Monster Hunter World will bring with it some measure of in-water fighting, but unlike some of the games of the series' past, it won't charge players with fighting underwater. At worst, you'll be fighting against slippery foes in water that's chest deep, which will slow you down and make dodging more difficult, but you won't have to be concerned with three-dimensional aspects of brawling with your head beneath the waves.
As the first Monster Hunter game to come to the PC in the West, Monster Hunter World has a lot to live up to. When it's released in 2018, it will be the latest in a series of beloved games that is hoping to cater to classic Monster Hunter fans and new ones who are unlikely to have tried one of its predecessors. That means ditching one of the more difficult aspects of previous games: underwater battles.
Somewhat divisive in the Monster Hunter community, underwater fights added a few new dynamics to the game. You'd need to be concerned with your depth, dodging up and down as the monster attacks and making sure you're at the right height to attack it in turn. Get it wrong and you're swinging your giant Great Sword at nothing but water.
You also needed to be concerned about air. You could swim for the surface or underwater bubbles, or carry some air philters. If you planned on doing a lot of underwater battles, you might even spec your weapon and armor set to give you a boost to your oxygen.
None of that will be necessary in Monster Hunter World, though as the new trailer shows, you will be taking on underwater beasts. They'll just be in waist deep water at most, nipping their giant maws at your heels.
