Monster Hunter has always been an intimidating series to jump into for a variety of reasons. It's challenging for anyone, and traditionally it hasn't done a great job of explaining its various mechanics, leaving players to seek outside help. Monster Hunter World, which is now available on PS4 and Xbox One, at least partially tries to address those problems, and in many ways, it succeeds.
In addition to providing more explanation to players in the early stages, players have what's called a Handler, who dispenses tips until you've made enough progress. There are also quality-of-life improvements like scoutflies that reduce the hassle of tracking a monster--something that's particularly helpful given World's larger environments.
In the video above, we chat about what it's been like to play World from both the standpoint of a series veteran and someone with less Monster Hunter experience. It should give you a sense of what to expect from World regardless of your experience level. Whatever your personal history with the series, this is a very solid RPG to jump into.
We also have starting tips and a beginner's guide, as well as a roundup of all of our key coverage about World. Plus, you can see what the game looks like in 4K on PS4 Pro and find out all the details about its day-one update. For more on the new game, check out our Monster Hunter World review, which states, "Monster Hunter World is finally here, and it blows the previous western releases out of the water."
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Monster Hunter has always been an intimidating series to dive into. Although the community surrounding it is quite friendly and helpful, the games themselves often lack the kind of assistance that a newcomer requires to fully grasp what's going on. Monster Hunter World makes strides in that direction, but going in with an idea of what to expect will make the entire experience much easier to deal with.
In the video above, we run through some beginner's tips that will help you to get started, whether you're a newcomer to the series or a lapsed played who's forgotten some of the essentials. Although every weapon is viable, some are friendlier to those just getting acquainted with the series. And something like pre-hunt preparation, while not the sexiest-sounding activity in the world, is essential to excelling at the game. We also have a text-based Monster Hunter World beginner's guide that will walk you through all the key information you should have before playing.
As noted above, World does a better job of welcoming in new players than past titles, but that's not its only improvement. It also features much larger and more beautiful environments, thanks to being built for current-gen consoles and PC (the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X experience is particularly nice). There are also smaller quality-of-life improvements that are extremely welcome, such as the addition of scoutflies, which make the process of locating and tracking your target much easier.
You can read all about the game in our Monster Hunter World review. The game is out now on PS4 and Xbox One, with players on the former platform already able to get exclusive Horizon: Zero Dawn-themed content. You can also check out World's high-level armor and Palico gear.
Every WWE fan loves the unexpected.
There are still several entrant slots open for the 2018 Royal Rumble. And although most of those slots will be filled by Sunday afternoon, WWE always leaves a few open for surprise guests, which we have a few guesses on too. Thanks to social media, however, it's getting harder and harder to trick fans. All it takes is one guy with a camera outside the Sheraton, and the big surprise is ruined.
That's not what this gallery is about; none of the wrestlers on this list have been confirmed, neither officially nor unofficially. These are the rumored entrants that have been circulating the dirt sheets for the past couple of weeks. If you want to see all the confirmed entrants for this year's event, click here.
Have a happy Rumble weekend!
Kharma has made it publicly known that she is available and hopeful about participating in the Rumble match. She also notes, however, that WWE hasn't contacted her. But WWE still has 12 slots available for the women's Rumble. Perhaps there's still room for her.
Kharma--more widely known as Awesome Kong, from her TNA days--never got her due in WWE. She was brought on board in 2011, and she participated in only one match: the 2012 Royal Rumble, where she eliminated Hunico before being eliminated herself. Most recently, she's been starring on Netflix's GLOW, but it would be a treat to see her squash the latest crop of women wrestlers this Sunday.
Even though he's now a Marvel superhero, Batista has publicly expressed his desire to return to WWE for one more run--not just to make a one-off appearance, but to work a full-time schedule. What better way to kick it off than entering the Royal Rumble?
The last time Batista was in WWE, he left with a genuine sense of disappointment. He thought he would be hailed as a returning hero, but instead, all the fans turned on him because he wasn't Daniel Bryan. If he returned to WWE, he might get the victory lap he deserves.
The NJPW superstar signed with WWE this year, and he is currently training at the WWE Performance Center. WWE has made it clear that going forward, any newly signed, full-time talent must go through the NXT system before moving to the main roster; AJ Styles was the final, notable exception.
But Ricochet is no rookie; he's been an active competitor in the business for over a decade. And since the Royal Rumble crowd usually has a high percentage of die-hard fans, he'll get a tremendous reaction if he so much as shows his face.
The Top Man has been Heavyweight champion several times over on the indie circuit. And he almost made it to WWE's main roster years ago; he bounced from Ohio Valley Wrestling to Florida Championship Wrestling to NXT, but he was released from his developmental contract in 2013.
EC3 recently cancelled his scheduled appearance with Renegade Wrestling Revolution in Houston on January 28. The promotion states that it is due to a personal, family matter. But since the event is on the same day as the Rumble, it's caused some obvious speculation.
It's been confirmed that former Divas and Women's Champion Michelle McCool is in talks with WWE about a Royal Rumble appearance, but nothing has been agreed upon, one way or the other. But she did appear at the Raw 25th anniversary show. And because she's married to The Undertaker, WWE has a big incentive to keep her happy.
