[Feature] The Importance of Cats: Why Palicoes add more to Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate than you’d think
Author: Kira
So let’s get down the to serious-and-yet-unserious side of Monster Hunter. Monster Hunter as a franchise has had a long history of games, starting in 2004 with the original entry, to a decade later with Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. I have always been intrigued by the series and have enjoyed numerous forays into the wild to hunt many monsters, but I have generally felt that there was something missing. I always enjoyed the fact that the games have had an air of silly humor via some of their support characters, and that they have even given you various minions to help you along the way, but none of these bits of charm have made me smile as much as much as the Palicoes in the latest entry, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate! Who knew that a furry little critter could make such a difference; could this be what this series has been missing?
Felyne’s – small, bipedal cat creatures – have various roles in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, but the bravest of them all are named “Palicoes”. These furry hunting companions will travel with you during solo quests, as well as with you and one other hunter and their chosen felyne warrior. You select and create your Palico at the beginning of the game right alongside your own character, choosing their color, markings, and even bestowing upon them a name. I took the latter very seriously as I thought long and hard about my felyne companion; I wanted every aspect of my choices to be just right. After probably way to much time and thought (I honestly think I spent more time on him then my own character), I made my decisions and my furry little friend and I set off on what would prove to be some wild adventures!
There are many options – and to a certain degree control – that you will have with your Palico regarding their behaviors and abilities (even though your “Ace” Palico will always feel that you serve him). You will also have the option to have more than one felyne companion. Throughout the game, you will be able to upgrade various weapons and armor as well as craft gear for your fluffy creature, and there are special collaboration items that are available currently via DLC with more to come along the way (don’t ask me why, but I have to have the Devil May Cry set). You’re also able to have different types of Palico at your disposal. The “Ace” one is your main, and then there are your “Subs” that you will encounter through StreetPass functionality as well as by hiring once you have reached Cheeko Sands, the felyne main village. They will all come in quite handy during some pretty tough battles, as they will be able to combine their abilities for special “team attacks” which will do much more damage. And honestly, they look pretty cool too.
During my adventures with my Palico called Artemis, I’ve noticed quite a few important things. First, he is quite demanding because his “Forte” (this determines the special attributes they will exhibit in combat) is “Leadership” and his ability is “Grudge Attack”, which means that he is quite good in a fight. Each Palico has a different skill that enables them to do better in certain situations. This will also impact how your Palico will react to the others that you have join your merry band of Meownster Hunters. You will also be able to customize their stats as I mentioned earlier. For example, my “Ace” Artemis is quite good at pushing me out of attack traps in addition to fending off the smaller prey. Although, I really have to keep an eye on him since he sometimes will attack a foe that I didn’t want him to, like those pesky little felyne that like to steal all your loot! But so far he has not been great at healing, curing status affects, or giving me boosts for jumps – and by not great, I really mean not at all.
One of the things that I have already realized about my little friend Artemis is that he will cost me quite a bit of zenny… and some blood and sweat too! Why in the world do I say that? Well, let me tell you. One of my favorite things about Monster Hunter has always been the amazing gear that you can forge, and now with the same awesomeness added for my white fluffball, this is going to get a little crazy. Fortunately, there is a fantastic little mini-game you can access from your Palico Board. You can also talk to your Felyne housekeeper to send critters on solo missions to acquire the “scraps” you need to craft some pretty sweet gear. Now if I could only get them do some farming for the materials I need for my gear…. hmmm, they can be pretty effective item gatherers, so I guess we will have to experiment on what those items might be!
Ultimately, I have always enjoyed the Monster Hunter series, and although there will always be things that games can improve on, I definitely didn’t imagine that adding a Felyne companion would make that much of a difference. They have though, and now not only can I hunt monsters with several of my human friends, but I also have a companion that – when I am going solo – will be a worthwhile addition and not just a distraction, as was the case with previous companions in the series. I have an immense amount of influence on my Palico, so I can guarantee good battles ahead for us.
I have a feeling I will be spending quite a bit of time with my merry band of Meownster Hunters as we slash our way to blood and glory. Now we all know that one of the greatest things about Monster Hunter is the ability to play multiplayer. But what happens when no one is around, everyone is busy at work or school, or some other pressing engagement that could pull them away from spending a day Monster hunting? As crazy as that sounds it happens but don’t worry your friendly little Palicoes will save the day and probably you as well!
