System: PSP
Dev: Capcom
Pub: Capcom
Release: Aug. 28, 2007
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: Teen
Review by Cole Smith

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Review Rating Legend
1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor
2.5 - 2.9 = Average
3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
3.5 - 3.9 = Good
4.0 - 4.4 = Great
4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
5.0 = The Best

If you're familiar with the original game, you'll recognize a few of the same locations such as the swamps, woods, and the volcano. There are new maps such as the desert and the jungle, but even if you've seen these locations before, there are totally new gameplay elements.

But not all of the gameplay is new. There's no reason to fix something if it ain't broke. And what you'll find here is that what remains of the first game has been improved significantly. The farm is back. It's your home base. This is where you bring your collectibles in an effort to create new items and fix your meals. Weapons such as swords, clubs, spears, and bows can be upgraded, reconfigured, and customized in many different ways. A farm aid can be employed to embark on a journey to find rare items on your behalf, as long as you can foot the bill. These items can be used in making new creations. The farm also has a beehive which will yield honey for the making of potions. You will also do some fishing and employ your cat chef to prepare your meals for you.

You've got to dress for the elements. When you head into the mountains, you have to be covered in fur. Otherwise you'll lose stamina. You'll have to replenish your strength with hot drinks. You can also be over dressed, which can happen in the desert. During times of intense hunting you'll want to be covered in armor, which can be upgraded. Pearls can be placed on your armor to strengthen specific sections of it. You can also increase the power of your armor with Armor Orbs, which will give you a significant boost in defense, attack, and healing. You can also protect yourself against the various elemental attacks. Having the ability to upgrade your armor piece by piece is more convenient than having to acquire an entirely new suit.

Up to four players can take part in quests online. In the Gathering Hall, you will meet with your teammates and perform a series of quests specifically designed for multiplayer. Pick and choose your quests from the list in the hall. The use of skill and strategy is evident in the single player mode, but combine that with the multiplayer mode and you have what is, in essence, an entirely new game. My advice is to play the single-player mode to death first, because once you get a taste of the multiplayer mode, you will never want to go back. Fortunately, the single-player quest plays such an important role in this game, not only in terms of length, but in character development, that it can't be ignored.

Monster Hunter Freedom 2 looks fantastic. It uses some of the old maps, but that's fine. The load times are faster, so when you enter a new part of the map, even for a moment, it can already be preloaded so that it renders immediately. This is a selectable option I highly recommend using. The monsters are incredible looking. They are highly imaginative, but yet believable. They animate perfectly and display a mode of locomotion commensurate with their anatomical composition. The music is suited for the encounters and activities as it ebbs and flows from rich orchestration to sparse instrumentation. The production values are memorable, but controlling the camera manually will take a lot of practice. I'm still not comfortable with it.

Unless you're reading something between the lines that was consciously unintentional, you will undoubtedly conclude that I love this game. If you want to love this game as well, all you got to do is get your hands on a copy. It's that simple.

By Cole Smith
CCC Senior Writer