the Felyne is good is such situations as it waits till you clear the area before bombing your enemy. However there true use is the exploited invincibility. If they are knocked down and unconscious they will eventually wake up after a short period of time. An ample strategy is to distract the quarry with one of the Felynes and then attack from behind hitting various weak spots. The monster usually never take their sights of them. There other use however is in the kitchen. You can essentially buy the Feylnes from a Feylne trader. So after buying your new slaves you can force them to work in your kitchen making new items that can heal you, or help you in many other ways. However you need to give your Felyne jobs or they might spend their time resting all day if left alone. This is not the best feature in MHFU. The multiplayer shines were gameplay might at times fail. There is nothing more fun than getting a few of your friends, connecting your PSPs together and go kill some major monster. Some monsters are just impossible to go it alone. Whether you have a Felyne fighter or a bunch of friends. As the game title state, you need to "unite" to take down certain foes. This provides a replay value as you go back to original missions once done alone and you see how you can do while on a team. Overall MHFU is a good game, if you've played MHF2 there still awaits for you more monsters and treasures to find in this expansion. For those who haven't played a MH game to date. I suggest you try. Hopefully the MH franchise will be letting us slay new monsters in the future.