Monster Hunter Now gives Capcom’s series a Pokémon Go treatment
Capcom and Niantic have announced a new partnership: Monster Hunter nowa “real-world hunting action role-playing game” for mobile devices that combines an accessible version of Classic Monster Hunter gameplay with the familiar augmented reality framework from Niantic’s cult hit, Pokémon go. It will launch in September on Android and iOS platforms, with beta testing starting on April 25. Registration for beta testing is open at Monster Hunter now website.
Monster Hunter now Players will be able to find real-world monsters and materials as they roam around with their phones, team up with friends and strangers to hunt those monsters, and craft weapons. and armor.
Niantic’s product manager, Kei Kawai, said: “The concept of majestic monsters roaming the streets is as compelling as a real-world game. The idea of an augmented reality Monster Hunter game was so undisputed that, Kawai boasted, Capcom accepted Niantic’s offer on first meeting. The game is in development at Niantic’s Tokyo studio. It will be free to play, supporting in-app purchases.
Niantic and Capcom introduced what they say is a simple but realistic version of the fighting in the Monster Hunter series, using touch and swipe gestures on the touchscreen. The game will be playable with one hand in portrait mode or in a landscape presentation close to the Monster Hunter games on console and PC. The maximum battle time is only 75 seconds, suitable for outdoor play; Niantic senior producer Sakae Osumi said the developer’s goal was to capture all the fun and challenges of Monster Hunter battles in this short amount of time. The series’ special, gameplay-changing weapon classes remain, but players should switch between them more often. “We hope users will try different weapons,” said Tatsuo Nomura, chief executive officer of Niantic Tokyo.
Niantic waypoints — local points of interest defined by the Niantic community — become resource gathering points in Monster Hunter nowwhile the player’s real-world environment is divided into different ecozones, with different types of monsters and materials appearing in each zone.
Players can use a “paint ball” item to tag monsters encountered in the real world to hunt at home, alone or with friends. Plus, their cute, feline-like Palico companions can automatically tag monsters with a paintball, even when the app is closed, to collect later hunts.
When asked about competitive multiplayer and possible integration with the main Monster Hunter games, Niantic said it couldn’t help but comment, but Kawai encouraged fans to “stay tuned.”
Niantic made several attempts to reproduce the victory Pokémon go formulations with other attributes, with limited success. Pikmin flowerwith Nintendo, achieved modest success, but a high reputation Harry Potter: The Best Wizard Has been closed after less than three years of operation.
Monster Hunter isn’t as popular as Harry Potter, but the game’s sales have grown steadily over the past two decades to the point where it’s become Capcom’s Biggest Franchise. In Japan, where Monster Hunter now under development, the series has always been popular and associated with handheld games. And the franchise is arguably better suited to augmented reality gameplay than any other game since Pokémon.
“I really believe we’ve got a hit,” Kawai said. “We want this game to last a long time.”