The latest game in the Monster Hunter franchise brings the core elements that have made the franchise a cult classic – difficult battles, fun and interesting progression, and stomping on dinosaurs with your friends – and opens the door for a deluge of new players with a more accessible sheen.

Whether or not it's the best, this is certainly the most audacious Monster Hunter game. World takes a dramatic leap into a look, feel, and size that feels truly new, simultaneously staying true to the series' ideals by maintaining the addictive loop of combat, intimidating monsters and meaningful...

A lot of what defined Monster Hunter was its rigidness. It was about going on long hour-long quests where you'd have to cook your own food, carefully find a place to hide before consuming anything since it stopped you in your tracks, and each map was separated into zoned off areas.

Gameplay has never felt better; Plenty of monsters to hunt; Deep post-game

Arbitrary online restrictions; Some awkward menus

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne adds just what Monster Hunter World needed and even more quality of life changes to the greatest Monster Hunter game of all time. The new monsters and quests pack a punch, and there's enough content to justify the price.

Plenty of new quests; Extremely challenging for players looking for a greater challenge; New equipment including layered equipment and upgrade levels for weapons; Beautiful new locations

Way too difficult to tackle alone; Long loading times for Hoarfrost Reach

Monster Hunter World is a fascinating and beautiful game. MMO fans, action fans, RPG fans, and open world fans will all find something to love. This is a game that invites players in and gradually reveals its glorious depths.

Monster Hunter World is an incredibly fun game. It’s fun with friends, even though the matchmaking system is wonky at times. It’s fun even when you are getting your ass kicked to the point of frustration — these moments will drive you to get better.

Monster Hunter World is the first game in the Monster Hunter series that I've played, but it isn't the first game that I've owned. Having heard good things about the series, I've purchased a couple of the previous titles when I've seen them on sale, but for one reason or another (often boiling down...

Positives + Huge; believable world + Massive amount of depth + Well-tailored to veterans and newcomers + Three video options for Pro users

Negatives; Feels a little too artificial at times; HDR is broken

To answer the three most pressing questions around Monster Hunter World: Yes, its creators have made a notoriously inaccessible franchise into something that, if not totally accessible, somewhat resembles it. Yes, it's still filled with countless menus and tough-to-parse mythos.

While its weighty combat (often erroneously labelled 'clumsy'... it's anything but, once you know what you're doing) means it still may not appeal to...

Packed with incredible encounters; Open environments work brilliantly; Quality-of-life improvements everywhere

Online systems still a little clunky; Relatively low monster count; Likely to devour all your time

The Japanese juggernaut that is the Monster Hunter series has never really managed to break the west despite dominating sales charts back at home for over a decade. Its learning curve is steep, its stat management systems are complex, and its many razor-toothed behemoths can be a real test of your...