As we look ahead to the co-op releases for the next few months, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate still firmly blips on our radar screens for the end of March. Previously, we've seen the some action straight from the game and even a little bit about connecting with other WiiU friends online or locally via the 3DS. Recently, Capcom's begun detailing some of the different weapons and weapon combos you'll have available through the Capcom-Unity blog. First up on the list is the basic weapon set with which all players will begin: the ever trusty Sword and Shield.
From Capcom employee Yuri's blog:
As you’re done creating your hunter, you should notice he or she carries around a small shield on one hand and a short sword on his or her back. This weapon set is the Sword and Shield – and there is a very good reason the game gives it to you as a starting weapon: it is one of the most well-balanced weapons in the game.
What the Sword and Shield lacks in strength and reach, it certainly makes up with speed and versatility. And because it’s such a light weapon type, you can still move around with it in your hands without sacrificing too much of your running or swimming speed. On top of that, it is the only weapon type that allows you to use items with it drawn – novice hunters can take advantage of this feature to heal and recover stamina, while more seasoned hunters will use this to maximize damage with a combination of traps, bombs, boost items and successive rapid strikes.
The other major feature of this weapon is the shield. As you might expect, it is primarily used for blocking, but that’s not the end of it. The shield also adds another layer to the offensive arsenal since you can use it to cause impact hits, which can bring monsters to a knock out (dizzy) state if you hit their heads frequently enough.
I've never played any games in the Monster Hunter series, but I did enjoy the little nod they did in the optional missions for Metal Gear Solid: Peacewalker HD collection. Now with the promise of bashing monsters in the head with a shield until they get dizzy, I'm definitely more interested in this game than I had been previously.
Enjoy some screens of the Sword and Shield look that I'm sure all the kids will be into come March 31.