Monster Hunter’s Hunting Horn: From Oddball Support to Powerhouse Game-Changer

by

In the Monster Hunter series, players are offered a variety of weapon options, enabling them to select the perfect instrument for defeating the game’s massive beasts. Although the series has introduced and retired several weapons, the Hunting Horn remains one of the signature weapons in Monster Hunter.

The Hunting Horn, being a blunt tool like the Hammer, is similar in that it’s slow but powerful. However, despite their physical resemblance, they serve distinct functions. As suggested by its name, the Hunting Horn operates more like an instrument in gameplay. Players using it should approach it with finesse to boost their efficiency and aid their team effectively. In some games, it can be challenging to master due to the various changes in gameplay mechanics throughout the series, eventually transforming into its current form.

The Evolution of the Hunting Horn

The Hunting Horn Was Initially Very Different

In “Monster Hunter 2,” the Hunting Horn made its debut, but its functionality underwent a significant change from the third generation of games and beyond. To play the instrument, players were required to enter Recital mode where they could play notes and trigger a buff. This method of play persisted in the “Monster Hunter Freedom” subseries and “Monster Hunter Frontier,” enabling players to assume a supportive role during cooperative “Monster Hunter” gameplay.

The dynamics shifted significantly with the introductions of “Monster Hunter Portable 3rd” and “Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate”. In these versions, notes are synchronized with specific attacks, requiring players to strategize their combos to play a particular melody. To execute these notes, players need to engage Recital mode and activate the corresponding buff. This transformation in gameplay has become a staple for the Hunting Horn in contemporary “Monster Hunter” games, ensuring that hunters remain engaged throughout battles.

Making the Hunting Horn Viable in Combat

Mainly, the Hunting Horn functions primarily as a support tool, providing bonuses to all surrounding players. It can be utilized by lone players, but in earlier versions, its combat capabilities weren’t particularly robust. In Monster Hunter Generations, a significant modification was made to the instrument, granting it the capacity to perform an Encore, speeding up gameplay. Previous games demanded the same melody to be played twice for stronger Hunting Horn status effects, but Generations introduced double notes. This meant that if all attacks from a single song struck a monster, the notes would multiply, and the song would play twice immediately, triggering the highest level of that buff. As a result, players could spend less time adjusting songs and more time attacking.

In Monster Hunter World, efforts were made to make the game series easier to grasp and smoother, and these changes to the Hunting Horn fit perfectly with this approach. For instance, they eliminated double notes so that Encores could be utilized in any tune, and an important new feature allowed hunters to line up to three tunes at once. This offered players the choice to play each song individually with its own Encore or perform them all together during a Recital, culminating in one final Encore. Following a bug fix in Monster Hunter World, it became possible for players to deal even more damage with this weapon thanks to shockwave blasts that took place at the conclusion of each Encore.

In addition to broadening the original game’s material, Monster Hunter World: Iceborne introduced modifications to certain weapons, including the Hunting Horn. The Echo Attack, a novel feature for this weapon, generates an Echo note upon use. This Echo Attack is crucial for the Echo Wave and Echo Bubble songs; the Echo Wave serves as an extra attack, while the Echo Bubble imbues specific status effects onto anyone passing through it. For quite some time now, this has been widely regarded by many players as the Hunting Horn’s zenith.

The Hunting Horn in the Modern Era

In Monster Hunter Rise, alterations to the weapon design sparked debate among players, splitting opinions. The Hunting Horn, in particular, underwent a significant overhaul, making all songs consist of only two notes at maximum and limiting the song selection. While some appreciated the simplification for easier gameplay, many felt that the loss of complexity and depth diluted the weapon’s unique charm. Additionally, it was made to act faster by default, behaving more like a swift Hammer with occasional buffing and healing capabilities. This speed enhancement left some players feeling that the instrument-like qualities of the Hunting Horn were diminished, leading to disappointment with this iteration.

In this update, Capcom made adjustments for Monster Hunter Wilds by restoring the weapon to its World version and incorporating the Echo Bubble from Iceborne, but with a unique spin. Instead of being linked to an Echo note, every Hunting Horn now possesses its own Echo Bubble ability. This function continues to influence players in the vicinity with status effects or healing, while also dealing extra damage to monsters within the bubble. An interesting twist is that during the animation, players can swiftly play any three notes, thereby quickening the process of composing songs. This differs from Rise, as speed becomes a benefit for playing music in this case.

With the latest Wounds system, there’s a stronger focus on quickly playing multiple notes on your Hunting Horn. If you inflict a Wound on an enemy using a Focus Attack with this tool, you can swiftly play up to five notes consecutively. The gameplay revolves around playing more tunes and maintaining team buffs. This update offers a satisfying blend of challenging yet non-overwhelming technical gameplay, rewarding those who master it.

Throughout the series, the Hunting Horn’s development has been quite remarkable. It’s capable of playing both high and low notes across different games, yet in Monster Hunter Wilds, its gameplay style resonated deeply with numerous players. This weapon is particularly beneficial for those Monster Hunter enthusiasts who wish to play a supportive role, but it’s also an effective tool for supporting independent hunters too.

Read More

2025-05-12 07:32