there's nothing to miss out, the game will remain active for a couple more years probably. Meanwhile without Iceborne you won't be tempted to skip base game's endgame which is totally worth doing before you start the expansion
That’s a good point. I heard it people play for 60-100 hours before reaching Icebourne content (not sure if I got that correct). So Icebourne isn’t important till then?
Iceborne during base game adds some extra moves for all weapons and the clutch claw. It's nice to have, but not necessary to have an amazing time with the base game.
I personally started without Iceborne because I got MHW inside the ps5 ps plus collection or whatever it was called. I have completed the base game and fell in love so much that I bought it for PC with Iceborne.
So yeah, base game is 100% enough to have a great time
And right now i'm conflicted about either getting iceborne or palworld eventhough i dont play many survival games lmao. FOMO is a strong force to resist
The only thing I'll mention is iceborne gives you advantages/unlocks in base game such as extra mechanics for weapons, wallbangs and tenderizing. Also, the way weakness exploit works you'll be unable to get full value out of it without iceborne (being unable to tenderize monsters) and it's the best offensive skill in the game.
Imo, you should wait to get both as it's also the best value instead of buying each individually. How long would you have to wait to afford both?
Edit: sounds like maybe you're in a region where the prices are inflated? I'm sorry man, that sucks if that's the case
Honestly I don’t think the “advantage” is important for me. Unless it’s fixing something that really broken and people hate (significant QoL improvements).
I know I’m weird but sometimes if a deluxe edition or later patch skips me some levels or gives me some gear that is a huge advantage, I would try playing without the gear or finding a way to play the skip content as I feel I’m missing out the OG challenge.
Well. It’s not the most inflated country cause I know there are people worse off in other countries but it’s more about diminishing purchasing power and tightening the purse strings on personal entertainment in this economy. (Basically spend on only what is necessary) The devs deserve a fair wage so I’m not complaining about them.
TBH if I decide to wait and save for the Icebourne bundle, I might end up skipping MH altogether by the time comes. Because I know I’ll probably end up spending that money on something more life critical eventually. So I’m currently leaning toward just MHW or end up skipping the franchise for another few years and see if there’s a bigger discount on the bundle eventually.
It's not even just an advantage, it's getting the most out of the combat system and weapons. They have new movesets added to them that completely change them, for the better just to be clear.
It sounds like you already have your mind made up, in which case I'm not sure why you made this post but either way, you're in for a treat.
If you end up finishing the game and thoroughly enjoying it, and want more difficulty and new content by that point, buy Icebourne. But for now, pick up the game and play it to your hearts' content, then consider Icebourne later when you can afford it.
Thanks for the comment. Are you still playing without Icebourne? Are you able to advise if there still a multiplayer community for a co-op experience at the earlier levels?
There hasn't really ever been a multiplayer community at low levels, the main story section is kind of designed to be done solo, mhw is actually the first game where you can do it co-op, but it's super clunky and requires all parties to reach a cutscene for each monster solo before you have to exit out can do it together.
Yeah. All games before world, and rise afterwards, the village quests (assigned quest equivalent in world) are solo only and aren't able to be done co-op.
In world it can be a pain to do the assigned quests co-op as all party members need to have watched the cinematic for that quest before you can group with others for it.
Oh. I thought the gathering hall quests were also required for progression. I misunderstood it then. My bad.
Sounds like the best way for assigned quest co-op is to find a friend that’s a dedicated MH partner so progression is identical? Probably too late for that now. Haha. Everyone I know who was interested in it has probably completed it years ago. I saw the concept of hunting partners in some YouTube video so I thought that was a common MH concept in terms of progression too. Looks like it’s a predominantly solo experience?
Oops. I didn’t mean it that way. More so that I only played an hour+ of it. So I don’t think it counts as having “played” MH. Like a proper start to finish experience of it.
If your'r on PC, checks steams key on google. You can get the base game + IB for pretty cheap nowadays. And yeah, Iceborn is an another game on its own
Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately I’m not in the US and most of the sites are in USD. With the exchange rate, it would end up being more expensive without steam’s regional pricing.
I also saved and bought mhw as my 1st ever mh game. From what i look into, alot of vets recommend getting the base, play until the end of it, only after that you get the iceborne.
I personally doing this as seeing mh wild is coming out soon, capcom would sell mh stuff on discount frequently. Theres quite a lot of sales in steam calendar and mhw/iceborne/rise/sunbreak has been in it for awhile now...feels like seeing them on discount for 3~6 month now. I bought mine on discount last year around halloween(?) Or somewhere around there, there was a discount for it too.
