Mobile developer Niantic, arguably best known for developing Pokémon Go, is working on an augmented reality version of Monster Hunter for iOS and Android devices titled Monster Hunt Now.
The game is described as a “real-world hunting RPG” and will see the company team up with Capcom to produce it. Monster Hunt Now pulls elements from the ever-popular Pokémon Go app, with users having to walk around with their phones to find monsters to battle.
Users can also team up with other players and use materials they’ve gathered to build weapons and armour for battle. Additionally, players can tag in-game monsters they encounter to battle them at home or with friends.
We have opened an official Twitter account for Real-world hunting action RPG "Monster Hunter Now" from Niantic and Capcom which announced today!
Service is scheduled to begin in September 2023!🔽Apply for the closed beta test here 🔽 #MHNowhttps://t.co/eP8oR2MGPa pic.twitter.com/g8CwYQmVX3
— Monster Hunter Now (@MH_Now_EN) April 18, 2023
As revealed by Niantic and Capcom at a press briefing, Monster Hunter will be free-to-play and feature in-app purchases. Combat will largely be based on users swiping and tapping their phones to defeat monsters.
Players will also be able to battle in both portrait and landscape mode, with the letter providing the classic Monster Hunter experience from previous PC and console installments of the series.
For mobile gaming optimization, the traditional battles that would normally last five or more minutes will be scrapped in favour of fights that are no longer than 75 seconds. Sakae Osumi, a Niantic senior producer, says the move to shorten the battles is an effort to “encapsulate Monster Hunter’s fun battles within a shorter window of time.”
Niantic is accepting sign-ups for Monster Hunt Now‘s closed beta test, which starts on April 25th. The final product could be released as soon as September 2023, if testing goes as planned.
Image credit: Shutterstock
Source: @MH_Now_EN Via: Engadget
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