Asserted Review: Monster Hunter Tri (recap)

Hey children, I will be writing a review of the upcoming game Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate in the next few days. The review will be a "sequel" of sorts to the following review of Monster Hunter Tri, which I am providing to you, free of charge! Enjoy!

Snowman here, and let us start this blog in force with Monster Hunter Tri, a Wii exclusive!



Now, anyone who's been paying attention to my personal life in the past few months will know that I simply adore this game. In fact, I can safely say that Monster Hunter Tri (also called Monster Hunter 3, MH3) has everything I was looking for in the game, and it delivered so much more. The music is good, the gameplay is smooth, and it is simply fun to play. This Wii exclusive is, in my opinion, the first game to use the console's full potential and is definitely a game you will not regret having in your collection.

Before I get too deep in this review, let me talk about the only really bad thing about this game. This game allows you to play using either the Wii Remote and Nunchuk or by using the Classic Controller (CC). In fact, in most gaming stores, you can buy a copy of MH3 that comes with a free Classic Controller. Do just that. The controls for the Remote+Nunchuk are simply horrible, and they are amazing with the Classic Controller. My advice: for the same price, get the one with the classic controller.

Monster Hunter (MH) is an extremely successful Japanese video game franchise; in its native country, MH is a household name like Pokemon or Yugioh. With MH3, this franchise has gotten the solid attention of the world. Like in previous games, you take on the role of a Hunter, a mercenary hired by the "Hunter's Guild" to... well... hunt monsters. In particular, the Lagiacrus, a giant sea Leviathan-class monster, is terrorizing a small village, and it is your job to (eventually) kill it. The first few quests are pretty mundane, such as collecting mushrooms or delivering raw monster meat (yum.), but they get pretty epic pretty fast.

You will not face the Lagiacrus, MH3's flagship monster and "adorable" troublemaker, until very late in the game. These hunters are certainly trying.

Speaking of epic, these monsters are massive. Realistically massive, but massive nonetheless; most stand two or three times taller than you, and some are simply too big for me to give an appropriate scale. The visual style of the game lends itself well to that effect. I can honestly say that this is the best looking Wii game so far. Granted, the graphics aren't what you would see on the PS3 or Xbox 360, but they definitely take full advantage of what the console is capable of. And while we're at it, the soundtrack of the game is as epic as the game itself. All these factors contribute to making every fight memorable, every defeat bittersweet, and every victory gratifying.

This game also requires a great deal of planning and strategy. Let me tell you something that happened to me while playing. I had become a hunter full of pride, having defeated several large monsters, some with ease, some with difficulty, and I was well on my way to defeat the dreaded Lagiacrus. Everything was going well, and I was brimming with confidence. Then came Barroth.

Oh crap.

Barroth (which I had affectionately nicknamed B*tchballs after a hilarious video describing it as a "b*tch with balls") is like a sledgehammer, but without the charm. It rams you for massive damage, it's hard to hit and pretty much impossible to block. Not only that, but his body is covered in mud which he flings around, and if you're unlucky enough to get hit, you cannot attack for a little while due to being covered in grime. It took me 3 failures before giving up. That's when I decided to start forging armors (forging your armors and weapons is an integral part of the game) to pass the time.

So there I was, forging new armor sets, when I realize that one of the herbivores present in Barroth's area, the Rhenoplos, gives materials for a set of armor which grants immunity to Barroth's mud-flinging attacks. After lots of farming and herbivore-murdering, it was time to face Barroth...

...and fail miserably. It took me very careful planning, a touch of luck and a total of about 7 tries to beat the beast. But oh how it felt good to kill that mother f*cker.

But that doesn't mean the game is all serious all the time, oh no. The game can be very light-hearted and cute at times, and the game's pace is simply amazing, with a good balance between humor and urgency. In particular the NPCs are lovable, and some of the monsters you meet make you want to cuddle them instead of murdering them.

They're cute now, but wait until they steal your sh*t. Also, compare these monsters with the ones shown above. This game has a good mix of light-hearted comedy and blood-chilling action.

Alright, this review is dragging on, so let's wrap up. The free online multiplayer supports a solid peer-to-peer network, a thriving online community, and an easy to use game lobby. The game itself definitely has over 60 hours of gameplay (online and offline combined), and is definitely worth the price. In short, I can say that Monster Hunter Tri is definitely one of the most memorable games I have played. If it endures the test of time, maybe it will even get into my top 5 favorite games list.

VISUALS:	10	Best Wii graphics around.
SOUNDTRACK:	10	Epic and memorable tracks, context-appropriate music.
ATMOSPHERE:	10	Simply amazing.
CONTROLS:	8	Horrible with the Wii Remote, great with the classic controller.
MULTIPLAYER:	10	Solid peer-to-peer online multiplayer.
LENGTH:	10	Well over 60 hours of gameplay.
OVERALL:	9.5/10

Monster Hunter Tri is definitely a game worth buying, and I urge everyone who has a Wii to pick up a copy and join the community.

-Snowman

On Learning

Topic: Learning, Programming

Learning: noun the acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience, practice, or study, or by being taught.

This post is for all those struggling, fledgling programmers out there worried about their lack of experience.

Throughout my years as a programmer (which are still minimal compared to my greater peers), I cannot say that I learned many computer languages. At this time, I wouldn't be able to program myself out of a C++ paper bag, Perl sounds like something you put on a necklace, and I still have no idea how to Python myself a program.

With keeping this in mind, what is my worth, I ask you, as a programmer?

To the untrained eye, my economic worth would be quite low; my lack of skills and experience would perhaps make me cheaper than an experienced developer, but my contribution would obviously not be as high.

Let us deviate a little for a moment. One person once said that willingness and desire to learn are the true qualifications for a person. In short, in this extremely interesting article Matt Gemmell discusses the subject of learning and problem solving, and argues that the worth of a software developer (or of any domain really) is in how much that person is willing to learn something new.

Let's get back to the subject at hand; the economic worth of an inexperienced programmer. If we believe what Mr. Gemmell says, then the worth of a person (in a professional environment) is directly related to their willingness and desire to learn. Notice how I didn't mention anything about the number of languages someone speaks, or the number of years of experience they have.

I guess my message would be to everyone worried about their lack of experience in any domain to grow and cultivate a desire to learn new things. It is quite easy to learn in school, when you are forced to do so, but it is significantly harder once you graduate and leave academia. At that moment, your personal growth becomes your entire responsibility, and sadly many people use that as an excuse to stop bettering themselves. But as long as you manifest a desire to learn and to grow, you will notice an exponential growth in your own abilities.

After all, we only stop to learn once we think we know everything.

Stay frosty,
Snowman