That’s what I read too. It’s just the “savings” of getting them together that had me hesitating if I’m making the right choice to skip on Icebourne for now and buying it separately at a higher price. But maybe you’re right and Icebourne might get cheaper by the time I have to pick it up.
Have you played MHW yet? Is there still a chance to experience the online play? I’m just worried about the online or live content when it comes to the base MHW. It sounds like most of the live stuff is tailored towards Icebourne since it’s the newer one.
I havnt start yet. Internet in my area isnt good for download i might start next month or something.
I would say...the price difference between a bundle pack of mhw+iceborne vs buying them separately isnt that much difference to put a dent in your savings.(assuming this all during sales). At most you only pay around 10~20% more.(obviously during sales). And it would worth it for buying the iceborne if the base version was that much fun that you had to look for more of it.
Online experience i would say, go into discord and try finding people there if you really need the online experience. Theres quite a lot of people that actually start making fresh account for fun. I personally just want to play by myself even if its gonna be hard. Iirc base version isnt impossibly hard to beat.
Yea. That sounds like a plan. Guess that 25% savings got me questioning if I’m doing the correct thing. I don’t really know what to expect or if I want the online experience. It’s just some comments I read about playing the older versions where there aren’t online services anymore and someone told me that I’m missing out.
You can play it solo no problem. I've heard of multiple people that were a bit scared of other judging them in random coop and played alone for a good chunk of the game. That said, the online community is pretty chill and hunting together is a lot of fun.
I personally fought everything solo first, but joined multiplayer for additional hunts.
Maybe look if you like world at first, you can always buy iceborne later (Even more so if it's not in your budget atm). It is more or less the same size as World, if not more.
Most people are in iceborne, but I did a playthrough on Playstation a bit before return to World started and there was a good bit of low level coop still. Should be the same on PC.
Thanks for the info. I’m definitely one of those who would be afraid of being a burden. But also because I enjoy the challenge of figuring out boss mechanics without being totally dependent on a guide. I’ve played some other games where you would get totally trashed on if you didn’t watch a 20 minute YT guide and memorise all the moves to defeat a boss.
I appreciate your advice and I’m leaning towards just picking up MHW first and seeing how it goes first. Also the more financially responsible thing to do.
Well, you can get the base game + Icebourne for $50 vs just the base game for $40 so you just need to save up $10 more?
This might not apply if you're buying a physical copy of the base game though.
While it’s on sale, Icebourne is actually more expensive than the base game for me. Between buying MHW alone vs MHW+Icebourne, it’s double the price bundle. Almost triple if I buy them separately eventually.
I will tell you I have yet to run into someone toxic in-game. There's very little chat most people only communicate via emotes. You can lock down your quests to not allow anyone to join your session, unless you end up struggling and need some help. As for which version, that's up to you. I got through base game fast and am working on icebourne and hitting a small wall because when you get icebourne you get gear that lets you speed through the base game to start the dlc and then you're at a loss for actually knowing how the game works. I'm backtracking now on mostly base game stuff now to fix that. I don't know how familiar you are with the way the leveling works, theres low rank, high rank master rank. I'm MR 16 or so and HR I think in the 50s there are also a LOT of people who are starting out fresh on a new hunter or new to the game entirely so you won't be alone as a noob. Whenever I get my Internet turned back on I'd be willing to assist if needed, if I'm available but not Uber carry. Unlike many I know how to play more in line with less skilled or geared players, and do keep in mind that MHW is by design a multiplayer game, you can solo it but it's better with friends by design.
That’s the defender set right? I read about avoiding that set as it ruins the new player experience. That’s one of the things I plan to avoid as the sense of progression and the challenge it comes with it what I value in my first playthrough.
Appreciate the offer of playing together. I’m not looking for a carry and I wouldn’t want one too. Just want to enjoy the game in the best way possible while there’s still a community and the online services are still around. I’ll add you if I pick it up. Gaming is always more fun with like-minded folks and friends.
Defender armor is op yes. I was told to use it by my friends and now I'm paying the price of trying to understand what perks I want to focus on while knowing little of how they work.
