Previous titles in the series on PSP and 3DS consoles only allowed local area connections, although online play was possible by linking through a PS3 or Wii U console.Ī new "Guild Quest" system has been added. Monster Hunter 4 is the first Monster Hunter game appearing on a handheld to feature fully integrated online multiplayer.
Multiple base camps unlock as the player progresses, creating the largest cast of NPCs of any Monster Hunter game to date. The game's director, Kaname Fujioka, stated that Monster Hunter 4 has a larger focus on adventure and story progression than previous Monster Hunter titles. Two new weapons have been added: the Insect Glaive and the Charge Blade. The monsters are terrain-aware and use the environment to their advantage. The game also eliminates underwater sections that were present in Monster Hunter 3. Walls can be climbed more fluidly, and players can use height advantages to jump on and attack or even mount creatures. New to Monster Hunter 4 is movement and combat that places more emphasis on three-dimensional movement. The maximum stamina will drain over time, and though some can be restored through various health items, low stamina can limit the player's effectiveness on the field. Stamina will be restored normally by doing less aggressive actions. Stamina depletes with many actions including running or using their weapon, and if this runs low, the character will slow down or even stop until their stamina is restored. The character's health is lost due to taking damage but can be restored by health potions. The player's health and stamina are limiting factors on the field. The player can also quit out of any quest at any time, foregoing any rewards for it, but also retaining the items you used. The character can fall in battle due to loss of health twice, causing the player to continue the quest from the starting area, but after falling a third time, the quest is considered failed, as is running out of time. These quests are limited by time, as well as the resources available to player. The bulk of the quests in the game requiring hunting one or more of the larger monsters that can inhabit the areas, and ending the quest by killing or trapping the creature. Some quests allow the player to explore the area as long as they want to accumulate goods, while other quests have the player attempt to slay a number of smaller creatures. The player can explore through these areas, taking the time to accumulate materials such as ores, bugs, and plant parts used to make gear and potions, or by slaying creatures throughout the areas. When on a quest, the player is taken to a remote location made up of several smaller areas, where both passive and aggressive creatures roam. The game allows the player to use any of the twelve basic weapon types in the game, each having unique battle approaches that the player must master, and can switch between these weapons before departing on quests. The player's character does not intrinsically improve over the course of the game, but their abilities are set by the weapon and armor they carry into the quests, which improve as the player takes on more challenging quests. As they proceed through these quests, they will gain various items, in-game money, and other rewards that are used to craft new weapons, armor, additional gear, and health, restoration, and temporary buffing items that can be taken into later quests.
As with the other games in the series, Monster Hunter 4 has the player take the role of a fresh Hunter that undertakes quests and challenges to hunt dangerous creatures that inhabit various locales.