Waffling on getting MHG

[PrimordialMew24]

I am familiar with this franchise and I would like to know more about the latest installment.

OK my internet sucks big time and online multiplayer is out of the question.
How easy/hard is the single player option?

I'm familiar with MH3U and MH4U, however I'm never able to get very far due to the steep learning curve or excessive difficulty due to the games being multiplayer heavy. In short my question is:
How does MHG compare to the previous two MH games I listed?

I'm not the biggest fan of great graphics if the game play is good to awesome.
Is there any graphical improvements other than lighting and being able to "see" better?

As I stated before I found the learning curve to be steep in the previous two games.
How easy/difficult is it for a MH noob to get into this particular game? Any noob friendly points that are helpful are greatly appreciated.

I know from past experience that you have a helper in the form of Cha-cha and or his rival (I forget his name...) or your custom Palico in solo mode.
How helpful or not is the helper in MHG in solo mode?

I have a New 3DS XL. I have a fairly light touch on the 3DS buttons, no button mashing in fits of rage or excessive force on the C-stick nub.
How well does the C-stick nub work for someone with a "light touch"?

I would also like to know how you the community rate this game.
On a scale of 1-10, one being the worst and ten the best: How do you rate this game and why?

I liked Poogey the little piggy from the previous two installments.
Does Poogey return? I thought I read somewhere that Poogey was being replaced by a dumb llama...

I know I had more questions and it's getting kind of late when if I remember them I'll ask my questions here. In the mean time please answer the questions I have asked. Your honest opinion may be a the difference between me purchasing this game or not.

Thank you for your time in answering all these questions,
PrimordialMew24

 

[Iridium Winter]

How easy/hard is the single player option?
Its (supposedly) a little easier than 4U.

How does MHG compare to the previous two MH games I listed?
I can't say from experience, but it is supposedly easier. It is still a steep learning curve and is multiplayer oriented. However, having veterans of the series provide advice makes it much more bearable instead of you just wondering around aimlessly.

Is there any graphical improvements other than lighting and being able to "see" better?
The colors don't get mixed up nearly as much as they did in 4U and the game looks sharper.

How well does the C-stick nub work for someone with a "light touch"?
It works well, although, personally, I just keep the camera angle at the height I want it and use the ZR/ZL buttons to rotate it.

Does Poogey return? I thought I read somewhere that Poogey was being replaced by a dumb llama...
Poogie and the stupid little llama who shall never be named because its a disgrace to the whole series and I hate it so damn much are both in the game.

Answers are in non-bold (didn't answer all of them, unfortunately).

 

[4771]

WALL OF TEXT ALERT

1. playing Gen in single player will probably be a little bit harder than in 4U, but mostly just bcz many of the monsters have new and unique attacks (ex: G. Maccao's tail attacks, pretty much everything about hororo).
2. to put it simply, Gen is both harder and easier than the last 2 games. some things like the hunting styles and arts can be kinda confusing at first, but other things, like the new upgrade system, make the game a bit easier.
3. other than the much flashier effects, there's not too much of a graphical difference from 4U and Gen.
4. i'd say it's usually pretty easy to understand most of the game, as long as u actually pay attention to what it tells u :T a coupe noob tips i'd give would be 1: ALWAYS use full armor sets unless u can get some actual benefit from mixing the pieces, and 2: don't go crazy and try to keep the monster perma-mounted. unless ur using the aerial hunting style, this will make u do a lot less damage overall, meaning ur wasting ur time just by doing it. another thing is that in Gen, mounting was changed so it's now harder to do a successful mount on ur own.
5. most of the time, the palicos won't help too much bcz of their naturally low damage. unless u get a really good team of them set up, they won't help too much outside of distracting the monster .-. (btw, it was cha-cha and kayamba in 3U)
6. the c-stick is generally pretty responsive, so as long as it doesn't randomly break, u should be fine.
7. i'd probably give Gen an 8-9/10. the only reasons i have for it not being higher is bcz of the missed potential it has, like possibly bringing back more of the monsters people actually remember from the older games.
8. while u don't have ur own pet poogie anymore, it's still in the game at yukomo village \o/

 

[D4rkDragon]

I am familiar with this franchise and I would like to know more about the latest installment.

