All I can say is that I used to be skeptical concerning the launch of Monster Hunter Outlanders. Certain it appeared good, however is it actually Monster Hunter with dwell service and gacha mechanics? Extra typically, superior skill-based motion video games…in your cellphone? No, thanks. However after taking part in it myself and talking with Monster Hunter Outlanders growth director Brian Lee, I’ve to confess that Monster Hunter Outlanders fastidiously walks the road between Monster Hunter and the free-to-play dwell service sport method. It has been about 15 hours since Closed Beta Take a look at 2 started, and it appears like we have solely scratched the floor of Monster Hunter Outlanders…and I am having a tough time pulling myself away from digging in to jot down these first impressions.
what tooth Monster Hunter Outlanders, actually?
Let’s go away the massive questions and explanations apart. Monster Hunter Outlanders is developed by TiMi Studio Group and formally licensed by Capcom. TiMi is not any stranger to large-scale IP variations and mobile-first titles, having developed the likes of Name of Responsibility: Cellular, Pokémon Unite (coincidentally, my most performed Swap sport of 2025), and even Enviornment of Valor, to call a couple of. Monster Hunter Outlanders seems to be the corporate’s most formidable mission but. Combining Monster Hunter with a free-to-play cellular mannequin whereas nonetheless being an open world with significant exploration looks like a problem, however this setup is promising.
Lee mentioned {that a} requirement for becoming a member of the Monster Hunter Outlanders growth staff was to be a Monster Hunter fan, and that many sport designers have spent a whole lot of hours on the Monster Hunter sequence. These builders are specializing in the core fight expertise to take care of the texture of Monster Hunter on cellular. Tadayoshi Makino, who’s a daily composer for the Monster Hunter sequence, was additionally used, so the result’s precisely like Monster Hunter.
So anticipate a core PVE action-forward Monster Hunter loop. Hunt monsters, craft new armor and weapons from these monster elements, hunt extra highly effective monsters, and repeat. Full with typical Monster Hunter experiences, together with being paralyzed by a Vespoid whereas carving. It additionally features a development system that interacts with many extra customizations, and currencies to earn, starting from widespread to deep free-to-play RPGs. Add extra emphasis to an open-world exploration, crafting, and development system that is a bit harking back to Wild Hearts or Genshin, and you have Monster Hunter Outlanders.
In truth, TiMi’s greatest concern was getting the steadiness proper between the Monster Hunter really feel and the free-to-play cellular market, they usually say it was extraordinarily tough to seek out the candy spot and keep that steadiness.
“Surprisingly, based mostly on the suggestions we collected over the last CBT1 (Closed Beta Take a look at 1), gamers appear to be considerably conscious of that steadiness level,” Lee defined. “It offers me numerous confidence in sticking with the present design.”
About monetization
One of many greatest options of free-to-play cellular video games is the gacha monetization mechanism. Monster Hunter Outlanders implements this with a really wealthy and dizzying development system. It additionally exists in a approach that will probably be very acquainted to followers of free-to-play RPGs.
The gacha a part of “Monster Hunter Outlanders” could be very new to the “Monster Hunter” sequence, nevertheless it options distinctive playable characters along with unique characters you created known as “Fateful Adventurers”. Lee mentioned that moreover adventurers, different monetization will probably be about cosmetics and customization, i.e. purely beauty issues that do not have an effect on gameplay, comparable to particular weapon skins. We have opened a lot of bins that provide you with common layered armor and weapon skins earned in-game, so you possibly can go on a trend hunt with out spending premium foreign money. The third sort of monetization is about “flexibility,” which permits gamers to “form their journey in a approach that most accurately fits their gameplay model.” No, I am probably not positive what meaning, nevertheless it might need one thing to do with having the ability to buy gadgets for development comparable to leveling up. However I can let you know just a little extra about adventurers.
These named adventurers have anime-inspired visuals and distinctive gameplay mechanics that set them aside from the common playable characters in Monster Hunter. For instance, simply because Midori makes use of a protracted sword does not imply she makes use of a protracted sword in the identical approach as the unique character. Her fight stream, particular “Talent 3”, and supreme assault are all very distinctive, and you may have to grasp barely completely different abilities to succeed in her full potential.
