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Capcom's monster hunting sequel on PSP has great potential, but falls painfully short.

Monster Hunter Freedom 2 has a lot in common with its predecessor. The first Monster Hunter game on the PlayStation Portable packed in a ton of content, with an endless list of quests, weapons, and armor pieces for players to complete and collect. The sequel has the same meaty content, along with the first game’s beautiful graphics and excellent prehistoric visual aesthetic.

Unfortunately, the sequel inherits a lot of the awkward design choices and frustrations that the first game possessed. In the end, the most prominent theme held over from the first game is a tough one for any gamer to swallow: missed opportunity.

In concept, Monster Hunter sounds like a perfect fit for a portable game. An action-RPG with a deep pool of quests and equipment upgrades? Short missions, perfect for 15-20 minute play sessions? How could it go wrong?

In execution. True, Monster Hunter Freedom 2 has a ton of different weapons, 11 in total. Whereas the original game’s weapons were all different, players would find themselves wishing for a happy medium sometimes. Enter the new tools of the hunt, such as the awesome Gunlance and the weird Hunting Horn, which functions like a blunt Big Sword but also plays songs that enhance players’ abilities.

A lot of the weapons and armor pieces are recycled from the first game, but there is plenty of new content here, as well as new items to be used in the game’s crafting system. Unfortunately, it is almost more difficult to craft new items or armor now than it was in the first game, since the gamers will use the same obtuse system that gives no recipes or hints for the myriad items that can be created. Also, to create new weapons or armor, the player does not have to have the ingredients in their inventory, but to combine items to make more powerful items, the player must be carrying the components on their person. The game also does not explain to you that armor and weapon parts can be left in storage, so players can waste a lot of time hauling things around the town that serves as a hub between missions.