There was once a time when people considered the adventure genre to be dead and buried. We still saw various releases, but only a few were noteworthy enough to merit more than a casual glance. This was also around the time I first started getting into adventure games, thanks to a little title known as Grim Fandango. From there, I went back and explored the various LucasArts and Sierra titles I was never able to play when they initially released. I was hooked, even though I fell in love with a genre during its seemingly-inevitable decline.
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In Hunter’s Notes, Chris Ingersoll aims to provide the insight and advice needed to understand the ins and outs of Monster Hunter and become immersed in its world. For more, check out the archive.
Hopefully by now you’ve developed the skills you need to more efficiently take down the large monsters, like learning tells and knowing when to get in hits and when to run away. It’s all down to observation and practice, but there are other skills you can pick up to give you an edge. Have you talked to the Wyverian Blacksmith lately? This diminutive man is an invaluable resource, and really probably the most important member of Moga Village as far as you’re concerned. His ability to turn various monster carves, ores and whatnot into different weapons, armor, and decorations is crucial. Without a decent weapon, you won’t do enough damage, and of course without decent armor you’ll be taking far more damage than you probably want to. But armor has more uses than just being a barrier between you and sudden death. READ MORE
My fondness for Ascension‘s brand of deckbuilding is very well-documented, with various editions receiving a place in my year-end favorites list for the last four years running. One of the co-producers of Ascension, Rob Dougherty, has teamed up with fellow Magic Hall-of-Famer Darwin Kastle to create White Wizard Games and its first product, Star Realms. This game brings a new twist to the genre, taking aspects of Ascension and tying it in a bit with its creators’ Magic roots. READ MORE
The Banner Saga is astoundingly beautiful. The art evokes classic animation like Don Bluth’s An American Tail and Disney’s Sleeping Beauty in a way that I’ve never seen in a game. The battlegrounds look amazing, and characters look alive in a way that can only be attained through hand-drawn animation. Final Fantasy Tactics looks nice, but The Banner Saga is simply breathtaking. READ MORE
Graham has told me I’m an overly positive person and I’m inclined to agree. I have 75 “friendly” commendations in Dota 2, a game that will test, bend and break friendships before turning you into a raving maniac with the patience of a honey badger and the tact of a cynical, angry drunk. I can be unnecessarily optimistic to the point of frustration; am I putting on an act? Or am I so completely ignorant of my surroundings that I’m blissfully unaware and won’t acknowledge that the ship is sinking? I’d say a bit of both. READ MORE