“We expect this can be a good alternative to deliver one thing just a little bit extra recent to the franchise…as a result of not one of the pure installments have actually employed this type of mechanic,” Lee defined. “And to be sincere, at the least based mostly on how the staff feels proper now and the suggestions we have gathered from playtesting to date, it truly looks like a really well-liked and most well-liked alternative, not just for us however for the gamers as nicely.”
I fully agree with this opinion. It might have been horrible if issues that have been already current in conventional Monster Hunter, comparable to crafting supplies, weapons, and armor, have been locked behind a gacha system. The monsters are already strolling by way of some kind of loot field, so no additional gatekeeping is required.
Li mentioned that every one adventurers might be earned at no cost by way of lively gameplay, they usually don’t have any intention of gating their adventures behind a cost wall. “Our objective is to offer a Monster Hunter expertise that you could get pleasure from with your pals anytime, wherever, and we wish to make sure that this expertise is as free as potential,” Lee mentioned.
As of Chapter 2, three pre-determined SR (common rarity) adventurers will be a part of you as a part of the story at no cost. That is vital contemplating you will be forming a celebration of 4 to progress by way of the story with the adventurers you have unlocked. (You may as well play fully solo if you want.) I additionally acquired fairly a couple of normal and featured contracts that permit me “draw” random adventurers (or buddies, assist cats, Lutako, Trilan, and many others.). With the contracts you acquire, you get 200 rolls throughout three completely different “recruitment” sorts, and you’ve got sufficient alternate foreign money to change for dozens extra. To be sincere, I’m extra beneficiant than others, however not as beneficiant as others. You may as well take part in numerous occasions the place you possibly can unlock the very best rarity SSR adventurers at no cost.
Nonetheless, attributable to restrictions on Midori as a Featured Recruitment adventurer, she won’t be able to hitch the “Normal” Recruitment pool after her time in Featured Recruitment ends. She might come again sooner or later, however FOMO might be sufficient to purchase gamers an opportunity to get her…I imply, she appears actually cool and apparently very sturdy. There are not any “actual cash” shops open within the US throughout CBT2, so we do not know the way a lot it’s going to truly value. However for Monster Hunter Outlanders to live on, it has to earn cash someway, and personally, this does not appear to be a horrible play-to-win mannequin, particularly as somebody who’s keen to spend a small sum of money each 20 hours they play a free-to-play sport. If you wish to ignore the monetization system, you might be able to accomplish that.
From what I’ve performed, I do not suppose you want these adventurers to finish the sport’s content material anyway. I preserve returning to the unique “Fateless Adventurer”, which has a extra traditional Monster Hunter playstyle and is extra versatile. A customized character can profit from any component and use any weapon, however a delegated adventurer sticks to his or her signature weapon and component sort. Additionally, contemplating that every character has to degree up with semi-limited assets and equip themselves with distinctive armor, weapons, and many others. to succeed in their full potential, it makes Versatile Future Adventurer just a little extra interesting, regardless that Uncommon Adventurer is flashier.
“Non-paying gamers can absolutely expertise, take part and grasp the sport’s core content material 100%,” Li mentioned. That is particularly evident in relation to single-player story content material. Although I have not met the really helpful energy degree for some time, I have not struggled but. For tough problem occasions, private abilities might fill gaps that could be created by sure SSR adventurers. Nonetheless, to be clear, I clearly have not gotten to the “endgame” content material, so I do not know if this is applicable to the Outlanders lifecycle. And when you’re attempting to compete for the highest spot on one of many many leaderboards, that is all a very completely different story and you might really feel way more stress to be one of the best of one of the best.
Fight feeling… good
Nonetheless, it is numerous enjoyable to check out every new adventurer you get. These present one other layer of gameplay selection that retains the sport recent for even longer than Monster Hunter’s 14 very completely different weapons already present. I actually just like the lance (a brand new weapon out there on this closed beta take a look at 2), however I just like the model of adventurer Ojan Valen’s lance much more. Extra emphasis on counters and parries than traditional (however abandoning Lance’s traditional sprint as a substitute).
