Niantic has finally shared new details on the anticipated Monster Hunter Now game. The game, which was announced back in March this year, has been undergoing playtesting in the past few months and the developer is getting ready to roll the app out globally in September.
Monster Hunter Now will release in all regions for iOS and Android on 14 September. The game is an AR experience where players explore the world around them and hunt down iconic monsters from the video game series.
READ MORE – Mortal Kombat 1 Pre-Order Beta Date and Content Announced
Along with the release date, Niantic also shared some gameplay for the app. During the presentation (below), you can get a good glimpse at the game’s mechanics and even the hunts. Hunts are easily joinable by up to four players. So when you find a monster in the world, you simply open up the party and let other players join in.
The general combat style is similar to the video game series. Players rush the monster and attack using their equipped weapons. It does look a bit spammy and similar to Pokemon Go’s combat. However, it also seems like players have more freedom to perform special moves and dodge.
Players have 75 seconds to take down a standard monster in Monster Hunter Now. You can also equip a range of weapons which will be familiar to those who play the video game. There’s a Sword & Shield, Great Sword, Long Sword, Hammer, Light Bowgun and Bow.
Of course, there are other activities you can undertake in the game which come in the form of structures similar to the Poke Stops in Pokemon Go. Niantic hasn’t shared any details on that just yet. We also don’t know much about the game’s core mechanics such as levelling up, gear and other items.
We do know that at launch, Monster Hunter Now will feature 13 monsters. These include Great Jagras, Kulu-Ya-Ku, Pukei-Pukei, Barroth, Great Girros, Tobi-Kadachi, Jyuratodus, Paolumu, Anjanath, Rathian, Legiana, Rathalos and Diablos. Niantic plans on releasing more as the months go by.
Sign-ups are now open for Monster Hunter Now across iOS and Android ahead of the 14 September release. The developer will reward players with a set number of items and incentives depending on how many sign-ups take place before the global release. The aim is to get 15 million pre-registrations which will grant players 10k Zenny, an Item Box Expansion and other goodies.
- 500,000 pre-registrations – Potion x10 & Paintball x3
- 1,000,000 pre-registrations – Founder Medal & Wander Pebble x3
- 2,000,000 pre-registrations – Special Pre-Order Makeup x2 & Item Box Expansion +500
- 3,000,000 pre-registrations – Special Pre-Order Makeup x2 & Double Rewards Ticket x3
- 5,000,000 pre-registrations – 10k Zenny & Item Box Expansion +500
(Item names and icons are subject to change)
You can sign up for Monster Hunter Now by visiting the link here and choosing the platform you play on. Watch the showcase down below. It is quite long so I have time-stamped it where the actual gameplay starts.
