Double the fun
Two big titles were launched with gaming stations, competitions and cosplayers attracting fans and even new players.
There’s little that ties the Monster Hunter and Dragon Ball franchises together. One is an action-packed third person adventure game where you hunt monsters. The other is an anime about a guy named Goku. Maybe you’ve heard of him?
On Jan 26, both franchises released their latest offerings – Monster Hunter: World by Capcom and Dragon Ball FighterZ (see accompanying review) by Arc system Works – both launched with much fanfare and hype. In the span of three days, Monster Hunter: World has sold five million copies worldwide, according to online reports. And whispers of Dragon Ball FighterZ entering one of the popular fighting game competitions, eVO (evolution Championship series), on launch year grows louder every day.
so yeah, not too shabby a start for both games.
On local shores, the excitement levels were no different. The team behind the Cosplay Commuter event, The Magic rain (TMr), knew this as well. so on Jan 27 and 28, TMr, as well as a few other partners, turned the upper level of Avenue K into a party zone, celebrating the two stellar games, and g fence sitters a chance to get their hands wet.
On the ground
Testing stations, competitions and yes, cosplayers. The trifecta that’s sure to bring in any curious soul.
TMr founder CM Char said that he was pleased with how the games matched the hype that surrounded it.
“The feedback so far for both games has been fantastic. We’re this early in the year and you already have two AAA titles.
“Monster Hunter: World pushes the boundary by adding many new features so players new to the franchise will feel welcome, instead of being intimidated.
“For veterans, the new game will keep them on their toes as well. Most of the monsters here are new, so you don’t know their patterns. It’s like going on a real life adventure because you just don’t know what comes next.
“Dragon Ball FighterZ too is just amazing. You can see that the developers did a very good job in translating the passion for the series into the mechanics of the game,” said Char.
Char, who is also a bit of a Dragon Ball buff himself, said that even the pro players were impressed. early feedback both from the event itself and past beta stages have painted the game as a strong contender to enter the pro circuits, local and abroad.
“They have been saying that it’s the next big game. In terms of storyline and characters, it’s there. But more importantly, players have been really impressed with the intricacies of the game’s mechanics,” said Char.
Organising co-partner Kenn Leandre, from gaming website Kakuchopurei, shared similar sentiments.
“I would really love to see this game enter the pro circuits. If the characters are balanced and the community is happy with what the game has to offer, then why not?” said Leandre.
sales wise, the numbers are looking good for both titles as well.
According to game store heavy Arm, it had already sold 600 copies of Monster Hunter: World ,asofJan 27. sales for Dragon Ball FighterZ currently sit at around 100.
Meeting expectations
It’s no secret that both titles have a lot to prove.
The Monster Hunter franchise has a strong following that dates back to 2004, and a fan base that’s brutally honest about what they don’t like. Whereas Dragon
Ball has always carried a muddied reputation when it came to videogames, producing as many misses as hits.
But according to two fans, the games delivered, and did so with flying colours.
Competitive gamer syed Muhammad Farouk, aka Dr Fierce, said that he was very impressed with what Dragon Ball FigherZ had to offer.
“For one, the entry for skill is very low so anyone can get into it. But the intricacies of the game also appeal to high level players. For a fighting game veteran, it’s very comfortable to jump into. even though everything looks flashy, it will never get boring. every move keeps me on the edge of my seat.
“I told myself that this is the game that I’ll have to get really good at!” said Muhammad Farouk.
he added that as time goes by, the game would only get better.
“This is just the base roster. Knowing Arcs system Works, it will be constantly updating the game with DLCs and patches,” he said.
Veteran Monster Hunter player Qurshay Bacqal rozzi set aside the daily grind just for the game. he even took leave from his job as a customer support executive just to play the game.
Qurshay, who is a member of hax, a local videogame guild, did a marathon session with other guild members that lasted two straight days, from saturday midnight.
“We’ve planned this marathon since the beta came out in December last year. One of our members owns a gaming lounge that we use as a clubhouse of sorts, and he allowed us to book the whole shop for two days.
“I won’t deny that I’ve fallen asleep while holding the controller once or twice during our marathon,” said Qurshay.
he said that while there were some changes to the game’s mechanics to entice a newer batch of players, the game is still no “cake-walk”, even for veterans.
“Teamwork is quite important and each player has their own responsibilities in taking down a monster. You need to know your positions and one bad move will knock you out,” he
said.