MrCHUP0N

DISCLAIMER: I should probably note that playing a game for review and playing a game for your own entertainment are two very different things. The reason why I am disclaiming this should be apparent from the post below, but I just wanted to clear that up. Part of our job is to review a game keeping in mind that the average player is not going to marathon through a game to meet a deadline, nitpicking as s/he goes through it. So when I say I hate a game, that doesn't necessarily mean it's truly a very bad game and that it'll get a low score. Ok, I've done my duty...

I never thought I'd do it, but I did. I mention this on my Trilobyte (which is currently being uploaded as I type this; check the RSS feed at noon EST), but I was playing Monster Hunter Freedom: Unite and I failed another mission twice in a row. I realize I'm not the best of gamers out there, but I'm pretty sure I should be able to take on a monster in a ROOKIE RANKED HUNTING MISSION.

Are you kidding me? This is now over 5 total hours that I've wasted dying and not making any progress in this game. There MUST be something I'm missing. They didn't include a manual with the review copies they sent That Other Site, so when Justin Calvert sent me the UMD I had to fend for myself. Now, there's a pages-long in-game manual in the form of a "Hunter's Magazine" (of course, they have to keep everything in character) so I guess I'll just have to read through that thing. All 100+ pages of it spread out across all of its sections. Complete bummer.

In any case, after the second hunting failure last night, I chucked my PSP out of frustration. I was conscious of what I was about to do, though, so--and thankfully my hotel room had 2 full-sized beds--I aimed it at the other bed and winged it REALLY hard. It kinda bounced straight up, and then just landed on the edge of the bed...right before sliding off and landing on the carpeted floor with a thud.

I don't care. I thought, "Right now I hate this game, and it'll be an excuse to upgrade my PSP if it breaks." But it didn't break. Dammit.

I hate this game.