The Monster Hunter franchise is unlike any other action game franchise to date, centering on hunts against fantastical monsters and beasts with gameplay that feels right at home on controller and keyboard/mouse. That experience has never really been translated 1:1 on mobile platforms until Monster Hunter Outlanders, a new free-to-play mobile game developed by TiMi Studio Group and licensed by Capcom. To get some more insights about Monster Hunter Outlanders and the game’s second closed beta test, I had the chance to get an in-depth briefing of what’s to come from game producer Dong Huang.
Monster Hunter Outlanders puts players in the role of Adventurers exploring the new region of Aesoland, where they join forces with friends and companions to uncover the land’s mysteries and hunt iconic monsters from the mainline series. To be more specific, Aesoland is a vast remote island where a mysterious mineral known as Radiantite exists. Radiantite is deeply entwined in the lives of the local inhabitants, including the same monsters you’ll be hunting. As Huang explained, this is where one of the unique components of Monster Hunter Outlanders comes into play.
Monster Hunter Outlanders Shows its Respect to the Mainline Series in Closed Beta Test 2
This past November, gamers had the first chance to try out the mobile Monster Hunter experience in the first Monster Hunter Outlanders closed beta test. This opportunity was more limited in scope and availability for players, but the second closed beta test is where we finally see the bigger picture of what will eventually be available at launch, including gameplay systems, exploration on Aesoland, and the monsters that players will be hunting.
Monster Hunter Outlanders stays true to the gameplay systems of the mainline series, and Huang was sure to reiterate this point clearly. The combo systems, tools, exploration elements, and overall mechanics of Monster Hunter are retained faithfully while adapting two control scheme meant for mobile platforms: Classic Mode and Adventure Mode. Classic Mode is just as it sounds—the tried-and-true weapon and hunting system with specialized skill buttons, including attacking and attacking.
Adventure Mode caters newcomers to the series and players who don’t typically play mobile games. This setting consolidates all the controls into just three core buttons: Attack, Defensive, and the new Burst mechanic. Whichever option you pick, Monster Hunter Outlanders still plays out like you’d expect in a typical Monster Hunter game, along with some clear feedback like visual and prominent indicators. That core experience is preserved for mobile, but there are also plenty of tools (BBQ included) to aid you, such as the Auto-Focus Camera for directional aim assist and the Precise Part Lock-On to target specific monster body parts mid-hunt.
As the Fated Adventurer, players can enjoy a solo experience or team up with up to three fellow Adventurers to take on expeditions, Arena Quests, and other hunt-based content. Players can freely explore the world and experience what Aesoland’s atmosphere and ecosystem has to offer. During expeditions, you can expect to craft items and field facilities in order to navigate more effectively. It’s worth noting that the locales and areas you’ll visit in expeditions are not entirely seamless like those found in Monster Hunter Wilds. Instead, the areas are segmented to allow for the full graphical fidelity of the game to be on display, similar to Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate for its time.
Not only can player customize their character’s appearance, but the Fated Adventurer also has access to every weapon type in the game, all of which are returning favorites. The second closed beta test gives you access to six weapon types to try out: Great Sword, Long Sword, Dual Blades, Bow, Heavy Bowgun, and Lance.
If you’ve played Monster Hunter, most of what I’ve explained should be second nature up to this point. You’ll have the opportunity to get used to the aforementioned controls and form your own opinion if you were selected for the second closed beta test. There’s plenty of new content in Monster Hunter Outlanders that sets it apart, however.
What’s New in Monster Hunter Outlanders
As Fated Adventurers, players will experience that content in Monster Hunter Outlanders is laid out differently than you’d might expect, but there are still some similarities here that won’t scare away returning players. If you’re a fan of challenging content in Monster Hunter, such as High Rank and Tempered Monsters, you’ll find an equivalent here, one way or another.
The closed beta test will give players access to two distinct areas of Aesoland—Giantwood Locale and Searing Plains. Players can build and explore these locations and interact with the world, both through hunts and general exploration. Huang teased that there are special items and key quest clues to uncover as you explore, and there are also outdoor exploration events to encounter, including Zen Stone Balance, Gliding Challenge, and Egg Heist Challenge. From the surface, it seems like these events offer some spontaneous fun as you explore the locales, all of which you can experience in the second closed beta test.
