Video Game Comparisons: Monster Hunter, Gods Eater Burst, and Lord of Arcana, Part 2

The continuation of my review. Just a recap -

Current tally:

Monster Hunter - 3
Gods Eater Burst - 3
Lord of Arcana - 0

Sound

In any video game, sound is extremely important. Music much more so. It puts people in the mood to either cry or kick some butt. Let's see which series has the most epic music, hm?

When you hear this music, RUN.

Starting off, Monster Hunter doesn't have many ambient soundtracks. When it's just you and you're not fighting a hostile monster, there is no music, just the gentle sounds of nature and perhaps the grunts of a couple herbivores nearby. When you start fighting a small hostile mob, depending if it's a boss creature or not, you get some generic music. However, if you fight one of Monster Hunter's signature monsters, that's where the real music tracks kick in.

This takes the sting out of trying to take out the Kushala Daora's wind barrier.

The fast-paced orchestral themes are perfect for capturing the intensity of the entire fight, no matter what creature you're fighting against. The fact that they kick in only when a boss creature is aware of you is also a good sound indicator that you have a fight on your hands. When that happens, you know to bring your weapon out, and pray to lady luck. The music is extremely awesome and you'll love it.

Gods Eater Burst uses orchestral for the most part as well, though they include a bit of background music whenever you're starting off a mission. In exchange, and partially because of the small maps, the background sounds are notably absent. However, even when you're fighting particularly unique bosses, unless you're fighting certain monsters in certain conditions, the music you get is generic music depending on the stage you're in. Sure, there are supposed to be variations if you fight different enemies, but honestly, they sound so much the same, I honestly couldn't tell.

Hope you like hearing this every time you fight in the subway levels...

Still, there ARE unique pieces, and while for the most part Gods Eater Burst sticks to orchestral, a few times they put in some rock music as well. While I should stay that putting in rock kills the mood, it honestly doesn't. It helps that only one track is rock while the rest is orchestral. I won't spoil it, but it's the theme song for one of the characters and so it's really fitting.

On retrospect, this is a very good song to fight to...

As for Lord of Arcana... it's quite different, to say the least. Unlike either Gods Eater Burst or Monster Hunter, it uses rock for the most part. The background music is prominent in every level, although it gets pretty generic when it comes to normal fights - especially if you here it a couple dozen times. Still, I can't lie and say I don't like rock, but it feels more like a love letter to Devil May Cry the more I play the thing.

And this is the background song for a supposedly soothing cave level!

Nevertheless, when it hits the right notes, it hits them with a frickin' arrow piercing another arrow. The unique boss tracks are high-paced, adrenaline-filled, and set the mood up perfectly. Since you'll most likely be soloing bosses, the music gives the perfect mix of desperation, high-paced action, and all in all, the mood that it's a duel between you, a very skilled human with gleaming weapons against a powerful monster that will do all it can to turn you into a pancake. 

No snark here - this song is just awesome.

So in conclusion, I say Lord of Arcana gets 2 points because I like rock and the songs are just pure awesome, Monster Hunter gets 1 point because of their powerful orchestral sound tracks, and Gods Eater Burst gets nothing because, awesome as their music is, they just play it way too many times.

Current tally: 

Monster Hunter - 4

Gods Eater Burst - 3

Lord of Arcana - 2

Story

And driving any game is the storyline. So therefore, these games have a great storyline, right? ... Well...

This is the extent of the plot in Monster Hunter.

Honestly, in Monster Hunter, there's no plot. You're in the Hunter's Guild, you take contracts to kill monsters for cash, rinse and repeat. The game doesn't even end or give you special recognition if you kill the 'end-boss' monster. It's endless. You just keep killing monsters and fulfilling contracts. That's all there is to it. But then, considering you'll be using up all your time just grinding out items or killing monsters, you probably won't care too much about the story, just killing things and get new shiny equipment.

When you're facing a monstrosity like this, who the f*** cares about the story?!

I'm not gonna lie or sugarcoat it. Gods Eater Burst has the other two trumped by a mile when it comes to the story. It has actual side characters, character development, an actual plot dealing with world-wide threats and the monsters. Sure, it has plenty of cliches, but at least the characters are nice and approachable and develop at a decent, believable rate. Still, I do wonder if fanservice-y females are required everywhere around here...

This is your boss. No, she's not wearing a single scrap of undergarment.

That being said, the plot is split into two. The game was originally just called God Eater, but Namco decided to rename it Gods Eater Burst and add in a new storyline and monsters after the main plot is done. The second plot is more focused on character development and feels more like a 'friendship forever' thing, but luckily this isn't over done. And besides, the character it's focused on you'll probably feel pretty close to. Again, no spoilers, but take my word for it.

Your commanding officer and teacher. Remember him well.

Lord of Arcana DOES have a plot, but if you don't bother to talk to the NPCs, you'll never even get a hint of it. Not like it matters. The plot is that you're the chosen one to be the lord of the land of Horodyn. In order to fully become the lord, though, you'll need to defeat eight monsters that have been sealed away, but reactivate when you've done enough missions. And that's all the plot. And once you finish the plot, nothing even changes - the other NPCs just tell you to kill the other monsters to grow stronger and consolidate your power. You still need to deal with contracts. It feels less like you're a lord and more of their personal hit(wo)man.

Suck-ups. All of them.

In the end, though, despite having a poor excuse of a plot... it's still a plot. There's nothing more I can say about this.

So in conclusion, Gods Eater Burst gets 2 points for having a structured plot, Lord of Arcana gets 1 point for having a simply excuse plot, and Monster Hunter gets nothing for having no plot whatsoever.

Current tally:

Monster Hunter - 4

Gods Eater Burst - 5

Lord of Arcana - 3

To be continued in Part 3