Monster Hunter Now" Review] Let's go hunting in the real world! Enjoy a location-based game and intense action with "Monster Hunter Now"!

The smartphone app "Monster Hunter Now" became available on September 14, 2023. Monster Hunter" and Niantic, known for location-based games such as "Pokémon GO" and "Ingress," have teamed up to allow users to hunt monsters while adventuring in the real world.

Location-based games use the real world as the game map, and players actually move from place to place to complete their assigned quests. In this genre, "Pokémon GO," in which players capture Pokémon that appear in the real world, is world-famous, and the game has been popular with a wide range of players since its launch in 2016.

Developed by Niantic, the developer of "Pokémon GO," the location-based game of "Monster Hunter" ("MonHun") is "Monster Hunter Now," which just started service on September 14, 2023.

In this game, monsters from "Monster Hunter" appear in the real world through AR. Players become hunters who hunt the monsters and explore the cause with the series' mascot, the little beastman Otomo Airou, and the senior hunter Quariri.

Once the application is launched on a smartphone, the surroundings are transformed into the familiar "forest," "desert," and "swamp" areas of "MonHun. The familiar landscape becomes like the world of "MonHun," and the sight of monsters appearing here and there makes you feel as if our world and "MonHun" are one and the same.

The game flow is similar to that of "MonHun": hunt monsters to obtain scales and fangs, collect ores and insects at gathering points, and use these materials to strengthen your armor to achieve even greater heights. ...... The main difference is that you have to actually walk to the monsters and gathering points. In other words, walking provides rewards such as monster hunting and materials, and this is what motivates the player.

This makes it possible to enjoy not only traveling for work, but also going out on a daily basis, changing the route to and from work, and collecting as much as possible. This is not only a video game-like experience, but also a life-hack-like experience in which you can control your own motivation. I have been playing "Pokémon GO" for about five years, and I have no experience with location-based games, but this is what I can do, so I think beginners of this genre and "MonHun" fans will be hooked.

In the "MonHun" series, the materials obtained vary depending on the terrain, and in this title, too, there are quests that target specific terrain, such as "hunt x number of monsters in the swamp. However, the terrain around you changes daily, so if you are on a holiday, it would be interesting to venture out and explore. In this way, the appeal of "Monster Hunter Now" and location-based games is that they can change your everyday life.

It is also interesting to note that local landmarks and historic sites in the city are also foraging points in this game (if you have experience with "Pokémon GO," it will be easier to understand if you describe the gyms in this game as foraging points). (If you have experience with "Pokémon GO," you can easily understand that the gyms in this game are foraging points.) Rare materials are needed to enhance weapons, and it is a "MonHun"-like experience to be happy when you get such materials.

The main attraction of "MonHun" is the action-packed hunting experience of confronting huge monsters with just one body. Of course, "Monster Hunter Now" recreates this aspect of the game.

Tap a monster around you to start hunting. The player attacks the monster with a one-handed sword, large sword, hammer, dagger, light bowgun, or bow, and when the monster's health is reduced to zero within the time limit, the hunt is successful and the player obtains the necessary materials. If you collect materials, you can make weapons, and if you strengthen them, you can increase attack and defense power, and obtain special abilities such as "skills" and the great "SP skill" (see below). In other words, hunting is important to become stronger.

Hunting operation is simple. Tap anywhere on the screen to attack, flick to evade, and press and hold to perform special actions such as guarding and pooling. There is no virtual pad, and the only buttons are "Recover" and "SP Skill (see below). However, the controls are easy to use, and even if a monster is far away, tapping the screen will automatically close the distance and attack, providing a hunting experience optimized for smartphones. Despite this arrangement, the characteristics of each weapon are well reproduced, so fans of the series should be able to enjoy the game without any discomfort. The game is a "MonHun"-style game of anticipating the monster's moves, avoiding its attacks, and using those opportunities to attack. One of the most impressive features is the "Just Evade" system. If you draw a monster's attack to the very edge and evade at the right moment, you can "Just Evade" and deliver a powerful blow next time. It is similar to the "Bushido Style" in "Monster Hunter Cross," and if you can successfully execute it when hunting with strong monsters, you will feel intoxicated with yourself.