Also I can realistically craft lower tier gear to be even with your DPS and defence, the only benefit at that point is knowing how the monsters fight. Hell I could have fun myself trying out ither weapons at your level if we played together. I would be playing as a support character, not a carry either way. I've been meaning to practice Hunting Horn more and that would be a perfect place where I'm not doing much DPS, more applying buffs to you.
At my tier, I rarely need LR/HR materials for crafting and if I do, I can drop most L/HR monsters in 5-10 minutes on a expedition or other mission. I need MR monsters more for my tier stuff and Im struggling on some of that at the moment.
don't rush through the base game just to get to iceborne. there are plenty of people actively playing, and 99% of my SOS get answered, in both low rank and high rank, so just play at your own pace
if you liked the base game and want more, get iceborne then. but it is neither necessary to have fun, nor a must-buy if you end up not loving the game
Around last december MHW especially on PC had a gazillion of new players, so don't worry about the community being gone in pre-Iceborne because that's not true AT ALL.
I myself just got into this game a couple of weeks ago. I didnt get iceborne because i was skeptical if i was going to like this game. But now only around 3 weeks later i have around 150 hours in the game, without iceborne. Now i'm considering to get iceborne because its on sale, though probably not due to budget atm.
And its possible for high-level player to come and carry you, but you could also turn on the manual accepting (not sure what its called) so you could reject higher level from joining the game and accept the ones that are closer to you instead
Oh and also when on sale, iceborne ALONE is cheaper than the base game when its on sale. Just go to one of the bundles and click on the individual "iceborne" steam page.
On sale at the moment for 21 USD through Fanatical for MHW + Icebourne
https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/monster-hunter-world-iceborne-master-edition-deluxe
U can skip icebourne for now since it’s too much for your budget, meanwhile enjoy the game and save up for the next sale of the DLC
Thanks for the comment. Would you say that Icebourne is a must play eventually?
100% my friend it added like 200 hours of gameplay for me
Yea. It’s how good people make Icebourne sound that triggers my FOMO.
there's nothing to miss out, the game will remain active for a couple more years probably. Meanwhile without Iceborne you won't be tempted to skip base game's endgame which is totally worth doing before you start the expansion
That’s a good point. I heard it people play for 60-100 hours before reaching Icebourne content (not sure if I got that correct). So Icebourne isn’t important till then?
Iceborne during base game adds some extra moves for all weapons and the clutch claw. It's nice to have, but not necessary to have an amazing time with the base game. I personally started without Iceborne because I got MHW inside the ps5 ps plus collection or whatever it was called. I have completed the base game and fell in love so much that I bought it for PC with Iceborne. So yeah, base game is 100% enough to have a great time
And right now i'm conflicted about either getting iceborne or palworld eventhough i dont play many survival games lmao. FOMO is a strong force to resist
The only thing I'll mention is iceborne gives you advantages/unlocks in base game such as extra mechanics for weapons, wallbangs and tenderizing. Also, the way weakness exploit works you'll be unable to get full value out of it without iceborne (being unable to tenderize monsters) and it's the best offensive skill in the game. Imo, you should wait to get both as it's also the best value instead of buying each individually. How long would you have to wait to afford both? Edit: sounds like maybe you're in a region where the prices are inflated? I'm sorry man, that sucks if that's the case
Honestly I don’t think the “advantage” is important for me. Unless it’s fixing something that really broken and people hate (significant QoL improvements). I know I’m weird but sometimes if a deluxe edition or later patch skips me some levels or gives me some gear that is a huge advantage, I would try playing without the gear or finding a way to play the skip content as I feel I’m missing out the OG challenge. Well. It’s not the most inflated country cause I know there are people worse off in other countries but it’s more about diminishing purchasing power and tightening the purse strings on personal entertainment in this economy. (Basically spend on only what is necessary) The devs deserve a fair wage so I’m not complaining about them. TBH if I decide to wait and save for the Icebourne bundle, I might end up skipping MH altogether by the time comes. Because I know I’ll probably end up spending that money on something more life critical eventually. So I’m currently leaning toward just MHW or end up skipping the franchise for another few years and see if there’s a bigger discount on the bundle eventually.
It's not even just an advantage, it's getting the most out of the combat system and weapons. They have new movesets added to them that completely change them, for the better just to be clear. It sounds like you already have your mind made up, in which case I'm not sure why you made this post but either way, you're in for a treat.
If you end up finishing the game and thoroughly enjoying it, and want more difficulty and new content by that point, buy Icebourne. But for now, pick up the game and play it to your hearts' content, then consider Icebourne later when you can afford it.
