Monster Hunter Freedom Unite

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite
File:Monster Hunter Freedom Unite.jpg
Developer(s)	Capcom
Publisher(s)	Capcom
Designer(s)	Yasunori Ichinose, Shinji Imai
Series	Monster Hunter
Platform(s)	PlayStation Portable PlayStation Vita iOS
Release	PlayStation Portable iOS
Genre(s)	Action role-playing game
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is a 2008 video game in the Monster Hunter franchise for PlayStation Portable. The game was also released as a download via the PlayStation Store for PlayStation Vita, due to the system's backwards compatibility with the PSP.

The game only sold 63k Units in its first month of release. It is an expansion pack of the original Monster Hunter Freedom 2 and was released on March 27, 2008 in Japan as Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (モンスターハンターポータブル 2nd G, Monsutā hantā pōtaburu 2nd G).

Gameplay

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite has more missions, equipment, and monsters than Monster Hunter Freedom 2, and a new feature is a Felyne fighter to help the player on their quests. Rarity 9 and 10 armor and weapons were added, the player can now hold up to 99 of each item type in his/her item box, store up to 20 equipment sets, and get ten equipment pages instead of six. A new type of quest, the "Epic Hunting Quest", was introduced, which will enable the player to take on, one by one, up to 4 different monsters in one quest, as shown in the released demo. Weapons can now have up to purple sharpness which is higher than white sharpness. The player can now accept HR 7-9 quests in the gathering hall and new elder quests outside the gathering hall from a felyne beside the village elder. The downloadable content can give the player special armor for their felyne along with early unlocks for some of the felyne skills. The introduction of new monsters such as the Ukanlos have been put into the game with even more creatures than the last version of Monster Hunter Freedom 2 on the PSP system.

Development

On November 6, 2008, the beta version of a new online service allowing voice chat and gameplay via tunneling PSP AdHoc mode to work same way as infrastructure mode does, through the PlayStation Network (and a LAN connected Wi-Fi capable PlayStation 3) was released on the Japanese PlayStation Store. Adhoc Party for PlayStation Portable beta version is compatible with Monster Hunter Freedom Unite.

Marketing and release

In the 2008 Tokyo Game Show, it was announced that the game would be released in North America as Monster Hunter Freedom Unite in Spring 2009. At the 2009 GDC, the release date was further specified as June 23, 2009. The US, and the Australian demo is available for free, on the PlayStation Network on the PSP as of May 21, 2009. Capcom has announced that the PSP bundle would be released in Europe, but were not specific about anywhere else. A press release at Capcom's European Press Center website states that the bundle would contain "a specially designed Monster Hunter branded PSP skin and pouch along with a copy of the game." As for the release in Japan, there was a special edition PSP bundle which included the game, a strap, and a decorated Matte Bronze PSP. In addition to this bundle, people who pre-ordered the game also received a black, hairy strap. The hair on the strap was meant to be that of a monster exclusive to the game, the Nargacuga.

Although no longer available, Capcom had created the Encyclopedia Gigantica, a website for newcomers to the Monster Hunter series. It had included tutorial videos, images of monsters, forums and more. This website has been shut down.

Capcom was also holding a temporary Gathering Hall between the 3rd of July and the 1st of September in London, Charing Cross, for all Unite players to play in a campaign to make the franchise more popular in the West to see future titles to be released overseas. Capcom's Monster Hunter Freedom Unite website, as well as Encyclopedia Gigantica, are sending out demo copies of Monster Hunter Freedom Unite to anyone who registers for one.

This demo has a set equipment list for each of the weapon categories, and the player may also select between three feline helpers to join the player. The player may choose between three quests, totaling about 2 hours of game time.

Reception

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite has received generally positive reviews in the Japan and US, with an average metric score of 80%. The Japanese version of the game sold 10,000 copies on its release day, and in its first week sold 20,000 copies. As of July 8, 2009, the game has sold 30 thousand copies in the region. IGN and Eurogamer giving the game an 8/10. One of very few negative feedback was from GameSpot who gave the game a 6.5, stating it still contains camera issues, no lock on feature and the lack of an online mode. No official numbers on American sales have been released at this time. In Japan, as of December 2008 the game has sold 2.5 million copies on the PSP, and as of December 2009, the Best Edition of 2G sold 1 million copies. As of June 30, 2014, the game has sold 3.6 million copies worldwide on the PSP, making it the third best-selling game on the PSP.

External links

• Official website (Japanese)