LayCool was one of the best heel acts in the pre-Women's Revolution era, and even though she won't win the whole Rumble, she'll create a perfect opportunity for a nostalgic confrontation. It's almost certain that Mickie James--or as Laycool once called her, 'Piggie James'--has some scores to settle.
This has been speculated since at least 2015, when the former UFC champion made a cameo appearance at WrestleMania 31 and threatened to break Stephanie McMahon's arm. Recent Rousey appearances--at the Mae Young Women's Classic, and at dinner with Triple H in Los Angeles--have only increased the buzz.
Rousey threw some cold water on the rumor this week, noting that she's in Colombia to finish filming her role in Mile 22. Still, she could catch a red eye flight—WWE has done far more extreme things to surprise fans in the past.
This is unlikely but nevertheless, has been discussed backstage as a possibility. Bryan retired in 2016 due to concussion-related issues, but Bryan has continually pushed back against those diagnoses, noting that non-WWE doctors have said that he is fit to compete, and that his reflexes, though diminished, still fall within the normal range.
Should Bryan enter the Rumble, he would almost certainly have to win it. He wouldn't even need to spend too long in the ring to win it, especially if he entered at No. 30.
Since 1989, The Simpsons has been a staple on the Fox network. With 29 seasons, one movie, and over 600 episodes under its belt, the animated series has done it all, including predicting the future on several occasions. Although most of these predictions are gags, it's strange to see so many news headlines and pieces of technology originate on an episode of The Simpsons.
Obviously, The Simpsons has been on the air almost three decades, so a few things are bound to have come true, but many moments from the show hit the nail on the head. Searching through the series, we narrowed down 10 of the most important and eerily accurate predictions the show made over the years.
Predicted: 1995
Came True: 2014
When Lisa meets a fortune teller, she is presented with one possible future where she's engaged to a man named Hugh. During one moment, Hugh talks into his watch to order someone around. While smartwatches aren't a household item yet, many people have been using the device since they were made available in 2014.
Predicted: 2008
Came True: 2012
Homer steps into an electronic voting booth and tries to vote for Barack Obama. However, each time he presses the touchscreen, a vote registers for John McCain. Something eerily similar happening in 2012 at a voting booth, which wasn't calibrated correctly. Every time the person tried to vote for Obama, it registered one for Mitt Romney.
Predicted: 2000
Came True: 2017
Bart takes a glimpse into the future in this 2000 episode, where his sister, Lisa, is President of the United States. She mentions to her Cabinet that they've inherited a budget crunch from President Trump. On January 20, 2017, Donald Trump was sworn into office as President of the United States.
Predicted: 2007
Came True/Revealed To The Public: 2013
The Simpson family was on the run during the family's 2007 film, after Homer is caught polluting the lake by the EPA. While escaping on a bus, the NSA spies on their conversation through the bus driver, who was apparently a robot. In 2013, NSA employee Edward Snowden revealed documents to the public that the government agency has been spying on the public.
Predicted: 2010
Came True: 2016
Lisa, Martin, Database, and Milhouse had a betting pool for the Nobel Prize in this 2010 episode. If you look to the right of the red circle, you'll notice Milhouse picked Bengt R Holstrom to win the prize for Economics. In 2016, Holstrom actually won that prize.
Predicted: 2014
Came True: 2015
Lisa gives a speech about her father being a hero, which goes viral. Because of this, Homer is asked to referee games at the World Cup in Brazil. Homer refuses bribes to fix games, as corruption seems to be rampant at the World Cup. In 2015, it was revealed that certain bodies within FIFA were involved in bribery, fraud, and money laundering.
Predicted: 1998
Came True: 2012
It's no secret that there are math geeks writing episodes of The Simpsons. In an episode from 1998, Homer wants to be an inventor and in doing so, writes a complicated problem on a chalk board. What's crazy about this is that the equation in question actually predicts the mass of the Higgs Boson--or God particle--which was realized in 2012.
Predicted: 2012
Came True: 2015
Homer Simpson is invited to be a guest on the TV show Headbutt, and during the episode, the lower ticker has a gag that reads "Europe puts Greece on eBay." It's a throwaway gag about the country's debt. However, in 2015, Greece defaulted on its debt, and the country is still having financial troubles.
Predicted: 1993
Came True: 2003
Mr. Burns opens up his own casino in this 1993 episode, complete with its own magic show starring Gunter and Ernst, a Siegfried and Roy parody. During their show, one of the men is attacked by their tiger. In 2003, Roy was attacked by his tiger Montecore, and there injuries were so severe that Roy couldn't walk or talk for a couple of years. Even though he was attacked, Roy made sure no harm came to the tiger, which later died of an illness in 2014.
Predicted: 1998
Came True: 2017
During an episode in 1998, Ron Howard was pitching a script Homer wrote to 20th Century Fox, and in what seems like a throwaway joke, an establishing shot of the Fox building features a sign that reads "A Division Of Walt Disney Co." At the end of 2017, 21st Century Fox was acquired by Disney for $52 billion.