The monster's body glows red when it attacks, so once you get used to it, you will soon be able to enjoy the thrill of hunting. The system of destroying a part of a monster's body by focusing your attack on it and destroying it will increase your reward. The exhilaration of successfully destroying a part of a monster's body with a well-aimed blow is truly exhilarating. Aiming at various parts of the monster in order to obtain rare materials is a fun and technical experience.

The following is a description of each weapon. Techniques without an asterisk (*) are tentative names given by the author because their official names are unknown. Please understand.

One-handed sword: A basic yet profound weapon that can be used flexibly for quick attacks and guarding.

Initial equipment in this work. It is easy to use because it can unleash a series of attacks with a tap and has a small gap. It can also be guarded by holding it down to survive a monster's blow. Its reach is short, and its weakness is that it sometimes misses the target.

Just Evade: Powerful Strike

This is a horizontal Nagini-strike that seems to be based on the series' well-known "spinning slash" motif. Its high attack power, combined with the sword's inherent number of hands, makes it powerful.

SP Skill: "Just Rush Combo

A series of attacks that seem to be inspired by the Just Rush from "Monster Hunter World: Iceborn". It has a short reach, so it can end up swinging in the air.

Large sword: A heavyweight weapon that strikes a powerful blow in a pool.

A huge sword as tall as the user is used to deliver heavy attacks. It has both a long reach and attack power, but the attack speed itself is slow. The sword can be held down to build up its power, and when released, it delivers a powerful tame slash. Unfortunately, it cannot be guarded, but it is nice to see that the strong tamekizashi and true tamekizashi are reproduced.

Just Evade: Quick Tamezan

The tame slash is performed instantly. Useful for a quick counterattack.

SP Skill: "True Tame Slash

A more powerful tame slash than the strong tame slash, slashing at the monster.

Hammer: A technical firepower weapon that uses a variety of tames

The hammer's attack speed is slow, but its power is intense. A major feature of the hammer is that it can stun a monster if you keep hitting it in the head. The hammer is a weapon that can be used in a variety of ways, from a quick strike to a powerful blow, depending on the stage of the pooling process. While in tame, you are defenseless, but you can evade, so it is important to make the right decision to abandon tame depending on the situation, which is typical of "MonHun".

Just evasion: Quick ticking up

Normally, the hammer is slow and sluggish, but only after just evading can it unleash a quick strike.

SP Skill: "Spinning Attack

In other series, this is a spinning attack that can be performed from the maximum tame. In the main series, it is a technique that is full of gaps and can be dangerous to the user, but in this series, it is invincible throughout the body, making it very reliable.

Tachi: A technical weapon that slashes at the enemy while dodging gracefully.

The sword is a weapon that is quick, can be used in a number of ways, and has a long reach. Slashing in succession increases the Neriki Gauge, which also increases attack power, but it decreases when damage is taken. Press and hold to sheathe the sword and draw the monster's attack to activate the counter iai kiri. It is a maniacal weapon with a set of technical controls, such as the familiar down-flick after an attack to produce a downward slash.

Just Evade: Quick Strike

The "Neriki Gauge" rises at once, making the attack from this point on a furious wave of attacks feel good.

SP Skill: "Kiabane Kabutowari".

Slashes at monsters from the air. As in the main story, this is a great move that is a must-kill.

Light Bowgun: A long-range weapon that switches between bullets and standing.

Able to fire bullets and perform long-range attacks. It can attack unilaterally from a distance, but the firing speed itself is somewhat slow. It fires in rapid succession by holding down the button. As in recent works, there is no armor for gunners, so it can be used casually. It is also significant that there is no cost for bullets in this work. Each time he shoots out a bullet, he reloads a different type of bullet. Conversely, you cannot switch bullets until you have shot them all, so you must switch your stance according to the current bullets.

Just Evade: Reloading

Reload without changing bullet types. If you want to use a different bullet, you can choose not to just evade.

SP Skill: "Counterattack Dragon Bullet

Shoots a special bullet that explodes forward. Like other SP skills, it is invincible throughout the body, so it is possible to pull it back and shoot it so that it does not miss.

Bow: A long-range weapon that shoots arrows at monsters while maintaining a distance that is neither too far nor too close.

Another long-range weapon, it shoots various arrows by holding it down and accumulating power. The type of arrow and its compatibility as well as the attack power must be taken into consideration when choosing a bow. The "charge step," which allows the user to evade while accumulating arrows, has also been recreated, allowing the user to attack while moving around as nimbly as in the original game. As with the light bowgun, the system that increases the attack power when the player is neither too far nor too close has also been recreated.

