Monster Hunter Generations

Monster Hunter Generations is an action role-playing game from Capcom for the Nintendo 3DS. It was first announced in May 2015, launched in Japan as Monster Hunter X in November 2015, and came out worldwide in July 2016. As in other Monster Hunter games, players take on quests to hunt large, dangerous creatures alone or with others. New features include special attacks, different combat styles, and the option to play as Felynes—cat-like beings that were previously only companions.

This title is seen as the fourth major portable entry in the series, after Monster Hunter Portable 3rd. An expanded version, Monster Hunter XX, was announced in October 2016 and released only in Japan in March 2017. An HD port for the Nintendo Switch, called Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate, came out in Japan in August 2017 and worldwide in August 2018. As of September 2020, the game had sold over 8 million copies globally.

Gameplay in Monster Hunter Generations is similar to earlier series entries. Players become hunters who go on quests to hunt dangerous creatures. A hunter’s abilities come from the armor and weapons they equip, since the hunter has no natural stats affecting gameplay. All fourteen weapon types from Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate—including swords, hammers, bows, guns, and lances—are present, plus the new Prowler mode, which lets players control a Felyne.

Each weapon has its own moves and skills. Armor provides defense against physical and elemental damage and can boost skills and attack types through base stats and special decorations or talismans. To become stronger and survive tougher monsters, players carve materials from slain or captured monsters, gather items from fields, or buy from village stores to craft and upgrade gear. Defeating harder monsters unlocks better equipment, creating a loot-based progression loop.

New to Generations is the ability to turn armor pieces into new gear by upgrading them with broad material categories like bones or ores, and to upgrade a weapon directly to a more advanced version without needing intermediate steps. The game introduces special moves called Hunting Arts. These charge up during a hunt and can be activated once ready, after which they must recharge. They can deal heavy damage, grant buffs, or heal allies. A new system, Hunting Styles, gives each weapon four distinct forms.