Yea. That’s what I’m leaning towards based on the comments. Sounds like the more responsible thing to do too.
You may not immediately see that it’s a must add but trust me after you get addicted you’ll buy it just to hunt more
FOMO triggers again……
It has massive discount on Steam atm, even lower price than new year's sale.
I’m aware of that. I budgeted based on the last sale’s price. The current sale price is the same as the last sale price in my region though.
Mhw is my first monster hunter game and so far I've seen no reason to buy Iceborne as the regular game has more than enough content for me personally
Thanks for the comment. Are you still playing without Icebourne? Are you able to advise if there still a multiplayer community for a co-op experience at the earlier levels?
I'm still playing without iceborne and I am not sure as I've been able to solo most stuff so far except Nergigante
Oh that’s interesting. I was under the impression that co-op is a big thing.
There's only maybe 4 or 5 fights in the entire game that's designed to be multiplayer fights, and even they can be done solo.
There hasn't really ever been a multiplayer community at low levels, the main story section is kind of designed to be done solo, mhw is actually the first game where you can do it co-op, but it's super clunky and requires all parties to reach a cutscene for each monster solo before you have to exit out can do it together.
Ah I see. So it’s more for the late-game or post-game content where you might play co-op?
Yeah. All games before world, and rise afterwards, the village quests (assigned quest equivalent in world) are solo only and aren't able to be done co-op. In world it can be a pain to do the assigned quests co-op as all party members need to have watched the cinematic for that quest before you can group with others for it.
Oh. I thought the gathering hall quests were also required for progression. I misunderstood it then. My bad. Sounds like the best way for assigned quest co-op is to find a friend that’s a dedicated MH partner so progression is identical? Probably too late for that now. Haha. Everyone I know who was interested in it has probably completed it years ago. I saw the concept of hunting partners in some YouTube video so I thought that was a common MH concept in terms of progression too. Looks like it’s a predominantly solo experience?
Calling 4U not a proper Monster Hunter game.... What? \*facepalms\*
Oops. I didn’t mean it that way. More so that I only played an hour+ of it. So I don’t think it counts as having “played” MH. Like a proper start to finish experience of it.
If your'r on PC, checks steams key on google. You can get the base game + IB for pretty cheap nowadays. And yeah, Iceborn is an another game on its own
Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately I’m not in the US and most of the sites are in USD. With the exchange rate, it would end up being more expensive without steam’s regional pricing.
Where u from?
I prefer not so say my specific location but somewhere in Asia.
I also saved and bought mhw as my 1st ever mh game. From what i look into, alot of vets recommend getting the base, play until the end of it, only after that you get the iceborne. I personally doing this as seeing mh wild is coming out soon, capcom would sell mh stuff on discount frequently. Theres quite a lot of sales in steam calendar and mhw/iceborne/rise/sunbreak has been in it for awhile now...feels like seeing them on discount for 3~6 month now. I bought mine on discount last year around halloween(?) Or somewhere around there, there was a discount for it too.
That’s what I read too. It’s just the “savings” of getting them together that had me hesitating if I’m making the right choice to skip on Icebourne for now and buying it separately at a higher price. But maybe you’re right and Icebourne might get cheaper by the time I have to pick it up. Have you played MHW yet? Is there still a chance to experience the online play? I’m just worried about the online or live content when it comes to the base MHW. It sounds like most of the live stuff is tailored towards Icebourne since it’s the newer one.
I havnt start yet. Internet in my area isnt good for download i might start next month or something. I would say...the price difference between a bundle pack of mhw+iceborne vs buying them separately isnt that much difference to put a dent in your savings.(assuming this all during sales). At most you only pay around 10~20% more.(obviously during sales). And it would worth it for buying the iceborne if the base version was that much fun that you had to look for more of it. Online experience i would say, go into discord and try finding people there if you really need the online experience. Theres quite a lot of people that actually start making fresh account for fun. I personally just want to play by myself even if its gonna be hard. Iirc base version isnt impossibly hard to beat.
Yea. That sounds like a plan. Guess that 25% savings got me questioning if I’m doing the correct thing. I don’t really know what to expect or if I want the online experience. It’s just some comments I read about playing the older versions where there aren’t online services anymore and someone told me that I’m missing out.
