Niantic is working with a different kind of monster for its next release. The studio, best known for pokemon goannounced a partnership with Capcom to create a title based on the Monster Hunter franchise. The new game is called Monster hunter nowand it aims to take the core of that series – you know, monster hunting – and turn it into the kind of real-world, augmented reality experience Niantic is known for.
Gameplay specs were light (Niantic says more details will be available when the closed beta launches in the near future), but it looks like Monster hunter now will follow a somewhat familiar formula. The premise is that the Monster Hunter the universe has somehow seeped into our world and players can encounter monsters, along with various resources, on a real world map.
The twist, it seems, is that the game will use the same gameplay cycle as that one Monster Hunter is known for. By hunting monsters, players earn various materials, which can be used to craft better weapons and armor, which can in turn be used to hunt even more challenging monsters. Combat has always been an important part of MonHunwith long, sometimes exhausting battles, and just like in the main console game, you can hunt with friends in Now. But the mobile game also condenses quite a bit; battles last up to 75 seconds. “We wanted to make the combat element simple and intuitive, but still hard to master,” explained Sakae Osumi, senior producer at Niantic’s Tokyo studio, at a press conference.
Another unique feature: players can hit monsters with a paintball on the go and tag them so they can be fought at home or at another location. And yes, the cute Palico companion creatures will be present in the game. “We worked closely with Capcom to create an experience that captures the incredible legacy of Monster Huntersaid John Hanke, CEO of Niantic. Ryozo Tsujimoto, producer of the Monster Hunter franchise, described the development as a “close collaboration” between the two companies.
You can get an idea of the gameplay in this series of screenshots:
Since the resounding success of pokemon go, Niantic has teamed up with some notable names for licensed real-world games. That includes the likes of NBA All World And Picmin Bloomand since then projects with shutters like Harry Potter: Wizards unite. None have proven to be the same kind of hit as pokemon, however, and last June Niantic halted several projects in development and laid off eight percent of its staff. The developer is also working on its own original virtual pet game, peridotwhich is expected to launch in May.
Monster Huntermeanwhile, is as popular as it’s ever been, with 2018’s Monster Hunter: World became Capcom’s best-selling game ever and a live-action film premiering in 2020.
Niantic says so Monster hunter now will launch in September on both iOS and Android.
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