You won’t have the ability to inform by the best way I am describing the fight variations between weapons and characters, however Monster Hunter Outlander’s fight mechanics are refined and combo-focused to the purpose that these seemingly small modifications turn into vital. I discovered that lots of my abilities honed within the core Monster Hunter video games, from memorizing weapon mechanics to studying monster actions, transferred to Outlanders, and it was way more satisfying than I anticipated.
Nonetheless, Outlanders will not be a one-on-one counterpart to Monster Hunter’s core fight. The controls have been simplified a bit and tweaked to make them extra appropriate for cellular play, with monsters glowing pink earlier than assaults to higher talk on a small display screen. You may flip this off (and make many extra changes) within the settings, however as a bow, longsword, and lance consumer with diminished imaginative and prescient for a model of Outlanders’ fight that requires very excellent dodging and counterattacking, I welcomed this. Anyway, you want to learn the monster nicely sufficient by that second to just be sure you will not be in the midst of a combo when the telegram seems. Further mechanics have additionally been applied, for instance introducing adventurers with distinctive “final” assaults that present passive results to the staff.
I used to be frightened that co-op and combat-focused video games that depend on fast reactions would not work as nicely on cellular, however typically they labored nicely sufficient on the iPhone 17 Professional’s Extremely graphics settings to not impression gameplay. Certain, it is not so good as a PC or sport console, nevertheless it’s nonetheless sensible. Probably the most tough time was once I fought Kushala Daora (by the best way, Kushala Daora remains to be not good at combating). As a result of fixed tornadoes, wind currents, lightning, and rain, we needed to render the 4 characters of the distant participant, our companions, and the monster itself. Sure, throughout this time my cellphone was having issues every now and then. My cellphone often did not get too scorching whereas taking part in, however my good friend’s iPhone 15 completely did.
loops and experiences
In fact, there’s extra to Monster Hunter Outlanders than simply the gacha mechanics and battles. It begins like some other Monster Hunter. First, customise your hunter as he travels to new lands together with his crew to research an anomaly. Nonetheless, in Outlanders, the crew and companions are way more…flashy. The hero’s vitality is equal to 1 ship.
After some character introductions and fight tutorials, you end up in a village, adopted by extra tutorials. At nearly each step, extra tutorials comply with as you progress. In case you thought Monster Hunter was obscure, Outlanders has techniques on an entire different degree. As somebody who has performed over 2,000 hours of the Monster Hunter sequence and has some expertise with gacha dwell service video games (together with video games with pretty comparable development techniques), I nonetheless discovered it complicated at first. I have not unlocked every thing but, so I am removed from absolutely understanding every thing inside, nevertheless it began clicking instantly, and once I did, I could not let it go.
I discovered myself falling down the Monster Hunter rabbit gap of attempting out new weapons and crafting new units to counter new threats, which was very interesting to me. Monster Hunter Outlanders makes this effort way more streamlined in comparison with the core Monster Hunter, which is welcome on cellular. Open the Forge menu from wherever, faucet on the fabric you want in your tools, and the sport will let you know the best way to get it. You may as well go on to the menu to begin a free hunt for the monster you want the fabric for, or go to the “Fusion” menu whether it is out there by exchanging it for different supplies. However if you wish to hunt monsters from all around the world, you are able to do that too. The one factor that bothered me was the shortage of apparatus loadouts. It is a fashionable high quality of life function that you actually need when utilizing a number of weapon sorts along with your doomed adventurers. Truthfully, I did not wish to have to change gear forwards and backwards, so I needed to change my plans.
Even in the midst of this (largely) streamlined loop, each the open world and the menu of actions acquired me fortunately distracted alongside the best way.