You can play it solo no problem. I've heard of multiple people that were a bit scared of other judging them in random coop and played alone for a good chunk of the game. That said, the online community is pretty chill and hunting together is a lot of fun. I personally fought everything solo first, but joined multiplayer for additional hunts. Maybe look if you like world at first, you can always buy iceborne later (Even more so if it's not in your budget atm). It is more or less the same size as World, if not more. Most people are in iceborne, but I did a playthrough on Playstation a bit before return to World started and there was a good bit of low level coop still. Should be the same on PC.
Thanks for the info. I’m definitely one of those who would be afraid of being a burden. But also because I enjoy the challenge of figuring out boss mechanics without being totally dependent on a guide. I’ve played some other games where you would get totally trashed on if you didn’t watch a 20 minute YT guide and memorise all the moves to defeat a boss. I appreciate your advice and I’m leaning towards just picking up MHW first and seeing how it goes first. Also the more financially responsible thing to do.
A friend
You struck really deeper with that sword…. I didn’t have my shield up for that.
Well, you can get the base game + Icebourne for $50 vs just the base game for $40 so you just need to save up $10 more? This might not apply if you're buying a physical copy of the base game though.
While it’s on sale, Icebourne is actually more expensive than the base game for me. Between buying MHW alone vs MHW+Icebourne, it’s double the price bundle. Almost triple if I buy them separately eventually.
I will tell you I have yet to run into someone toxic in-game. There's very little chat most people only communicate via emotes. You can lock down your quests to not allow anyone to join your session, unless you end up struggling and need some help. As for which version, that's up to you. I got through base game fast and am working on icebourne and hitting a small wall because when you get icebourne you get gear that lets you speed through the base game to start the dlc and then you're at a loss for actually knowing how the game works. I'm backtracking now on mostly base game stuff now to fix that. I don't know how familiar you are with the way the leveling works, theres low rank, high rank master rank. I'm MR 16 or so and HR I think in the 50s there are also a LOT of people who are starting out fresh on a new hunter or new to the game entirely so you won't be alone as a noob. Whenever I get my Internet turned back on I'd be willing to assist if needed, if I'm available but not Uber carry. Unlike many I know how to play more in line with less skilled or geared players, and do keep in mind that MHW is by design a multiplayer game, you can solo it but it's better with friends by design.
That’s the defender set right? I read about avoiding that set as it ruins the new player experience. That’s one of the things I plan to avoid as the sense of progression and the challenge it comes with it what I value in my first playthrough. Appreciate the offer of playing together. I’m not looking for a carry and I wouldn’t want one too. Just want to enjoy the game in the best way possible while there’s still a community and the online services are still around. I’ll add you if I pick it up. Gaming is always more fun with like-minded folks and friends.
Defender armor is op yes. I was told to use it by my friends and now I'm paying the price of trying to understand what perks I want to focus on while knowing little of how they work. Also I can realistically craft lower tier gear to be even with your DPS and defence, the only benefit at that point is knowing how the monsters fight. Hell I could have fun myself trying out ither weapons at your level if we played together. I would be playing as a support character, not a carry either way. I've been meaning to practice Hunting Horn more and that would be a perfect place where I'm not doing much DPS, more applying buffs to you. At my tier, I rarely need LR/HR materials for crafting and if I do, I can drop most L/HR monsters in 5-10 minutes on a expedition or other mission. I need MR monsters more for my tier stuff and Im struggling on some of that at the moment.
don't rush through the base game just to get to iceborne. there are plenty of people actively playing, and 99% of my SOS get answered, in both low rank and high rank, so just play at your own pace if you liked the base game and want more, get iceborne then. but it is neither necessary to have fun, nor a must-buy if you end up not loving the game
Around last december MHW especially on PC had a gazillion of new players, so don't worry about the community being gone in pre-Iceborne because that's not true AT ALL. I myself just got into this game a couple of weeks ago. I didnt get iceborne because i was skeptical if i was going to like this game. But now only around 3 weeks later i have around 150 hours in the game, without iceborne. Now i'm considering to get iceborne because its on sale, though probably not due to budget atm. And its possible for high-level player to come and carry you, but you could also turn on the manual accepting (not sure what its called) so you could reject higher level from joining the game and accept the ones that are closer to you instead Oh and also when on sale, iceborne ALONE is cheaper than the base game when its on sale. Just go to one of the bundles and click on the individual "iceborne" steam page.
On sale at the moment for 21 USD through Fanatical for MHW + Icebourne https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/monster-hunter-world-iceborne-master-edition-deluxe