Monster Hunter Now players blame “punishing” melee for boosting Bow & Light Bowgun

Monster Hunter Now players want Niantic to buff the game’s “punishing” melee options, with many believing Bow and Light Bowgun are far too strong.

Melee weapons can be incredibly punishing to use in Monster Hunter Now. Unlike Bow and Light Bowgun, which can safely pelt Monsters from afar – melee weapons require Hunters to get up close and personal.

While this isn’t a problem in the mainline series, the limited healing in Monster Hunter Now can make this experience incredibly punishing. This is especially true when fighting tough monsters like Black Diablos.

In fact, one false move can lead to an untimely death and the failure of the hunt entirely. It’s because of this, that players want Niantic to buff the game’s melee options.

Monster Hunter Now players demand melee buffs

“Got to say, farming with Bow is strictly better than Longsword, just so little chance of ever needing potions, whereas Longsword relies on such tight timing that you can accidentally guzzle 5 pots,” said one player. “What a shame because I’d prefer to play Longsword, but the monetization ruins it for long farming sessions.”

It’s certainly hard to deny that ranged weapons like Bow and Light Bowgun are the better option when it comes to decreasing your Potion usage. There’s also the added benefit of being able to continuously target a monster’s weak points for massive damage.

The Monster Hunter Now community also notes how ranged weapons currently don’t feature many clear downsides, which were present in mainline titles.

“I get that this game is a DPS check, but it just so unfavorably punishes melee, especially since stamina isn’t a thing in this game, while Bow users relied on stamina management in the main games.”

This has led to many Hunters calling for Niantic to buff melee and provide them with some added survivability. “I think that a buff to defense if you have a melee weapon, would balance this,” noted one commenter. “But it is Niantic so we either get a range nerf or nothing at all.”