Worth the $11 I spent on it + Iceborne, but not much more. Probably the worst MH game since gen 3, mainly due to poorly-implemented clutch claw mechanics. New weapon movesets are great as are most of the new monsters, however, improved movement fluidity seems to have been used to excuse loose monster moveset design. Almost every late G-rank monster gets flailing or AOE attacks that just slap the entire city block around them, and hitzone changes made with the Iceborne update (which you're forced into regardless of whether you own that expansion or not) ruin the game balance and force you to use clunky and tedious clutch claw mechanics. Mods can mitigate clutch claw issues somewhat and I'll probably continue playing using them, but the game as it was released is what I'm reviewing so it gets a thumbs down.

Also the siege battles are somehow even worse than previous games because some CAN'T be done solo as far as I can tell. They also haven't removed/fixed the universally reviled MH4 addition of ledges, for some reason, and in fact added to it with the (much less annoying, tbf) addition of slopes. Why Capcom thinks unexpected movement and dodging disruptions might be fun is a mystery.

I have around 400 hours in each of the previous entries but I doubt this one will get that much time.

Worth the $11 I spent on it + Iceborne, but not much more. Probably the worst MH game since gen 3, mainly due to poorly-implemented clutch claw mechanics. New weapon movesets are great as are most of the new monsters, however, improved movement fluidity seems to have been used to excuse loose monster moveset design. Almost every late G-rank monster gets flailing or AOE attacks that just slap the entire city block around them, and hitzone changes made with the Iceborne update (which you're forced into regardless of whether you own that expansion or not) ruin the game balance and force you to use clunky and tedious clutch claw mechanics. Mods can mitigate clutch claw issues somewhat and I'll probably continue playing using them, but the game as it was released is what I'm reviewing so it gets a thumbs down. Also the siege battles are somehow even worse than previous games because some CAN'T be done solo as far as I can tell. They also haven't removed/fixed the universally reviled MH4 addition of ledges, for some reason, and in fact added to it with the (much less annoying, tbf) addition of slopes. Why Capcom thinks unexpected movement and dodging disruptions might be fun is a mystery. I have around 400 hours in each of the previous entries but I doubt this one will get that much time.