Monster Hunter World brought the cult franchise to a larger audience. Maintaining the same harsh difficulty of the core games but ensuring that newcomers can also learn the complicated planning that goes into hunting these beasts. Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is more of what you would expect from the franchise but with a new icy land to explore. Providing over 40 hours worth of content and even more free post-launch monsters in the future. Monster Hunter World: Iceborne could easily be mistaken as a sequel and once the game hooks you with obtaining its enticing gear it'll be hard to stop playing.

Iceborne has you heading to a brand new land covered in snow called Hoarfrost Reach. A mass migration event after the Elder Dragon event prompts you to follow the monsters leaving the island to investigate. What follows is a tale of family, legacy, and learning about the Handler's past. The shift in focus from the Protagonist is a bold move and it seems too much of a coincidence that this island happens to house detailed information about the Handler. Which also happens to be within a small distance from the Ancient Forest. Regardless, it's great that the developers decided to give your friend a shot at the spotlight. Given how important she was to training, feeding, and supporting the hero it's about time she had the chance to take on the role of the protagonist. 

The land of Hoarfrost Reach houses some of the game's most powerful beasts. Because of this a new Master Rank is required before heading into the land. In addition, players will have to not only use the skills learned from the core game but adapt to the new hostile terrain. A new negative debuff called Frost Bite, the need to consume Hot Drinks, reduced speed when in deep snow, and using Hot Springs for healing benefits are a few new environmental hazards the player will need to accommodate to.

Hoarfrost Reach borrows elements from other regions from the game. Providing an array of hidden areas, vertical paths, and lots of materials to gather. It's an amazing place and finding all the secluded camps was a joy.

The monsters have all distinct patterns of attacks, weaknesses needed to exploit, and other considerations that make them all unique. Capcom not only added brand new monsters but legacy favorites such as Nargacuga. And like the core game, they interact with one another and will engage in Turf Wars. Just like the main game, you'll have to kill these beasts multiple times if you wish to earn the new powerful weapons and armor in Iceborne. And Capcom definitely went above and beyond to make them look extraordinary.

The biggest quality of life improvement is the Crush Claw. This grappling hook is given to every hunter and makes grabbing onto monsters much easier. To prevent players from exploiting this new mechanic attacks require a lot more stamina. Some fights utilize the Crush Claw very well, allowing you to slice specific parts with a bit more ease.

As stated, Iceborne is not an easy expansion. The first monster alone took me several tries to defeat alone and even with a party had me constantly alert. Unless you have top tier gear when entering Iceborne, expect a lot of pain. But with great anguish comes better rewards, with incredibly rare materials granted for completing Master level monster hunts.

Once you get tired of the snow you can head back to the original areas. The previous lands of the core game have been refurbished for the new powerful weapons and armor you'll obtain. With much more challenging versions of the previous monsters you've hunted in the core campaign. Some that make mincemeat of the original monsters in Turf War fights.

Personally, I loved the new social space. After playing Monster Hunter World for over 80 hours having a new area to socialize provides a breath of fresh air. The new Gathering Hub and the main camp complement the snowy island. With heavily clothed allies and even a new food animation to consume. Which looks just as delicious as the original dishes.

There are still some small issues. I did wish you could refresh the multiplayer Quest menu without having to choose the Criteria again. In addition, the constant need for a Hot Drink, while works for the game's setting, gets repetitive and annoying; especially during longer battles. Unlike the Cold Drinks, which are needed for the Elder's Recess, you constantly have to be aware when the buff ends or suffer a preventable debuff.

This is a general complaint about combat but I wish there was an easier way to turn around and cancel out of attacks. When executing a powerful attack or combo, you're locked into the animation. Knowing your attack isn't going to hit and you're going to be hit can be frustrating since there's no way to dodge.

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is rife with exciting moments, ranging from exploration to intense combat. The player is constantly rewarded with materials for new items and the deadly monsters offer a variety of challenges that keep getting harder. Once you dive into Monster Hunter World: Iceborne it'll be hard to stop.
 

Adam Siddiqui,
Senior Editor, NoobFeed
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