The Best New Monster Hunter: Iceborne Feature Isn't What You'd Think

By Casey DeFreitas

I never had to be sold on Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. I’m a constant Monster Hunter player and have been nothing short of ecstatic to tackle any and all new content that’s been introduced via frequent updates throughout the last year.

With that in mind, there wasn’t one singular thing I especially wanted from the new massive expansion coming to Monster Hunter World this year – besides more monsters to hunt and make armor out of, of course – so color me surprised when I found myself getting overly excited about something I’d never have expected.

Your mantles can now be upgraded with decoration slots. Granted, the decorations on mantles are only active when the mantles are equipped, but still – decoration slots! Keep in mind, “best” is being used, obviously, very subjectively here, but I literally shouted with glee when I saw that. It was the first thing I shared with my Monster Hunter squad after my hands-on demo and interview and they, to my surprise, shared in my excited rambling.

How could I choose extra decoration slots over any of the new, flashy moves for every single weapon, the clutch claw, or slinger upgrade?

Well, I primarily use Sword and Shield, so I could already use slinger ammo while my weapon is out. Though I love Monster Hunter and have put more than 300 hours into World, I admittedly haven’t mastered every weapon yet, so the new moves are somewhat wasted on me. That said, the new Sword and Shield attack, the Leaping Slash combo, is stylish, powerful, and easy enough to pull off that I performed it accidentally before I had even read the tutorial on how to do it. I got a bit over-zealous and jumped in when I first played.

Kaname Fujioka, executive director of Monster Hunter World, said the Long Sword probably benefits most from the weapon upgrades, simply because it’s easy to understand but very cool looking. It’s akin to something you’d see in a Samurai movie, Fujioka said. But, he clarified all weapons gained something that would emphasize their uniqueness.

“There are sort of less obvious but equally good improvements to things like the Great Sword, which, it may not look flashier, but if you’re a Great Sword user, you’ll definitely feel that it’s been upgraded a lot,” Fujioka explained.

The Clutch Claw, a new, permanent grappling-hook-type attachment for all weapons, is incredibly cool. I got a chance to use it on Banbaro and Tigrex,  and being able to grab onto Tigrex from afar for a ride as it ran away felt so satisfying. Having only fought two monsters so far, I didn’t quite get a good grasp on the Clutch Claw, but I can already see how useful and integral to combat it will be moving forward.

I am glad the slinger is getting a bit more attention as well, and especially glad no one will have an excuse to not help me with Flash Pod-ing monsters anymore. Producer Ryozo Tsujimoto said he wanted the feature to be more accessible, and that’s why it will be able to be used without sheathing your weapon in Iceborne.

“We wanted to make it easier to use and play, but also have it be able to have more of a focus,” Tsujimoto said. “You can actually just use it completely and in combination with the other tools at your disposal, with the weapons.”

However, I didn’t learn about any of this and think, “Wow, I didn’t even know I wanted this so badly!” Except, of course, the new and returning monsters. I’m especially excited to fight returning monsters Nargacuga, Tigrex, and Glavenus, but a new Elder Dragon is always an enticing challenge.

I didn’t quite realize how big Banbaro was until I stood next to it in game, and I love its armor set. Its helmet comes with huge horns, and for men, a formidable beard! I got to see the moose-like creature face off with Beotodus, too, and I learned Beotodus takes down its prey just like its cousin, Jyuratodus: it shoots up from the ground and wraps around its prey in a dizzying display.

Tigrex is, well, just as challenging as it’s ever been – it carted my teammates quite a few times – and looks outstanding in Iceborne. The way it wildly careens around, attempting to collide with unsuspecting hunters, is simply exquisite. An odd way to describe a raging monster, but it’s both terrifying and hilarious in a way that makes it so.

Strictly speaking of changes and new features, yes, decoration slots on mantles still reign supreme for me. I love tinkering with all sorts of armor sets and find it satisfying to put together the perfect combination of skills for every particularly difficult challenge. I spent nearly an hour putting together a set I found suitable for Arch-Tempered Nergigante, for example, so I think it’s safe to say its something I love about Monster Hunter. Having extra slots on a piece of equipment I’ll always have with me just opens up so many possibilities I can’t even wrap my mind around it. Bring on the new skills (yes, I saw a few of these, too!) and more slots! I can’t wait.

Overall, everything I saw in Iceborne during my two, short hunts, filled me with wonder. The music glittered with chimes, a staple for ice-themed video game stages, and the sound-effects of the snow brought me back to that time I was caught in a blizzard. There were new small monsters which looked like a cross between and skunk and a wolf (which I hope we’ll be able to ride with the new feature, Raider Ride), new endemic life, and so much more. Iceborne is said to be as filled with content as the vanilla Monster Hunter World, so I’m sure there’s so much more I didn’t get to see.

Casey DeFreitas is an Editor at IGN who loves monster hunting, slaying, and catching. Catch her on Twitter @ShinyCaseyD.