Just Evade: Counterattack Arrow

Quickly fires an arrow. Since it does not require a pause, it is useful for a counterattack at a moment's notice.

SP Skill: "Dragon's Arrow

This skill seems to be based on the technique of the same name from "Monster Hunter: World" and fires a powerful arrow that pierces through monsters.

The fact that the monster's blow hurts is also typical of "MonHun. As the scenario progresses, the monsters that appear in the game become more and more powerful, and sometimes a single blow can take all of their strength. Monsters from newer titles such as "Krulljak," "Dos Jagras," and "Dos Gilos" appear, not to mention "Rioreus," "Rioreia," and "Diablos," all of which are synonymous with the series. The same monsters are ranked "★," "★★," and "★★★," with higher-ranked monsters coming at the hunter with more diverse attack patterns. The series' traditional time limit is still in effect, and in this title, the hunter must complete the hunt in a short 75-count period of time. This means that while aggressively attacking, the hunter must also use techniques to avoid taking a painful blow. It is a common practice in "MonHun" to be greedy with your attacks, only to have the monster come back at you. Of particular importance are the "skills" of armor and the "SP skills" of weapons. Skills include parameters such as improved attack and defense, as well as unique effects such as being able to lock onto monster parts, making it easier to just evade, and increasing defense as your health decreases. Combining skills with the right weapons makes hunting more advantageous, so you will want to hunt monsters around to create many pieces of armor.

Another unique element of this title is the "SP Skill. When you attack a monster, a gauge accumulates, and if you press a button when the gauge is maxed out, you can unleash a powerful attack. The hammer spins around like a hammer thrower and blasts, while the light bowgun fires a powerful "counterattack dragon bullet" that causes a huge explosion. While the weapon is in action, the entire body becomes invincible, so it is possible to counter a monster's big move with an "SP skill. As long as the gauge is accumulated, it can be used as many times as needed during hunting, so it is possible to make a dash for the start of the hunt by releasing it at the beginning of the hunt.

Enhancing armor to increase attack and defense is just as important as in the other "MonHun" series, and fans of the series will find it very rewarding. If you find yourself in a situation where a high-ranked monster is right in front of you, but you can't hunt it right now, don't worry. You can use "paintballs" to hunt the monster later. The time limit is 48 hours, and it would be interesting to collect high-ranked monsters in preparation for multiplayer. When attacked by a monster, "recovery medicine" comes into play, and in this work, five of them are provided each day. A unique feature of this title is that the hunter's stamina naturally recovers over time once the hunt is over. The rate is 1 point per 30 seconds, so it is efficient to wait for recovery while gathering.

The otomo ayllu in this title support the hunter's hunting. When walking around, Otomo Airu collects materials from the surroundings and stores them in the Otomo Kaban, while also marking monsters for you. This is effective even when the app is closed, so even if you can't check the app when you are out, you can take your time hunting when you get home.

And speaking of "MonHun," "Let's go hunt one!" multiplayer. In addition to the "group hunt," in which up to four players can hunt together as long as they are within a certain radius of each other, players can also recruit others indiscriminately by scanning QR codes and forming a party. I walked around when the service started on September 14, and was repeatedly bombarded with invitations to "Let's go hunting! I was repeatedly bombarded with invitations to "Let's go hunting! I was sure they were nearby, but I did not know their names, faces, or genders. The unique sense of distance is pleasant, as we fight together for a moment and then part ways when the hunting is over.

Location-based games using well-known IPs are now in a warring age, but this title is clearly differentiated from others because it allows players to enjoy the action-packed hunting experience that is typical of "MonHun" on smartphones.

In terms of cooperative multiplayer, while the various raids in "Pokémon GO" are basically dependent on the location of gyms, in this title, players can be matched with other players as long as they are in close proximity. In fact, the few times we were able to play multiplayer on September 14 were all in locations far from gyms, so any place where people gather could be a great place to hunt. Hunting face to face with friends is fun, but "Let's go hunt one!" is a fun way to hunt, but it is also interesting to hunt once in a lifetime, waiting for an invitation.

MonHun" became a social phenomenon because of its multiplayer fun, and we felt that this title has the same potential.