 |
| The Notorious Pickle |
I was watching quite a few Youtube videos of the new DLC introduction of the Deviljho (Pickle) since I didn't know how to access him. While doing so, I was taken aback because they all mentioned how they hated the Handler, even though she was created specifically to be "likeable", because I felt the same way, and in fact, I hate almost all the other NPCs as well!
However, in past Monster Hunters, I quite liked the NPC characters such as Junior from MH3U and the Guild Marm from Generations. After thinking about this, it all boils down to the monsters, of which almost everyone recognizes that humans are the real monsters in this game. Except for Kirin whom I hate with a passion.
For one thing, none of the monsters ever attack you, and only do so in self-defense. This is a complete reversal from the past series, where you only have to step in an area, and ALL the monsters go after you, even the trifling ones like the Bullfangos. Although ideally, even though it's better to avoid dangerous situations in the first place (but if in danger, to run away and hide), it's completely understandable if you end up hurting a perpetrator in self-defense.
The best example I could think of regarding how crucial it is to make your enemies despicable is Alex and the sincere Ma-nons from Xenoblade Chronicles X. The Ma-nons are aliens who come to live with humans. Upon seeing Alex's "Cultural Assimilation" flyers, and talking to him, the absolute sincerity and willingness to adopt human culture was heartfelt. They really do want to fit in, get along with others, and do their very best.
Therefore, they join one of Alex's "meetings" where he ends up killing, if I recall, half of them as his intent is to kill all aliens. It's unclear to me as the hero, why we just sat there and watched, because at this point I was in a murderous rage and I wanted to kill him so badly! When you do, you feel absolutely justified and no guilt. I couldn't wait for the opportunity to do so, and really rushed through that side quest just so I can end him, which was so satisfying.
To reiterate, in World the so-called monsters are quite the pacifists until you threaten their lives, which is understandable. I wanted to slap the Chief Ecologist when he asked me if we value living beings and he said "of course you do". The other NPCs are also presented as "good people" but they're all contributing to killing innocent animals. The only NPC that I sort of like, aside from our Palicoes (cats are after all, natural hunters), is the Huntsman, because at least he's not hypocritical and is really, really into hunting, egging us on during our fight against one of the elder dragons.
I feel that some Gamers might be turned off by the prospect of killing animals that don't do any harm (except for Pickle and screw Kirin), so I hope that future Monster Hunters will make the monsters vicious and violent like past series. However, they did a great job making Kirin so despicable that I relish seeing him getting nuked by Pros (even though he too doesn't attack unless you do so).
Of course, this is in the context of playing a true hero, and not an anti-hero as in the God Of War or Grand Theft Auto series. There are quite a few games where the enemies are more 3-dimensional where they have good intentions, but their intentions are leading to mass suffering.
However, this is a Monster Hunter game so I can't foresee them having talking monsters in the future. Further, I don't expect a Monster Hunter game to have the emotional resonance of a James Baldwin novel, but at least make the monsters truly horrific like in the past series so the NPCs can be more sympathetic!
Do you feel the same way about the NPCs in this game? Are there any other reasons why we hate the Handler? And, do you feel bad about killing these poor monsters (except for Kirin and Pickle)?
The How of Happiness Review
Spot on here. For the record, I have no issue with real life hunting for food, it's all a part of life, a nessecary. However I don't feel like hunting for sport is reasonable, and if you're ending an animals life, show some respect for it. End it quickly, and leave no waste. Cook every scrap of meat, boil the bones, wear its skin, make the most out of the opportunity this animal lost its life for. Same with farming, in an ideal world every animal on a farm should live the highest quality of life avaliable, the farmer should go out of his way for them and show some respect to his livestock, before the axe comes down. Of course, rising demand requires that we have battery farms, and I've accepted that, whether I like it or not.
ReplyDeleteThis relates to Monster Hunter. because it stops e seeing the enemies and bosses antagonistically. I have no motive to press on, only confliction with my beliefs we shouldn't kill for sport. Compare this to games like Borderlands 2 where there is a very clear opposing force who you feel good fighting, you feel justified killing them because they have some fucked up past, some blood on their hands. Same with Fire Emblem, same with the Call of Duty campaigns, Final Fantasy, Bravely Default, I could go on.
One of the parts where Undertale drops the ball a little, avoiding Spoilers, is right at the end. Because it's unclear how to proceed, and the way forward is one with conflict, but the antagonist isn't someone you feel good fighting. A friend actually put the game down their, I had to spoil the fight for him to continue. Same can be said for the likes of some of the bosses in Dark and Demon's Souls, I remember community members hunting for ways to glitch past the Great Grey Wolf Sif fight, because he tugged at our heartstrings and didn't feel good fighting. Same with the Fair Maiden Astrea, where you would love to leave them to their work, they're only trying to help ease the pain and suffering of those down in the filth, however being an essential boss you kinda just do it anyway. You don't feel good about it, you kinda just brush it under the rug and proceed. Of course this leads into diacussions about Dark Souls uses this technique of pulling at heartstrings to give a message to the players, not every game is supposed to be fun, and the way the series tries to evoke guilt in the players this way is an interesting topic, however whilst it is a strong storytelling tool, it still begs the question "why did I play this game in the first place?" And the games answer might be completely different from our own, creating a sort of desynchronisation between the player, and their Icon in the game.
I forgot that we do use every single part of the monster for food, weapons and/or armor, but the reality is did we really need to hunt them in the first place? If not, then we don't really need their materials for weapons and armor in the first place!
DeleteThe rationale is for "research" so hunting them when they're almost dead and capturing them (or killing them outright) is the best way of understanding them. This makes every single real-life field researcher cringe.
I agree with you, that in the old days, hunters hunted for food and used everything for clothing out of necessity. I think today, there's no need to eat meat as we can get protein and vit B12 sources from non-animal products. However, that being said I do eat meat and dairy products, and wear leather shoes, which is not ideal.
I think Dark Souls makes sense b/c the undead hero is an anti-hero and shows how far someone can go to reach their goals. When you attack Lord Blade Ciaran for her weapon, during the fight, she says how the hero just takes things without remorse, which really sums up the awfulness of the chosen undead.