Solo Trial is a challenging mode that brings high-difficulty and repeatable monster hunts, including Monster Arena, Crisis Hunt, and Trial Expedition. Squad Co-Op presents challenges for four-player squads to take on, including daily content and weekly challenges with “Normal” and “Dangerous” modes. Squad Co-Op brings its own Co-Op Rank, so there are additional rewards to chase after as you climb up the leaderboards.
Many beloved monsters from the Monster Hunter series will be making their return, but there will also be exclusive Radiant Monsters. Radiant Monsters are the product of a mysterious substance found on Aesoland, transforming certain monsters in both appearance and ability. They’re feared and respected for their aggression, and they can even become frenzied. Some examples include Radiant Diablos, Radiant Anjanath, Radiant Barroth, Radiant Rathian, and Radiant Pukei-Pukei.
The 4-player co-op mode brings its own “Co-Op Skill,” which was introduced by the developers to encourage stronger coordination between players during hunts. By timing attacks and striking the same monster parts together, squads can deal significant damage. The closed beta test will certainly be the place to test this feature out and see how it turns out in combat before launch.
The Gathering Hub and its online features make a return, but there’s also guilds to consider. Players can join guilds and take part in guild-specific activities, so there’s already a sense of community that Monster Hunter fans should be happy about. For example, there are weekly guild-based multiplayer speedrun challenges that will be open at specific times. Guildmates can hunt down target monsters and compete against other squads from rival guilds to get the fastest clear times and contribute points for the guild’s ranking. Away from the hunts, players can even engage in Dance Night Party, a 10-minute dance-off with guildmates.
The Free-to-Play Components
As a free-to-play title, Monster Hunter Outlanders includes a unique roster of Adventurers that will accompany the Fated Adventurer. Unlike the protagonist, Adventurers have one of three set roles: “Disruptor,” “Assault,” and Support.” Disruptors can control monsters and apply debuffs, Assault focuses on dealing high damage, and Support buffs, heals, and rescues allies. Adventurers also have their own specialized weapons that fall into the franchise’s established weapon types, along with personalized techniques. Players can optimally configure the Fated Adventurer’s squad with these Adventurers to conquer some of the game’s hardest challenges.
In addition to Adventurers, classic Palico from the Monster Hunter series make their return as trustful companions for players. There will also be two new buddies: the monkey-like Rutaco and avian Trillan. Each Palico, Rutaco, and Trillan has their own unique personality, appearance, and abilities. Players can train them to develop into dependable hunting partners, and like Adventurers, buddies fall into specific roles. Palicos assist Assault Adventurers, Rutacos assist Disruptor Adventurers, and Trillan assist Support Adventurers.
As a free-to-play, live-service mobile game, Monster Hunter Outlanders will be continuously updated with new content over time. There will also be purchasable cosmetics, but Huang profoundly assured that important content will not be behind a paywall, and there will be no pay-to-win advantages to gain at all. The development team played Monster Hunter Outlanders from the perspective of Monster Hunter fans who play the mainline games for what they are, so players can enjoy and get the full experience without needing to spend a single penny.
That being said, Monster Hunter Outlanders will still have characteristics that make it fall in line with other mobile games and live-service titles. There will be a Season System that offers ranked challenges across the Expedition, Solo Trial, Co-Op, and Honorable Showdown modes. We didn’t get details on the Honorable Showdown mode, but there’s plenty of incentives to play for during the season. Completing ranked challenges earns points to increase the rank level, each of which grants rewards. You only need to focus on 2 of the four modes, so you don’t need to grind excessively, either.
Daily quests will also be available in the form of Adventure Proposals. Six Adventure Proposals will be available every day, all of which correspond with the game’s main modes. Completing these quests contributes toward Daily and Weekly Activity progress to unlock additional milestone rewards.
Monster Hunter Outlanders is Shaping Up to be a Familiar but Refreshing Monster Hunter Game
Monster Hunter Outlanders is extremely promising as a game, but there’s so much more that’s left to be discovered and seen. The Monster Hunter Outlanders second closed beta test will be give players access to beginner and high-difficulty content, including the aforementioned Radiant Monsters, and it will be available across many key regions, including Mainland China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. As a result, there’s going to be many interesting opinions and thoughts about Monster Hunter Outlanders and what it brings to fans. One thing seems certain though: Monster Hunter Outlanders is a faithful Monster Hunter game that has the elements that makes mobile games engaging if done right.
Monster Hunter Outlanders will fully launch on Android and iOS at a later date.