OK my internet sucks big time and online multiplayer is out of the question.
Q1: How easy/hard is the single player option?

I'm familiar with MH3U and MH4U, however I'm never able to get very far due to the steep learning curve or excessive difficulty due to the games being multiplayer heavy. In short my question is:
Q2: How does MHG compare to the previous two MH games I listed?

I'm not the biggest fan of great graphics if the game play is good to awesome.
Q3: Is there any graphical improvements other than lighting and being able to "see" better?

As I stated before I found the learning curve to be steep in the previous two games.
Q4: How easy/difficult is it for a MH noob to get into this particular game? Any noob friendly points that are helpful are greatly appreciated.

I know from past experience that you have a helper in the form of Cha-cha and or his rival (I forget his name...) or your custom Palico in solo mode.
Q5: How helpful or not is the helper in MHG in solo mode?

I have a New 3DS XL. I have a fairly light touch on the 3DS buttons, no button mashing in fits of rage or excessive force on the C-stick nub.
Q6: How well does the C-stick nub work for someone with a "light touch"?

I would also like to know how you the community rate this game.
Q7: On a scale of 1-10, one being the worst and ten the best: How do you rate this game and why?

I liked Poogey the little piggy from the previous two installments.
Q8: Does Poogey return? I thought I read somewhere that Poogey was being replaced by a dumb llama...

I know I had more questions and it's getting kind of late when if I remember them I'll ask my questions here. In the mean time please answer the questions I have asked. Your honest opinion may be a the difference between me purchasing this game or not.

Thank you for your time in answering all these questions,
PrimordialMew24

Q1: It's ok. I've had some issues with the AI that I didn't had with 4U or even 3U, Portable 3rd, FU and Tri. What I mean is that the AI will sometimes won't let you get up, you'll just get hit until you faint (No matter how I try to time when I get back up). Aside from that, the quests are pretty easy in my opinion, and it rarely occurs, so it's still ok (annoying, but, I think it's bearable).

Q2: Well, no G-Rank, but that was already said all over the Internet. Also, the game runs at 30 FPS even on the New 3DS (and it can fall way below on the Old 3DS, trust me), so if you're adapted to the 60FPS, well, it'll take some time for you to get adapted (those 30 frames in the previous games could make the difference between a survive and a cart for me, hence why I'm listing this as a "difference". But for some, this point may not matter)

Q3: The new particle system looks good, but is the cause of the 30FPS-lock. Aside from that, it's the same engine as 4U, so not many changes. Also, "see" better wouldn't be something I'd use, I often had to use the C-Stick to reposition the camera because of it being stuck in the monster (You're down, and you can't see anything... What to do ?).

Q4: It's ok as well. Just like with any MH-game, ignore the "git gud" people who thinks they're cool because they can get a sub-5 minute run on a Hyper Monster, and you'll be fine. Don't hesitate to replay some quests to learn the monsters' movesets, and the game will grow on you.

Q5: Palicoes felt better in this game for me. Though this feel can change from a player to another.

Q6: I have switched from an Old 3DS XL + Circle Pad Pro to the New 3DS, and the C-Stick actually feels nice, believe it or not.

Q7: 8. Sure, the game has some flaws I've covered before (rare cases of "You won't get up if I touch you once" AI, monsters sometimes positioning themselves as close as they can to the camera...) or not (Monsters switch areas way more often in this one, and... it can get pretty stupid. Imagine going in an area only to have for instance a Kut-Ku do its "rush" attack and leave straight after. You'll encounter this often), but it's still pretty good. (Also, nostalgia, but... spoilers)

Q8: There are 3 Poogies in this game, but I'd be spoiling you. Moofy (the "dumb llama" you're speaking about) only appears in Bherna.