Every Game Is Monster Hunter

What do Naruto, Bleach, Metal Gear, Dynasty Warriors, and Lost Planet all have in common? (If you answered, "they're all from Japan," then you are technically right but aren't helping because I'm trying to make a point, here.)

If you answered, "they're all now Monster Hunter," then give yourself a cookie and a giant-slaying sword, because you've touched upon the key to success for so very many Japanese games these days--or, at least, that's what their respective developers are hoping. With the addition of Naruto Shippuden: Kizuna Drive and Bleach: Heat the Soul 7, games in many formerly diverse genres are at once joining under the banner of populist co-op that marks the Monster Hunter brand, including the multiplayer sections of Lost Planet 2 and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, which goes further than co-op bosses to actually include environments and named enemies from the MH games it is obviously aping.

If you throw in original properties like God Eater, this brings the total of Japanese games with monster hunting up to half-past-ridiculous. So what gives? Is Japan's games industry really in such dire straits that the only option is to blast out copies of a single game formula with everyone from Soldiers-without-borders to soulless Hollows filling in for Monster Hunter's cast? Is the genre legitimately good enough to merit so many clones, or will this whole lineup fail as soon as gamers worldwide realize that--actually, Capcom are the only ones skilled enough to net gold using this particular formula?

Before one turns accusing eyes to Japan, it's important to acknowledge a similar trend in Western gaming following the success of third- and first-person shooters like Gears of War and Call of Duty. A quick glance at the catalog of any game store will reveal an embarassing percentage of titles with a shooting focus, all of which are likely just as bewildering to any non-Western gamer as the recent explosion of Monster Hunter-esque titles can be to us.

So whether it's the Eastern or Western hemisphere that needs more perspective, we fans of the team-up-to-take-down-giant-monsters genre (name subject to change) will have a whole mess of games to look forward to in the next year or two. Here's hoping they're all worth the grind!

[via: Japanator]