We don’t like to court controversy, but allow us to make a political statement here: Play is unashamedly anti-fox hunting. We’re not to going to waste hundreds of words in a Monster Hunter Freedom review explaining this viewpoint, but suffice to say, it’s a barbarous practice that has absolutely no place in a modern Britain. Don’t get us wrong, we’re not saying that farmers and such shouldn’t try to stop foxes from eating their chickens, but surely it would be much more efficient just to improve security, rather than getting a bunch of blue-bloods with some horses and a pack of dogs to chase one or two foxes around the countryside for a day?

Look at the world of Monster Hunter for example: the locals there have to contend with hordes of ravenous beasts looking to satisfy their hunger with more than just a few chickens. We’re pretty sure that foxes don’t pose much of a threat to humans (other than spilling the contents of your bin all over the place), so we should count ourselves lucky. As it is quite literally a matter of life and death, there is no legislation against hunting monsters in Monster Hunter land, which is useful considering that hunting monsters is the point of the game.

Freedom plays much the same way as the PS2 version, so if you’ve been there, done that and got the T-shirt, then you know what to expect, even more so considering that this is an update of the PS2 title, rather than a totally new game. For those of you not in-theknow, the main thrust of Monster Hunter is exploring vast wildernesses, tracking down various dinosaur-esque creatures and then proceeding to kill them with whatever manner of weaponry you happen to have about your person. The PS2 version used the rightanalogue stick to execute moves, and in the absence of one on the PSP, Freedom requires you to rain death and destruction down on its monsters with various combinations of Triangle and Circle. This makes the combat in Freedom feel much the same as in any other thirdperson action adventure type game. We’re talking real huunnh-huunnh-huunnh stuff here, but thanks to a number of tactical elements that have to be considered before you engage a big slavering nasty in battle, banality is kept comfortably at bay.

For starters, each weapon type has its own unique characteristics, such as speed of attack and power, so you always have to consider your approach depending on what weapon you’re using and what monster you’re planning to kill. Mashing the buttons is going to get you a one-way ticket to monster hunting heaven, and you’ll often find yourself employing some of the saving moves available to your character to keep a bloody death at bay. Your adversaries aren’t exactly overburdened with intelligence, but their bite is usually considerably worse than their bark, and if they are travelling in a pack, you need to separate a likely target and pick them off before attacking the rest. Combat is certainly simplistic in its execution, but fortunately enough work has gone into the tactical elements to stop it from descending into huunnh-huunnh-huunnh hell.

Combat isn’t all that Freedom has to offer the intrepid adventurer, however, and it provides plenty of opportunities to waste time away from the main quests. The village set-up from the PS2 version returns, acting as a hub level from which the rest of the game is accessed. The most notable points of interest are the village elder and the Hunters Guild building, both of which contract you for the couple-ofhundred- or-so quests available to you. For the most part these quests involve you seeking out nasty beasties and giving them a damn good kicking, but there are a few more sedate tasks that see you collecting requested items or even indulging in a relaxing spot of fishing.

There are a number of pleasant diversions available, and at times you find yourself concerned more with what stat-enhancing item the Felynes can cook up for you in their kitchen, than the next quest available at the Hunters Guild. This is testament to the quality of the overall package that Freedom offers, as the actual monster-hunting can take a back seat to the peripheral options of mining, searching for treasure or modifying your character’s equipment. However, the act of hunting monsters – the main point of the game – is never forgotten, because no matter how much time you invest in other matters, you’re only doing it to improve your chances in the field.

The combat isn’t perfect, certain missions are too difficult for the lone adventurer and there are occasional issues with the camera control, but for the most part Monster Hunter Freedom is a thoroughly enjoyable hack-’n’-slasher with some interesting RPG overtones. As a single-player experience you’ll never get the most out of it, but if you have passable social skills and can befriend enough people to play with you, Monster Hunter Freedom offers something that is that much more rewarding thanks to the sense of teamwork.

Jude Salmon