The rumble of approaching monsters grows louder by the day and on 23rd April, 2010, Wii owners will get to taste the game that has been a phenomenon in Japan, selling over a million units, when Monster Hunter 3 (~tri) roars into life across Europe. To further whet your monstrous appetite, Nintendo has revealed that the new game will offer a free online multiplayer mode in Europe, along with dedicated servers.
The game - the first time the Monster Hunter series has come to Wii - will allow players to hunt and communicate together completely for free to become cunning, skilled hunting packs…tracking the fearsome creatures that share your world, and battling them in a quest for Evolution. Players will be able to set up quests and join each other in the hunt online with just a few simple steps. If you meet a friend or someone you wish to hunt with, you can simply add them to your friend roster, following their mutual agreement. This makes them easy to find in the future, where a double click will take you straight to their quest if they are online.
The game is also fully Wii Speak-compatible, which will mean that you and up to three of your fellow hunters can share your online experiences in a whole new dimension. Dedicated European servers will make the online multiplayer service fast and smooth. You will be able to keep all your attention and your wits fixed on the action - and you’ll need to, in order to succeed.
Monster Hunter Tri is an action game with a difference. Your adventure is built interacting with and battling the scores of incredible beasts that inhabit your world - a living, breathing ecosystem. The monsters’ behaviour is modelled on real animals with territorial displays designed to keep you away if you get too close, migrations and a realistic food chain that sees the strong prey on the weak. This is a world where the monsters deserve your respect...and where the hunt is not for entertainment, but for your survival and improvement.
Target the monsters you need to slay by thinking tactically about what they can offer you - take a fire-resistant monster’s scales to upgrade your armour and make yourself fire-resistant, for example.
In Europe, the game will ship in three forms - as a game only, plus two separate special bundles, one containing a black Classic Controller Pro and one that contains both a Wii Speak accessory and a black Classic Controller Pro. Fancy joining the hunt on 23rd April when Monster Hunter Tri thunders onto Wii across Europe? Then start preparing yourself at http://www.theyrecoming.co.uk
Cubed3's latest hands-on with the game at the recent Nintendo Media Summit will be up in the next few days.