Monster Hunter Outlanders’ maps do greater than primarily function backgrounds for monsters. There are watchtowers to find, mini-games to play, treasure chests to seek out, NPCs to assist, distinctive creatures to seize, and even exploration-specific talent timber to develop. Create camps to create quick journey factors and craft journey tools comparable to ballistas that will help you journey quicker and simpler. There isn’t any major cause to play a sport like this, nevertheless it’s simple and enjoyable sufficient to pop in between quests.
Someday, I acquired a notification that the occasion “Dance Evening Celebration” was beginning, so I ended what I used to be doing and checked it out. I had created a guild earlier than, however I wasn’t in a position to be a part of one other one by the point I joined, so I joined a guild solo with out a lot expectations. Although I used to be alone, I used to be in a position to play the Fever Dance-Off and Taster Trial mini-games, incomes me a Dance Fever buff that lasted 50 minutes, a short lived Midnight Dance Grasp title, and several other gadgets as rewards. It was enjoyable, and it could be much more enjoyable when you did it with mates!
Lastly, I’ve to confess that Monster Hunter Outlanders was the primary motion sport I ever performed critically on my cellphone, and even then I shortly discovered the controls. That does not imply I like taking part in with a contact display screen controller. That is completely attributable to my lack of expertise and the truth that simply mentioning PSP makes my arms tight. There have been many instances I needed to maintain taking part in Monster Hunter Outlanders, nevertheless it was so disagreeable that I needed to cease. For these intimidated by Monster Hunter’s extra nuanced fight controls, there is a simplified management format known as “Journey” that is enjoyable sufficient to play with solely three buttons to fret about, nevertheless it felt like a type of dishonest to me.
For many who are used to taking part in motion video games on their telephones, this most likely will not be a difficulty, however for everybody else, Lee assured that controller assist is unquestionably coming. In truth, that is probably the most requested function by our neighborhood. Lee thought that maybe this meant Monster Hunter: Outlanders might be coming to consoles, or at the least PC, however Lee mentioned, “What I can let you know at this level is that Monster Hunter: Outlanders is a mobile-only sport.”
That is unlucky for me. As a result of whereas I can see this being numerous enjoyable for guilds, it is unlikely that I will have the ability to persuade sufficient mates to play constantly on cellular (for instance, two of my mates could not play as a result of their telephones weren’t suitable.) The open world cannot be explored in multiplayer, however the wide range of guild challenges, co-op hunts, and enviornment challenges sound like actual enjoyable. I’ve had a good time on a number of hunts with my longest-time searching companion of almost 20 (!) years, however you will want to grasp all the multiplayer techniques to get probably the most out of them. It is most likely as advanced because the multiplayer within the core Monster Hunter video games.
I am wanting ahead to challenges that require considerate staff composition and studying completely different adventurer roles outdoors of the traditional Assault, Disruptor and Assist. In truth, I loved issues like compelled class rolls on Behemoth hunts in Monster Hunter World (I rocked the Broad Vary Wiggler construct), and it is cool to see one thing like that dropped at life in Monster Hunter Outlanders. It stays to be seen how nicely it’s going to work, however the thought is promising.
I actually loved Monster Hunter Outlanders and was in a position to transfer fairly naturally between all of the “kinds” of play the sport needed to provide: story, exploration, occasions, co-op, and many others. In case you like Monster Hunter or free-to-play motion RPGs, then Monster Hunter Outlanders is value a strive. However when you adamantly dislike both style, the temptations of the opposite is probably not sufficient. Studying Monster Hunter Outlanders requires some effort. A number of issues are hidden in very unusual locations on the menu, and whereas there are many “how-tos” there aren’t all the time good explanations as to why. Nonetheless, as is the case with Monster Hunter generally, I feel probably the most rewarding factor is to place within the effort.
Taking part in with a neighborhood of hunters who’ve discovered the ropes could also be the easiest way to get began in Monster Hunter Outlanders. I can not think about a extra Monster Hunter expertise than this.
Casey DeFreitas is on videogameaddicted’s Guides staff and has spent hundreds of hours on the Monster Hunter sequence. Discuss to her about it at BlueSky @shinycaseyd.bsky.social.