People seem to forget about the one major element that separates this from most other MH clones: the inclusion of PVP.
As far as I know, no other game in this genre offers PVP. While I'm no longer a fan of the standard MH formula, I think this game will be different enough for me to enjoy it (much like Soul Sacrifice was). I already preordered my copy. It's $30 everywhere I think, so it's worth a shot in my opinion.