From the outside looking in, Monster Hunter may seem like a super serious, heavy proposition. It deals with tiny, fragile human hunters - clad only in light, decorative armor - wanging huge wyverns the size of the Chrysler Building in the delicates with swords, after all. That is, whichever way you slice it, no laughing matter. This is life or death for sure, and death has never looked likelier.
Despite this, and despite the hardcore sensibilities of the players (man, will they turn on you like starved, rabid hyenas if you don’t have the right gear for the quest in a co-op session), Monster Hunter tries not to take itself too seriously. Think of Metal Gear Solid. Kojima’s opus may indulge in melodramatic three-hour cutscenes about nuclear conspiracies, but there’s always a boss fight with a fat dude on rollerskates to break the tension.
Monster Hunter’s fun-loving side tends to be expressed through its weapons. As fans will know, players can choose to wield any one of many weapon classes (sword, lance, hammer, bow, dual blades and more), and keep a selection from all of them to switch between at will. A lot of these are the usual absurd fantasy tropes, like flaming swords and the like, but there are a good amount of joke ones too. Sharq Attack, for instance; a lance which was designed to look exactly like one of the game’s shark-like enemies and made splashing sounds on impact.
In that same spirit, then, Capcom have kicked off a contest to promote the upcoming PS4/Xbox One and PC title, Monster Hunter: World. The Weapon Design Contest is open for entries until August 16, and invites players to create their own implement of destruction. Your entry must fit into one of the currently-existing 14 different weapon types, and, predictably, the winning design will be made available for players to craft in the game.
It’s not the first time Capcom have done this. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate saw its own Weapon Design Contest, which included magnificent designs like Lin Setzekorn’s The Emperor’s Speech (a Hunting Horn with a teeny pig dude inside, which inspired allies with its glorious oinking). That’s the kind of yardstick we’re talking here, friends, so you’d better dig deep if you’re a Monster Hunter fan thinking of submitting.
If that is the case, you’d better head on over to Capcom Unity to take a look at the rules, regulations and so forth. Even if you’re not considering participating, this is one for anyone with any interest in the franchise to keep an eye on. The Monster Hunter community are a talented bunch, and the artwork we’re going to see in this contest is sure to be superb.
If you’re in need of a little inspiration, here’s the Clockwork Contraption, inspired by the US winner of MH4U’s contest.