Since the series started way back in 2004, the Monster Hunter series has learned plenty of new tricks. The most recent entries have done a lot to speed up the series’ proven (and deep!) action RPG systems. Monster Hunter World

It is important to say upfront that the large landmass here (called the “New World”) isn’t an open world, but it still has a lot going for it and, most importantly, it finally does away with zoning -- the brief, action-breaking loading screen that greeted players whenever they wandered between the segmented zones of previous MH games. The fact that the world is so seamless is immediately noticeable, and there’s a staggering amount of detail that other large-scale action RPG games have taken advantage of for years.

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But MH World adds its own clever ideas to make the ecosystem feel alive. I watched hands-off demo of the new Monster Hunter in a closed theater at the Capcom booth and here are some of the things I observed:

The Quest Giver was fully voiced in English, and she sent the hunter on a quest to hunt an Anjanath, the T-rex-like monster shown in the reveal.

Hunters can quickly pick up resources as they run by, meaning you don’t have to stop and wait for foraging animations.

You can track monsters by finding footprints and other clues left in the environment. The Anjanath has a strong sense of smell, and it left spots of sticky mucus on trees and other surfaces to mark its territory. You can use a pack of glowing scout flies to pick up on these clues and get a bead on the monster’s location. It’s a little convenient, but it should help novice hunters find their prey.

The world felt like a living ecosystem where monsters and creatures reacted to each other. At one point in the demo, I watched as a lizard-like Great Jagrass walk up to another creature and swallow it whole in one horrifyingly slow gulp (it was as gross to watch as it sounds).

The Great Jagrass then made its way back to a nest and regurgitated part of the meal to feed smaller members of the pack could eat.

As expected, the music shifts dramatically from ambient sounds to a full on orchestra when the Hunter encountered the Anjanath. You can use ghillie suits to attract or evade monsters during the hunt.

Hunters can use a crossbow to fire shock knifes or grapple their way out of a bad situation. Our hunter used a traditional Great Sword, but all 14 weapon types will be returning in the game.

Finally, the Great Jagrass interrupted the hunter’s fight with the Anjanath. But the monster assists came with a deadly price; the Anjanath grabbed the other beast by the head with its jaws and slowly wrestled it to the ground to kill it.

A representative for Capcom told us that MH World still supports 4-player co-op right from the start of a quest. If you decided to go solo and run into a seemingly impossible combat situation, you can fire off a flare to summon up to three other players that will drop in and help.

As expected, vines and tree branches sway in the breeze, day-night cycles significantly change the lighting and the mood of the world, and monsters that run away no longer disappear off into the distance. The New World gives monster Hunter the ability to finally shake off decades of limitations, giving it more labyrinthine passages and destructible set pieces that fit naturally into the environment.

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If the E3 reveal trailer for Monster Hunter World left you with mixed feelings, I’m here to tell you that the new game coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PC appears to be making some great strides. Obviously, it's a little early to judge, but there's a lot more information coming. The theater demo I saw showed a lot of promise. Monster Hunter World looks like the culmination of 13 years of slaying giant beasts, and I’m excited to see more from this new entry in the series.

Jose Otero is an editor at IGN and host of Nintendo Voice Chat. You can follow him on Twitter.