To get a job, you’ll either need to go to the lodge (where you can play online as well, with friends) or talk to the village elder. The different quest levels are indicated by a star rating, one to five, and all take place in one of the available environments. Now, you see, we’re getting to the actual meat of the game – hunting and gathering.

Once a job is selected, you, along with Chatty Cathy, set out on your quest. Quest objectives may include killing a certain number of animals or one larger boss-type monster, gathering a certain number of items, catching a specific type of bug or fish... you get the idea. The items are used to craft new weapons and armor as well as make different beneficial potions and aids. Luckily, not all items come from being on the hunt – there’s also a farm where you can cultivate different plants and other necessary ingredients. Of course, they didn't name this game “Peaceful Farmer,” it’s Monster Hunter, baby, and on the quests is where you’ll find most of your stuff! The monsters range from small, peaceful deer to big, angry raptors to giant, murderous dragons. Not to mention pink baboons. You will need to get acquainted with your weapon of choice and strategize your hunt accordingly.

This is an open-ended game with no overall objective to complete – you just plug through quest after quest, gaining better weapons and armor and items. This may sound monotonous, but after almost 60 hours invested in the game, I’m still not bored. It’s rare that a game boasts over 500 hours of play, but with the staggering amount of weapons, armor and quests as well as the possibility of online play, Freedom Unite would seem to actually deliver, though admittedly we haven’t hit the 500 hour mark. (Give us a few months.)

Overall, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is an entertaining game, and definitely well worth the price tag – around $30 for 500+ hours of gameplay. It is graphically attractive, although often audibly irritating, and engrossing. You get to fight alongside a cat who throws bombs. In other words, it has all the elements of a great game – so check it out, and start experiencing the thrill of the hunt.

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