Monster Hunter: World review — beautiful and rewarding no matter how you play

Monster Hunter went big with this latest installment. The action role-playing series had found a comfortable place in the handheld world, but Monster Hunter: World brings the franchise to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One when it launches on January 26 (I played it on my PlayStation 4). A PC version is following later this year.

I’ve dabbled with Monster Hunter in the past. I’ve enjoyed it, but I never became addicted. But Monster Hunter: World is impressive. This isn’t an updated version of some portable game. It’s beautiful in a way I’d never have expected from this series. The world is lush with life, the sunsets are stunning, and the monsters move with convincing animations and personalities that make them believable despite their outrageous designs. If you told me a game would have me fight a giant lightning lizard that’s part flying squirrel, I’d have assumed it would be comedic. But in Monster Hunter: World, this creature is majestic and frightening.