Monster Hunter World tips: A beginner’s guide to exploring the New World

Monster Hunter World is easily the most accessible Monster Hunter game Capcom has ever made. It removes much of the front-loaded tutorials and menus and eases you into the action almost instantly and, even when things get going, it’s nowhere near as complex to play while retaining the same level of depth it’s always had.

However, that doesn’t mean it’s actually easy to play or get to grips with. This is a Monster Hunter game after all, there’s an awful lot going on here and you’ll really need to wrap your head around it if you want to stand any chance of surviving in the New World.

To help you get going, we’ve put together some top tips to help you get started on your first true Monster Hunter adventure in Monster Hunter World.

Monster Hunter World tips: Everything a beginner needs to know

1. There’s no pause button

Just like Dark Souls and Bloodborne, Monster Hunter World has no pause button. Tapping the Menu or Options button on your controller opens up a gear menu for inventory management and crafting, along with a raft of other options, but the game continues on while you rummage around in your belongings. So be careful when you decide to do it, you don’t want to be caught out by a roaming powerful monster!

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2. Log out when you’re done, don’t just close the game down

This one takes a little bit of getting used to if, like me, you regularly just turn off your console when you’re done playing a game. Because Monster Hunter World is, essentially, an MMO, you’ll need to quit to the menu when you’re done playing if you want to save your progress. Countless times I’ve come back to find all the crafting and armour upgrades I did prior to switching off have been lost due to not logging out properly. Don’t be me.

3. Don’t be put off by the sheer amount of text!

Monster Hunter World may be the most accessible title in the series yet, but that hasn’t stopped Capcom ramming it with text-heavy tutorials and number-laden menus. Don’t worry about it too much though, the tutorials are all stored for you to read later and most of the systems they’re explaining are actually incredibly straightforward.

4. You’re not beholden to just one weapon

To be a great monster hunter you need to learn how to adapt to any situation. This also means you need to pick and choose your arsenal. While most weapons can take down most beasts, picking the right tool for the job is essential. Monster Hunter World seems to suggest you need to stick to one weapon from the outset, but try and use as many as you can early on to get a feel for the tool you like the most so you know how to best the beasts you need to.

5. Use item wishlists

Upgrading your weapons and armour is a big part of Monster Hunter World and to do so you need to find the right parts to craft your gear from. Seeing as the New World is a big place, you need to make sure you can find the resources you need – and that makes the crafting wishlist your new best friend. It’ll let you know when you’ve picked up an item you were looking for, and give you a heads up on what else you’ll need to gather to create the item you want. Nice.

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6. Scout Flies are your friends

Monster Hunter

veterans may be perturbed by their presence, but Scout Flies are one of the greatest assets of Monster Hunter World for newcomers. Not only do they point out nearby resources or points of interest, but they also guide you to your primary objective if you manage to get lost in the vast locations found in the New World. However, their most useful ability is to track a monster for you. In previous Monster Hunter titles you had to tag monsters with tracking shots and then follow their tracks. Now, though, once you’ve identified the monster you’re after, you can simply pin it on your map and the Scout Flies will lead you right to it, saving hours of running around looking for some elusive beast.

7. Hunt in packs

While you can play Monster Hunter World solo, it’s much better to go at it with a group of hunters helping you. You can take on a multitude of monsters solo, but when it comes to the big beasts you won’t stand a chance unless you’ve got a group of friends to help you batter it. Don’t worry if you don’t have any friends with Monster Hunter World though – it’s not for everyone – Capcom has brought in a handy SOS Signal that’ll get others playing online to come help you take down a big beast. The Monster Hunter community is also a pretty great place so you’ll always find someone good-natured to play with.

8. Be smart about where you attack a monster

Wading in and attacking the head of a beast with huge jaws isn’t a smart move, but neither is wailing on the torso of some monster and hoping it goes down. Attacking individual parts of a beast can give you a great tactical advantage as limbs break and tails, horns, claws and teeth can all be snapped off too. Taking advantage of this means you’ll be able to hinder a monster’s ability to attack with certain moves, limit their speed when they try to escape and even bag some rare pickups by harvesting the removed body part. Excellent.

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9. Use your slinger when you can

It may not do much damage, but your slinger is a great tool for grabbing a beast’s attention. If you’re trying to down a flying foe so you can move in for the kill, hit it a couple of times with your slinger. If you’d like to get the attention of another monster and have it attack your main target, bring it over with a round from your slinger. Don’t underestimate its usefulness even if it’s not as strong as your proper weapons.

10. Get to know the Resource Control Centre

Located in front of the main gate in Astera’s Tradeyard, the Resource Control Centre needs to become your go-to hangout spot. Not only is it useful for turning in quests and receiving them, but it’s also a great way to snag some rare rewards. Most quests it offers come with a monster hide as a reward, but also come with rare bones or materials that you can use to craft some unique armour and weapon upgrades. Make sure to always check back here when you get the chance.

11. This isn’t a hack ‘n’ slash game!

Despite its appearances, you have to remember that Monster Hunter World isn’t a hack ‘n’ slash action game. You can take down early monsters with wild abandon, but more advanced foes need careful consideration before attacking. Load yourself up with the tools and items you need, and then make use of your Palico to distract foes while you land a couple of blows before retreating to safety before they attack. Don’t worry if you die too, most quests offer you three retries before a fail, so you can always learn from your mistakes.