Monster hunting goes subzero in this red hot expansion.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
some
Players use a variety of weapons and traps to capture and kill different fantasy creatures. Players then carve materials from the creatures' corpses to use with other resources (plants, minerals, etc.), crafting new equipment and items for the hunt. Despite the violent nature of the gameplay, there's surprisingly little blood or gore. Pulling materials from defeated animals isn't graphic either, and harvested corpses simply disappear from the screen.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
Iceborne is a paid expansion to the main Monster Hunter World game, adding an entire new land, along with additional abilities, items, combos, and of course, new and variant monsters. The game also still supports a number of additional paid DLC (downloadable content), usually of a cosmetic nature, available to purchase online.
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
some
Alcoholic beverages are available, allowing players to get drunk and stumble around for a short period of time as a result. Players also craft and use various herbal drugs for medicinal purposes and to get special boosts during hunts.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.
A small number of the armors that can be crafted are more revealing than others for both male and female characters. Iceborne also adds hot springs that players can rest in to escape the heat, as well as a sort of spa hub to relax in together between missions.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
Although there's no profanity in the dialogue, the online options, including voice and text chat options, could expose young players to offensive language from other players.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.
The game continues its focus on teamwork, with players working and communicating as a group to take down massive creatures. Even in solo play, players can find help in the form of their Palico sidekicks and other Felyne tribes. Players also go on hunts to help research the ecology and to help out their community.
Positive Role Models
a little
While the player characters are essentially blank templates to be played however you like, the NPCs (non-player characters) in the game are generally positive, always wanting to lend a hand, to study their world, and to generally contribute to the community and the world at large.
Ease of Play
a little
While Monster Hunter World did make the series a bit more friendly for newcomers, it still required a lot of practice with a variety of weapons, skills, items, etc. Iceborne adds more nuances to the game, with new combos added to every weapon. It also debuts the new Clutch Claw, a grappling hook style item that can be used in multiple ways. While fun, it also adds a new layer of complexity to the gameplay.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is an expansion to the Monster Hunter World game, and is available for download on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Windows-based PCs. The expansion, available as a separate online purchase or as part of a bundle with the original game, adds new content and features to experience. This includes new items and abilities to use in the main game, as well as a brand-new land with new creatures added to the endgame. Players hunt a variety of fantasy creatures, trapping them or killing them and harvesting materials, though with little in the way of onscreen blood or gore. It has some complex controls, made more so due to additions to Iceborne's gameplay. Parents should also be aware that the online features of the game could expose younger players to potentially offensive language from other players. Gamers could construct some outfits that are slightly revealing for male and female characters, and there are some spa hot tubs that characters can relax in. Players can also drink alcoholic beverages and make drugs for various effects in battle.
This is a rich, deep and very well made game which will keep players occupied for hundreds of hours once they get into it. In spite of it's title there is no real violence or gore. The monsters presented are large, fantastical beasts rather than actual realistic animals and deaths are quick and not lingered upon.
The Monster Hunter online community is welcoming and well behaved with minimum issues (given the usual caveat around allowing your children to interact with strangers online)
My main reason for giving a 12+ rating is the steep learning curve and complex crafting and hunting system which require some tactical planning that may be frustrating to younger players.
That aside I would recommend the game for players of all ages.
This is one of the best games i have ever played in my entire life. The gameplay is simple yet difficult. The armors and monsters all look fantastic.
What’s It About?
The hunt continues in MONSTER HUNTER WORLD: ICEBORNE, a densely packed, icy expansion to the original Monster Hunter World experience. Players will join the Research Commission as it takes flight to explore Hoarfrost Reach, a previously undiscovered snow-covered region of the world. This untouched landmass seems to be the source of a new disturbance, as the creatures of the Ancient Forest seem drawn here for some unknown reason. You'll need to bundle up and brave the cold to discover what secrets lie frozen in Hoarfrost Reach. While survival's always a challenge, you've got a few new tricks up your sleeves to help tip the odds a bit more in your favor. Your weapons and traps have been upgraded to increase your arsenal of moves, and the new Clutch Claw allows you to swing into the fray and grapple with your prey in uniquely exciting ways. And after a successful hunt, you can return to your new headquarters hub of Seliana and warm up in one of the hot springs or steam rooms of its grand spa. But don't rest on your laurels too long. After all, a Hunter's work is never done, and there's always something new to discover.
This new chapter in the popular adventure game brings new content, new territory to explore, and new glory to hunters around the world. Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is the first full expansion to the original game, and when Monster Hunter World debuted, it basically served as a sort of reboot, re-introducing the niche franchise to a global audience. It was a hit and left fans new and old eager for more. Iceborne brings with it a whole new icy land to explore, complete with new creatures to hunt, new weapons and ways to use familiar weapons, and most importantly, more of what everyone loved about the original experience. The expansion's smart enough to add just enough new to keep things fresh without ditching any of the fun that keeps hunters coming back.
Admittedly, the Monster Hunter series has always been a complex game that takes a lot of practice. And while Monster Hunter World streamlined things a bit, Iceborne adds new combos to all of the existing weapons, increasing their effectiveness in the field. Couple that with the new Clutch Claw's grappling capabilities and it opens up a lot of new strategies, but also adds an extra layer of complexity that can frustrate early on. One other key thing for players to keep in mind is that Iceborne is designed mainly as additional endgame content. While players can still get the hang of the new weapon combos and the Clutch Claw in the main game, the new hunts in Hoarfrost Reach are generally reserved for those Master Rank hunters that have seen the main game through to completion. But even if you've just started exploring the territory of the original game, the frozen lands of Iceborne has plenty of hot gameplay to keep you coming back for more.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about working with nature. What are some of the ways that humans can work to preserve nature and work with the animals within it? What are some things we can learn from the behavior of wildlife and how they are impacted by the environment?
What are some things to look out for when playing with an online community? What are some signs to look out for and what should you do when confronted with toxic or offensive behavior?
ESRB rating:
T for Blood, Mild Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
Last updated:
January 14, 2022
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