Subsequent month, two Monster Hunter spinoff video games are coming to PlayStation for the primary time. Each the unique Monster Hunter Tales and its sequel, Monster Hunter Tales 2: Wings of Destroy, are being ported to PS4 — however why now? We had been fortunate sufficient to ask producer Yoshihiro Akira this very query, whereas additionally getting the inside track on Monster Hunter Tales as a complete.
To start out with, are you able to inform us concerning the Monster Hunter Tales video games as a complete? What is the purpose behind this spinoff collection?
Yoshihiro Akira, producer: We began discussing the concept of creating a Monster Hunter sport geared toward a extra informal viewers in summer time of 2013, and that was what finally turned Monster Hunter Tales, however the gameplay idea itself got here later. We wished a sport the place current MH followers would have a satisfying expertise of deepening their expertise with the world of MH and liking the monsters within the sport much more than earlier than, whereas additionally making a brand new entry level to the collection for non-fans and hopefully making a through-line to the motion video games.
The concept was that MH gamers would advocate the sport to their associates who hadn’t performed MH earlier than, as a method to lead them in the direction of additionally taking part in the mainline video games collectively. In that sense, the Tales idea was “a tutorial title for the Monster Hunter collection”.
Are you able to inform us something concerning the improvement of the unique Tales sport? Was it considered as one thing of a threat, to department off from the well-known gameplay of Monster Hunter?
There have been positively a number of dangers concerned: Tales was the primary Monster Hunter title for its director, the sport (and its sequel) had been a co-production with Marvelous, Inc., we had been creating a tie-in anime collection, and so forth. However we wished to problem ourselves to take the MH collection in a brand new route.
For the primary month or so of improvement, it was exhausting to get away from the concept that “Monster Hunter = motion”, so deciding learn how to design a sport the place you go on an journey along with monsters was troublesome. Flip-based battles had been a great match for what we wished to realize, as they do not require complicated button inputs and allow you to easily progress via an RPG expertise.
It was a strategy of trial and error to land on the ultimate rock-paper-scissors model battle system, and it was due to a fruitful collaboration with Marvelous, Inc. that we had been in a position to create the sport the way in which it turned out.
Clearly the 2 Tales video games are coming to PlayStation for the primary time. When and why did you resolve to port them over?
The primary purpose was the good reception and assist we noticed from gamers for Monster Hunter Tales 2: Wings of Destroy on its launch in 2021. Now that Nintendo 3DS digital companies and gross sales have ceased, we wished to port the unique sport to present gamers a method to expertise it, whether or not they performed the 3DS model again within the day or obtained into the collection with the sequel and wished to take a look at the primary sport.
To additional encourage current gamers to revisit the sport, we determined so as to add absolutely voiced dialogue in Japanese and English in addition to a museum mode full of paintings and music to get pleasure from.
Would you advocate that gamers play each Tales video games? Or might they leap into Tales 2 with out having performed the primary?
You do not strictly must play the Tales titles so as, however the sequel does happen 4 years after the storyline of the primary sport and has varied connections with it, together with some returning characters, so I feel gamers will actually love moving into the sport world and seeing how the characters develop over time.
That is after all much more the case for gamers who’re already Monster Hunter followers, so positively try Tales if you have not already! And when you performed the unique model of the primary sport, you’ll love the addition of absolutely voided dialogue and museum mode options.
We’ve to ask, do you could have a favorite Tales monster? Are there any monsters that you just’d advocate to new gamers?
My private favorite Monstie is Khezu. Its, shall we embrace, “distinctive” look means that it is not among the many hottest monsters, however its technical nature within the Monster Hunter Tales titles implies that elevating it’s a rewarding expertise. It may well paralyse your opponent and likewise leech its HP to heal itself, which makes it a dependable alternative for brand spanking new gamers.
By way of suggestions for brand spanking new gamers, in Monster Hunter Tales, Azuroth, Velocidrome, and Khezu have helpful journey actions. Khezu specifically has strikes which are helpful during the sport.
For Monster Hunter Tales 2, we advocate Royal Ludroth, Velocidrome, and Yian Kut-Ku for exploring the sport’s huge environments. In fact, there are a lot of different distinctive and powerful Monsties within the video games, so we encourage gamers to seek out and check out as many as potential!
And at last, is there something that you just’d wish to say to western Monster Hunter followers?
We’re very proud and excited that the port of Monster Hunter Tales to fashionable platforms and the discharge of Monster Hunter Tales 2: Wings of Destroy on PlayStation will give many extra gamers within the west an opportunity to expertise this collection.
From newly added absolutely voiced Japanese and English dialogue to the inclusion of beforehand Japan-exclusive further content material, these new variations are one of the simplest ways to expertise these distinctive titles, so whether or not you have performed Tales earlier than or are new to the collection, we hope you will take this chance to dive into the charming RPG world of Monster Hunter Tales!
Enormous due to Akira-san for taking the time to reply our questions. Particular due to Zaid Al-Jubory and the staff at Capcom for making this interview potential.
Are you wanting ahead to the arrival of Monster Hunter Tales and Monster Hunter Tales 2 on PS4? Begin planning your staff of Monsties within the feedback part under.
