Review by: Sarah and Jason McMaster

“There comes a time in every rightly constructed boy’s life when he has a raging desire to go somewhere and dig for hidden treasure.” The previous quote is from Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain and it accurately describes the sense of excitement that oozes from the exploration and challenges presented by Monster Hunter Freedom Unite. Few things are as deeply ingrained in the human brain as the instinct to hunt and gather. It harkens back to the very beginning of mankind and runs through our veins to this day. It’s why we get such a kick out of simple things, like fishing, grilling, picking wild berries, or stabbing a giant pink baboon until it crashes to the ground and performing an ancient dance of glorious victory.

It’s also why people create and play games like Monster Hunter Freedom Unite for the PSP. Released in early 2009, the latest handheld addition to the franchise has already enjoyed huge success in Japan before hitting the States. It pushes a few more of our innate fun-time buttons by offering an opportunity to journey forth and live off of the land in a (somewhat limited) variety of settings.

The Monster Hunter Freedom Unite experience begins with a brief character creation screen, which lets you choose from a small but varied set of character features for your personalized monster hunter. After a quick cut-scene, you wake up in a nice warm bed in Pokke Village, which is fortunate since that was where you were headed. You were travelling to the village to become the new resident hunter, as the current one was injured and forced to retire.

Pokke is a charming little village that has accommodations for any up and coming hunter – a weapon and armor store and craftsman and a couple of places to get quests. These are all well and good, but how does one become a hunter? Good question! Let’s hot-foot it on down to the Training School and get our learn on.

As expected, the training portion teaches you how to use your different abilities, items and skills in such a way that you won’t get creamed the first time out on a serious hunt. Another way to ensure your lack of murderation is to hire a Felyne. Yes, you heard me right. Felynes are large cat creatures that walk on their hind legs and either cook or kick ass for you. When you aren’t out hunting, Felynes can train or take care of your kitchen, which gives you nice food buffs – unless the food is horrible.

At this point, I’m sure you’re thinking “Wow, Felynes must be great!” Not entirely. Though they’re useful and, well, downright irreplaceable, the Felyne companion NEVER SHUTS UP. I’m serious. These creatures wail and meow non-stop during your entire trek. It’s a shame, really, that they’re so damned useful because after about 10 minutes of foot-falls and meowing you’ll be ready to slam your head against a wall until you feel the sweet release of death. At any rate, you’ll probably do better if you have one, so grab a large, talkative cat and let’s get to business.