GENRE
	Action RPG
	DEVELOPER
	Capcom Production Studio 1
	PUBLISHER
	Capcom
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1-2
	WI-FI ENHANCED
	Yes
	DS COMPATIBLE
	No
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Upon first inspection, Monster Hunter Tri comes off like one of those blind dates with great looks and an annoying personality. On the outside, the game looks breathtaking and has a superb orchestrated soundtrack, but it also gives up less than stellar vibes in the fundamentals department -- clunky controls, seemingly bland quests, and a throwaway plot. It probably didn’t help matters that Capcom’s free demo, well-intentioned and noble as it was, unwittingly sent the same message about the game.

To the good fortune of Wii owners, however, the story does not end there. With time, controls do become easier and more fluid (especially under the direction of the Classic Controller Pro), the quests become more interesting and intense, and the plot becomes less relevant than the journey itself. More importantly, Monster Hunter Tri fronts a load of modes, quests, environments, equipment and monsters that can stretch out meaningful gameplay across 50-100 hours.

Monster Hunter Tri is an action RPG centered around three game modes: an offline single player mode, a split-screen offline co-op mode (“Arena Mode”) and an online co-op mode. All the modes yield rewards for common characters; spoils harvested online, for example, are brought back to the single player mode. Likewise, grinding in the single-player mode helps yield valuable equipment and weapons to better survive and contribute in the online mode.

The offline single player mode is the real launching pad for the game. The game begins with a character creation process, then segues into a shoestring plot entailing a village ravaged by an earthquake-dealing leviathan. This is all pretty unimportant, though, and before long the player is out doing what the game is really about, killing monsters. In true RPG style, the game unveils new options and equipment slowly, allowing players to get accustomed to the game’s depth and also as a reward for progression. Quests get increasingly difficult, but equipment also gets more interesting as a result. In time, offline players can do some farming and fishing and even gain a sidekick to take out into the field.

The split-screen mode, Arena Mode, gives two players preset equipment and the objective to kill a large, dangerous monster boss. This is the simplest mode and also the least likely to be used, although it does have some value. For one, its spoils are unique and can unlock some seriously powerful equipment. For another, the use of preset equipment means that players of different ability levels are on an even playing field together. Third, the two players can turn around and import the spoils into two different saves. Finally, players can load their player data on a Wii remote and take it over to a friend to play this mode. One caveat with this mode: the split screen can be less than ideal on small televisions, although it is functional.

The most ambitious and intriguing mode is, by far, the online co-op mode. For this mode, Capcom (perhaps wisely) passed on Nintendo WiFi and instead employed their own servers, which means that friend codes are nowhere to be found. Overall, the infrastructure works pretty well, with only the occasional hiccup or lag problem. It’s worth noting, too, that Capcom saw fit to employ both Wii Speak functionality and USB keyboard functionality; Wii Speak was not tested for this review but the keyboard was and was found to be quite useful. It appears that many of the players online use keyboards as well, much like in the world of PC MMOs. It’s free to play Monster Hunter Tri in the U.S., which is a bonus because in Japan, owners have to pay fees for the same service -- a situation likely owing to the series' enormous fallowing across the ocean.

The online mode feels a bit like an instancing-style PvE (“player versus environment”) MMO, such as Guild Wars. Players go in and select a server, then locate a room with up to three other players. Rooms of players can then embark on quests together. Many of the online quests are counterparts to offline quests, including the presence of an online Arena Mode. Additionally, there are special “event quests” that appear only at certain times, which give the online mode a more organic feel.

All of the modes -- offline, co-op, online -- boil down to a simple but disarmingly addictive premise: players kill monsters, harvest monster parts, and collect environmental objects (plants, ores, etc.) in order to make better equipment, which in turn opens up new monsters with new monster parts, not to mention more complex environmental objects. On paper this sounds forgettable, but in practice it ends up having much of the same appeal as Animal Crossing, albeit in a much deeper way than Nintendo’s casual sim. The varied game modes and the legions of possible quests and objectives help keep the game's simple premise fresh, even after dozens of hours have gone by.

As stated earlier, Monster Hunter Tri is an RPG, but not in the traditional sense. Health and stamina, for example, cannot be “leveled up.” Instead, characters can be improved in a few ways. One, crafting and upgrading new weapons and equipment increases offense and defense but also unlocks certain passive skills, such as an enhanced map or resistance to specific elements. Two, the game has a food option that allows for players to combine ingredients for a meal; this grants certain status buffs for the next quest. A third element is the Hunter Ranking (HR) system online, in which players can level up through completing quests. The HR system doesn’t improve player abilities but it does open up new quests and new equipment.

Special note needs to be made of the game’s weapons and the controls used to wield them, as this is central to the game. There are several different weapon types, each with unique abilities, liabilities, and particularities. Each weapon type, moreover, has its own control scheme, which means that there is a bit of a learning curve with each new weapon. The weapons run the gamut from the swift (sword and shield) to the powerful (long sword), from the eclectic (switch axe) to the ranged (bowgun).

The game can be controlled either by Wii Remote and Nunchuk or by way of the Classic Controller (original or Pro), and while the Wii Remote version gets props for some cool motion controls, the Classic Controller is by far the more functional choice. The biggest advantage, as many may know, lies in the Classic Controller’s dual analog sticks, which are much, much easier to use for camera purposes than the ill-suited d-pad. Camera control becomes particularly important as the game progresses, as the enemies ramp up considerably in difficulty and demand all the flexibility and skill a player can bring to the table.

Overall, Monster Hunter Tri is a long game with great online co-op on a console not known for either. It is also a game with a long learning curve and a rather inauspicious start, which might derail the experience before players really discover what lies beneath. Beyond those banal first hours, though, is a game which can enthrall for a very, very long time, both online and off. Hardcore gamers, this is right up your alley.

8.5/10