I really don't know how to feel about MH. It's a franchise built on fanhype by recycling old monsters because they haven't been in the most recent game or two, so they just drag-drop the old model in and woah! Amazing!
On the other hand, it's one of the few modern coop games that has a 'trifecta' kind of gameplay. You can be "that gun dude" or "the cool support guy", and really bring something unique to each fight. With the sling getting so many new functions, those unique angles are sort of gone. Also with the new layer of depth on the Switch MH game, where you have like 2-3 fighting styles to each weapon. It becomes so many degrees of customization, that it goes from "that hammer dude who is good at stunning" to "what 50 things can you do, again?".
All that said, I'd really like to replay it as a solo Dark Souls game. It feels rewarding to solo a monster, but MH:W being my first game, I also legitimately got angry for the first time in years at a game. You need to get so used to the game and AI to have a remote chance, that I basically needed help after 3-4 large monsters on my first playthrough, as everyone else picked a ranged weapon and just rolled through it FPS-style. MH is a unique franchise, and equally as autistic as souls. I'll always hate it for celebrating rehashing though.
Gunlance is so satisfying, and I fucking hate everything MH:W. Sticking the stick grenade thing in the face of a monster first thing and seeing the head get shot off, or just simply doing the infinite reload combo and equally blast them to shit. It's also very satisfying to just straight up block a hard-hitting attack.
Though, in my constant need for validation, you feel worthless if you're not actively tanking, and if you have bad luck, you never get even a single combo off and you're basically worthless. It's a hit-or-miss kind of weapon, but aesthetics are on point.
