User blog comment:Mckrongs/Monster Hunter 4 for the Nintendo 3DS/@comment-5091195-20121002215714/@comment-5091195-20121003011848

In response to Demoncide:

It is true that some things might have to change about the way a monster is engaged or how one might flee from it, but I feel like it would add so much depth to the game if you had to not only attack when most advantageous, but also have a plan worked out on how to escape if you should take too much damage. One could argue that "going to the next area" serves the same purpose, but I feel like it also makes the world more disjointed and less immersive, as I said before.

I could imagine a number of ways escapes could be implemented in an open-world system. First, as you said, using the terrain to your advantage by hiding in/behind certain features of the environment to rest for a moment. Perhaps the monster would have to force its way in to the cave you are hiding in, thus giving you time to stop for a moment before it is wrecked and you are on the move again.

Also, once you have been "chased" far enough, the monster could leave you alone. From the monster's perspective, he/she successfully scared off a potential predator and there would be little use in tracking it for miles just to kill it, especially if the monster is a less-aggressive bird wyvern or herbivore. This, of course, could change depending on the monster. I would imagine Tigrex, for example, would never let up, and so one might have to change their battle plan accordingly.

 Finally, more items could be implemented for escape purposes: ropes/grappling hooks to use for climbing quickly to a higher area. Current items could even be re-purposed to give them a more defensive quality—such as flashbombs, felvine bombs, or even meats and traps (a quick-set trap that holds the monster ever-so-briefly to allow for a second more of escape time, for example).

Anyway, the point is that there are a myriad of ways an open-world system could be used that could add even more depth to the series. I was sad that all these new gameplay changes made in MH4 did not include this one, though I am sure the game will still be great.