Capcom reveals breathtaking coral Monster Hunter: World environment ahead of Xbox and PC launch

Today, the developer put out a short walkthrough highlighting the mysterious yet deadly Coral Highlands. Unlike other areas in the game, the Coral Highlands are mostly hidden and haven't been showcased extensively in the past. The region appears to be a colossal coral reef which somehow survives out of water. The towering organisms are almost plant-like in nature instead of what you would normally find in the ocean. As beautiful as it looks, the Coral Highlands are teeming with some of the most dangerous monsters you'll encounter in the game. Try not to let the scenery distract you from the task at hand.

The purpose of Monster Hunter: World is to simply battle gigantic monsters in epic locales. As a hunter, you'll take on quests to hunt increasing difficult creatures in a variety of exotic habitats. Players who take down these monsters receive materials that can be used to create stronger weapons and armor in order to hunt even more dangerous monsters. The cycle goes on and on.

Once every decade, monsters known "Elder Dragons" trek across the sea to travel to the land known as the New World in a migration referred to as the "Elder Crossing". To get to the bottom of this mysterious phenomenon, the Guild has formed the Research Commission, dispatching them in large fleets to the New World. As the Commission sends its Fifth Fleet in pursuit of the colossal elder dragon known as Zorah Magdaros, one hunter — you — embarks on a journey grander than anything they could have ever imagined.

Monster Hunter: World launches on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in a few weeks on January 26, 2018. A PC version is scheduled for Fall 2018 as well. The Monster Hunter franchise started off on the PlayStation 2 in 2004 but then surprisingly became a Nintendo exclusive for many years. Games like Monster Hunter Tri, Monster Hunter 4, and even Monster Hunter Generations were only available on systems like the Nintendo Wii or Nintendo 3DS.

Luckily, that's changing this year because this is the first time the legendary franchise is making its way to an Xbox console. Monster Hunter: World features Xbox One X support so the visuals should look better than ever. The exact nature of the upgrade is unclear at this point.

Monster Hunter is regarded as a legendary franchise so here's hoping that Monster Hunter: World lives up to expectations. Be sure to keep an eye out for our review towards the end of this month. If you can't wait for that, be sure to preorder the game for Xbox One.

• See at Microsoft Store
• See at Amazon

Keep an eye on WindowsCentral.com/Gaming for all the latest in Xbox and Windows 10 gaming, accessories, news, and reviews!