The “Monster Hunter” franchise is approaching its 14th birthday this March. Since 2004, a total of 21 games in the series have released on 13 different systems, and the latest release “Monster Hunter: World” proves the series still has the ability to grow and improve.

At its core, “Monster Hunter: World” has the same gameplay as its predecessors. The player, as a hunter, run around kill different monsters with the hopes of getting different materials from those monsters to make better weapons and armor. With your improved gear, you then attempt to hunt stronger monsters. Players can either do this alone or invite up to three friends to help with the hunt.

This has been the main draw of the “Monster Hunter” series since its initial release. The rewarding feeling of progression, the sense of pride you feel when you finally kill a monster that’s been destroying you for hours, and the wonder of what is going to come next have made players dump hundreds of hours into this series.

While “Monster Hunter: World” doesn’t change that much in terms of the core gameplay, the changes that do exist improve upon the formula that already exists. One major change to “World” from the previous installments is the new map system. In previous entries, each map would be separated into different areas, each requiring a small load time to enter and exit. In “World” however, the map is all loaded at once, so players can seamlessly chase a monster from one end of the map to another without having to wait.

Other changes “World” brings to the table are the introduction of scoutflies, which makes tracking monsters a bit easier, the new mantle items which provide different power ups to players and the slinger, which allows players to throw various items at monsters.

Visually, “Monster Hunter: World” is stunning to look at, with each of the five different playable maps presenting a distinct setting and theme. From the desert plains of the Wildspire Wastes to the Coral Highlands, which is presented as an above ground giant coral reef, it is easy to get immersed into the world.

The fun of this game comes from the solid gameplay and the rush of dopamine you get when you successfully slay a difficult monster or get a drop that you’ve been looking for for hours. While the game does provide a long story mode, the story itself is not going to stick with you for years to come. But you won’t form any massive connections with characters while playing. There are more than one major characters in “Monster Hunter: World” I do not remember at all. If you are looking for a good story, “World” might not be to your liking.

Despite this, the story was never supposed to be the main draw of “World”, and neither are connections you might make with characters in game. The main draw of this game is the excitement of hunting monsters, and “Monster Hunter: World” executes that excitement perfectly.