Monster Hunter Now

Monster Hunter Now is a mobile spin-off of the Monster Hunter series, making use of augmented reality. Just like Ingress, Pokemon GO and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, it was developed by Niantic, this time with input from Capcom.

Mechanics

Gameplay-wise, Monster Hunter Now is similar to Niantic's previous games. The player explores the real world and searches for interactions on the virtual map. In this case, these interactions are monsters known from Monster Hunter, such as Rathalos, Great Jagras and Pukei-Pukei.

MHN reuses many features from Pokemon GO, though there are important differences between the two games as well. Fighting monsters, though still based on tapping & flicking on the screen, has more in common with the combat of Monster Hunter than the Pokemon catching of PO GO.

Players wield various weapons, such as swords, axes and crossbows, often needing to dodge the attacks of huge enemies. They must also upgrade or replace their gear to handle more powerful beasts.

Monster Hunter Now also introduces the monster tagging feature, letting us lure encountered monsters and fight them in different locations. Players can do this manually, but it works even when the app's turned off thanks to Palico, the player character's cat-like companion.

Game modes

Monster Hunter Now is a purely online game. Singleplayer is possible, but the game emphasizes co-operation.

Technical aspects

Visually, MHN retains the artstyle of the series' main installments, adapted for mobile devices.