The Monster Hunter series will jump to the mobile platform with Monster Hunter Now. Similar to another Niantic’s famous game, Pokemon Go, the game will become a location-based game launching in September 2023.
This game will be developed and published by Niantic for iOS and Android. Players could register for the beta test on Tuesday, April 25.
Monster Hunter Now takes inspiration from the successful formula of previous Niantic titles, like Pokémon Go, by incorporating the placement of series’ monsters in the real world via the in-game map. Niantic’s chief product officer, Kei Kawai, highlighted that Monster Hunter is a “perfectly natural fit” for the company’s style of games during a press briefing.
“The series is all about collecting with friends, playing as a family, and making new friends. That’s been a really important part of the IP for nearly two decades. The notion of majestic monsters roaming around the neighbourhood and cities was extremely compelling as a new real-world game.” Says Kei to GamesIndustry.
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Series producer of Monster Hunter, Ryozo Tsujimoto, expressed his excitement about the collaboration with Niantic by stating, “We are very pleased to be working with Niantic, who has the best AR technology in the world, to bring you a completely new Monster Hunter game. I can still remember when Niantic told me about this project, I immediately said ‘Let’s do it’ without giving it a second thought.”
Niantic is putting a strong emphasis on multiplayer gameplay in Monster Hunter Now, just as in the main Monster Hunter series. The company hopes that players will team up with others in their vicinity to take down formidable monsters together.
Interestingly, Niantic has made efforts to distinguish this game from Pokémon Go. In this iteration, players can still engage in battles with monsters in augmented reality (AR) mode, where the monsters are superimposed over the real-world surroundings. However, the game’s map has been divided into various ecological zones, which determine the background visuals when players are not using AR mode. This distinction sets the game apart from Pokémon Go and adds a unique gameplay element to the game.
The game’s controls are intentionally designed to be accessible, utilizing “tap and flick” mechanics for battles, instead of virtual buttons. This approach aims to provide players with an intuitive and easy-to-use control scheme, allowing them to engage in battles with monsters using simple gestures, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
The game has been in development for nearly four years, starting from Niantic’s initial proposal to Capcom in March 2019 to collaborate on a Monster Hunter game.
