Monster Hunter X Focuses More On Customizing Actions And Your Own Style

We previously got a look at the latest details on Monster Hunter X in this week’s issue of Famitsu magazine. However, series producer Ryozo Tsujimoto, Monster Hunter X producer Shintaro Kojima, and director Yasunori Ichinose shared even more details in an interview for the magazine, and you can find them below.

• One of the main focuses was having a system that brings the possibilities of using the same weapons with different play-styles.

• The plans for Monster Hunter X began sometime around the production of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. Capcom wanted to bring out more of a “festive” feeling that’s not in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, so they decided to bring back villages from past titles, and add four main monsters, instead of the usual one-per-title.

• The “Hunting Style” is a system that was made to bring out more possibilities from each weapon.

• Capcom originally thought about adding a new weapon type. While that would’ve given Monster Hunter X a decent selling point, it would’ve been a lot of work, and would have required more of a focus on the new weapon(s). Instead, the team decided to focus on the player’s “attachment to the weapon” as a concept.

• Hunting Styles come in four forms. One is the basic style seen in the past. The second lets you set more “Hunting Arts” than usual, along with more showy and offensive actions. The third one specializes in mid-air fights, which also lets you jump off monsters for special attacks and more. Finally, the fourth one is a style with the theme of “turning a pinch into an opportuniy.”

• Hunting Arts came from the idea of giving players more of their own unique characteristics. There are several Arts, and these may vary depending on how they’re used. Some of them will work better with certain Hunting Styles, so players will get to mix and match to their liking.

• Hunting Arts range from special attacks that deal major damage to enemies, or heals that recover allies, and buffs that support your party.

• Capcom have prepared numerous Hunting Arts for each weapon, but there are also some “basic Hunting Arts” that can be used with any weapon, and you’ll get to choose from them all.

• The four main monsters won’t simply appear over time as you advance through the game with one being stronger than the other, but they’re actually all along the same rank. They’re called the “Elite Four” among the developers.

• Dinobaruto is the one they showed this time, and the idea behind it came from the thought of “hey, let’s make a  land-type Rathalos.” While Dinobaruto uses fire attacks, it doesn’t fly, and focuses more on its actions on the ground. It has the image of a monster that would’ve lived back in the “world of dinosaurs.” With its tail and attack characteristics, it has a bit of a knight and swordsman’s feeling to it, and is the more orthodox monster of the four main monsters.

Monster Hunter X is slated for release in Japan in Winter 2015 for Nintendo 3DS.