8 Things To Do Before Diving Into Monster Hunter World [PC Version]

• Check your specs
  
  Before anything else, be sure to know the specs of your rig or laptop, and if they fall between the minimum and maximum recommended specs of the game. Monster Hunter World can be played on 4K, if of course, your PC can handle it. While processor and GPU statlines are generally the first things you look at, be sure to check out the RAM requirement as well. Having a few spare GBs of RAM can really help ease the burden on your system when you plan on marathoning the game.
• Get acquainted with the weapons
  
  There are a lot of spoiler-free videos on YouTube that provide you with an overview of each of the 14 weapons in MHW. The basic weapons are Sword and Shield, Dual Blades, and the Light Bowgun. These offer their own unique mechanics that allow you to accomplish different things during hunts and can have synergies with other weapons. If you’re new to MHW, don’t really fret on trying to master an advanced weapons, as all the weapons will be available to you at the start of the game, no quests needed.
• Remember to use the Training Room
  Since all weapons are available to you, you may as well take advantage of the Training Room. This is where you can practice your weapon combos on logs and barrels, allowing you to see how much damage you deal and what combos you can do while standing still or in the air (at least, for some weapons). Something I learned from Dauntless is this: it doesn’t matter what weapon you use, as long as you are comfortable with it and use it well, you’ll be an asset to your hunting party.
• You can eat in preparation for a hunt
  Apparently in this game, eating is a must! Different foods at your base give you different buffs, which is useful for newbies entering hunts for the first time. You’ll want to have all the help you can get! You can also pack some cooked meat for your journey, which you’ll probably want, because tracking monsters can make one hungry, apparently.
• Reading is a useful skill
  
  Unlike Dauntless, the areas in MHW are large and you’ll really need to up your tracking skills, which means making use of bugs that show you the way, and of course your map. Tracking your progress with your map on a hunt will help a lot in cutting the time needed to find the monster again when it leaves, which is important since there will be timed hunts for you to do. Take the time to read everything you have on different places and monsters. Your journal is easily accessible so the more you explore, the more entries you will have!
• A good defense is the best offense
  In my years of playing video games, especially the action RPG variety, I’ve learned that your defensive capability is important as you’re learning the game. In hunting games like this one, you’ll probably get slapped around by monsters because you’re still unfamiliar with its attacks and it’s “tells”, or the gestures and sounds the monster gives before doing an attack. All the best and most powerful weapons in the game won’t be able to help your party much when you’re on the ground or worse, carted off out of the battlefield. Investing on your armor can help keep you alive long enough to learn when to dodge and finish the hunt.
• Get all the quests
  
  Like any RPG, Monster Hunter World has a lot of NPCs to give you quests. Talk to all these people and get all their quests! There’s no real need to cherry-pick or do them one at a time. Who knows, you might be completing more then one quest already with just one hunt (it may or may not be that way, I have yet to find out)! Doing quests allows you to get to know the game better, get to know the world better, and get an better feel of where you are and where you’re supposed to go, level-wise, experience-wise, and progression-wise.
• Explore! Explore with your friends!
  
  Screenshots from the PS4 game can’t possibly give the environments justice. MHW is a beautifully-crafted game, which totally encourages you to explore every nook and cranny of the area you’re in! If you have friends who came from the PS4 version and trying the PC version themselves, remember that all of you are more or less starting fresh! There’s no high level friend to carry you through the game, despite some having experience in the monster fights. And I personally believe that is key to having a great time with this game: experience. Don’t be afraid to fail! There’s no real rush to finishing the game at all, and all monsters will be waiting for you and your friends. Have fun, don’t get too salty, and try your best to learn from each monster you encounter. Soon, you’ll find you’re having an easier time dealing with them, getting hit less, and contributing to the hunt more.

All Monster Hunter World for PC screenshots provided by Vince Haoson, EIC of DAGeeks!