E3 2019: Bow Hunting New Monsters In ‘Monster Hunter World: Iceborne’

Last year’s Monster Hunter World went on to become Capcom’s best selling game of all time. It was such a massive hit partially due to the company’s continued support of the game long after release. However, after over a year of free updates that added new monsters, weapons, armor and missions, a full fledged expansion was announced last month. Titled Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, the reveal detailed how new abilities for old weapons, some brand new weapons, an uncharted arctic environment and some debuting monsters would breathe new life into the game. A playable demo was available on the E3 show floor, so we took the chance to try out some new techniques against the giant horned beast, Banbaro.

Hunters who have taken a break from their adventures will find that the game is easy to jump back into. Given the cold environment, hot drinks are a must before setting off to fight in order to stabilize one’s stamina for executing special moves. This is especially important since the new grappling hook will make use of the stamina meter much more frequently compared to the base game. Previously, the only way to get above a monster was to jump from above it or to vault yourself upwards using the Insect Glaive. For bow users like myself, that wasn’t a possibility, so the grappling hook is a much welcomed addition for increased mobility and combat options.

Fighting in a full team of four, we used familiar strategies to track down the moose-like monster, exploring the snow capped map that serves as a stark contrast to the volcanic and forest inspired environments of the main game. Once combat started, it was easy to be caught off guard by Banbaro’s long range thanks to its massive horns. Even when at a safe distance, the monster could pick up boulders with its horns and hit us from afar with the resulting debris coming from its smash. This only became more frequent as it became more aggressive, which was a good time to try out Thousand Dragons, the new bow technique introduced in Iceborne.

In the main game, your Slinger is like a sub-weapon that can shoot various projectiles that are found in the environment. Thousand Dragons acts as a powerful arrow that uses up all of the hunter’s Slinger ammo to deal maximum damage to the target. This gambit can be a risky one, since missing could mean using up useful materials for your fight. On the flip side, it’s a great way to dump useless ammo that you may have picked up by accident. Either way, while I clearly need more time to get used to the new mechanics since 15 minutes isn’t nearly enough time to master them, I have trouble seeing how they will be as effective as the skills from the base game. Once I went back to those, the fight became much easier to manage, even with partners who had never played before.

Once the demo was over, I felt confident that Iceborne will be the shot in the arm that the game needs to continue to grow for another year and beyond. With new monsters, weapons and abilities, we’ll all have the chance to step back into this world with renewed vigor for that next piece of powerful gear. Until then, we still have the main game to sharpen our skills with as we prepare for the tundra that awaits us on September 6.