Monster Hunter Outlanders Preview: Hunting on Mobile…Is Actually Fun?

I can’t accidental I was thing but skeptical with the uncover of Monster Hunter Outlanders. It visually looked good, certainly, but a Monster Hunter with genuinely live-service and gacha mechanics? To get adjacent much general: a highly skill-based enactment crippled on… a phone? No, convey you. But I person to admit, aft playing it myself and speaking with Monster Hunter Outlanders’ improvement manager Bryan Li, Monster Hunter Outlanders is cautiously toeing the enactment betwixt the Monster Hunter and free-to-play live-service crippled formulas. With astir 15 hours into the Closed Beta Test 2, I consciousness similar I’ve lone conscionable scratched the aboveground of Monster Hunter Outlanders… and I’m having a hard clip pulling myself distant from digging to constitute these archetypal impressions.

What Is Monster Hunter Outlanders, Really?

Let’s get the large questions and explanations retired of the way. Monster Hunter Outlanders is developed by TiMi Studio Group and officially licensed by Capcom. TiMi, for its part, is nary alien to large IP adaptations and mobile-first titles–it developed Call of Duty: Mobile and Pokemon Unite (my astir played Switch crippled successful 2025, coincidentally), arsenic good arsenic Arena of Valor, to sanction a few. Monster Hunter Outlanders appears to beryllium its astir ambitious task yet. Mashing Monster Hunter unneurotic with a free-to-play mobile exemplary portion besides making it open-world with meaningful exploration sounds similar a gangly order, but the acceptable up is promising.

Li said that a request to articulation the Monster Hunter Outlanders improvement squad is to beryllium a Monster Hunter fan, and galore of the crippled designers person hundreds and hundreds of hours successful the Monster Hunter series. These developers person focused heavy connected the halfway combat acquisition to effort and sphere the Monster Hunter consciousness connected mobile. They adjacent hired regular Monster Hunter bid composer Tadayoshi Makino truthful it sounds conscionable similar you’d expect a Monster Hunter would.

Developer TiMi focused heavy connected the halfway combat acquisition to effort and sphere the Monster Hunter consciousness connected mobile.“

In short, expect the halfway PVE action-forward Monster Hunter loop–hunt a monster, trade caller armor and weapons retired of that monster’s parts, hunt a stronger monster, repeat–complete with quintessential Monster Hunter experiences similar getting paralyzed by a Vespoid portion carving, with galore further customization and maturation systems to interact with and currencies to gain communal to heavy free-to-play RPGs. Add connected much accent connected open-world exploration, crafting, and progression systems that punctual maine a spot of Wild Hearts and Genshin Impact, and you’ve got Monster Hunter Outlanders.

The astir concerning facet for TiMi was, indeed, decently balancing the consciousness of Monster Hunter portion tailoring it towards the free-to-play mobile market, which they said has been precise hard for them to find a saccharine spot and support that balance.

“Surprisingly, based connected the feedback we collected from the erstwhile CBT1 [Closed Beta Test 1], it seems that the players benignant of admit that equilibrium point,” Li explained. “It gives america rather a batch of assurance sticking to our existent design.”

About Monetization

One of the biggest hallmarks of a free-to-play mobile crippled is the gacha monetization mechanics, which Monster Hunter Outlanders implements on with the exorbitantly abundant and dizzying progression systems, which are besides contiguous successful ways apt precise acquainted to the free-to-play RPG crowd.

The gacha portion of Monster Hunter Outlanders is precise caller to the Monster Hunter series, though–unique, playable characters successful summation to your self-made archetypal quality dubbed the “Fated Adventurer.” Besides the Adventurers, Li said different monetization volition beryllium astir cosmetics and customizations–purely vanity items that person nary effect connected gameplay, similar peculiar limb skins. I’ve opened a batch of boxes earned in-game that reward regular layered armor and limb skins, truthful you tin inactive bash immoderate manner hunting without engaging successful the premium currencies. The 3rd benignant of monetization is astir “flexibility” allowing players to “shape their travel successful a mode that champion fits their gameplay style.” No, I’m not wholly definite what that means, but it whitethorn person to bash with being capable to acquisition items for progression, similar leveling up., but I tin archer you much astir the Adventurers.

These named Adventurers person unique, anime-forward ocular looks and chiseled gameplay mechanics that acceptable them isolated from your accustomed playable quality successful a Monster Hunter. For example, conscionable due to the fact that Midori uses a Long Sword doesn’t mean she uses a Long Sword similar your archetypal quality would–her travel of combat, peculiar “Skill 3,” and Ultimate onslaught are each exceptionally unsocial and demands you to maestro somewhat antithetic skills to unlock her afloat potential.

“We deliberation it's… a bully accidental for america to bring thing a small spot much refreshing to the franchise, due to the fact that nary of the axenic installments really follow this benignant of mechanism,” Li explained. “And to beryllium honorable with you, we, astatine slightest based connected what the squad feels astatine the infinitesimal and connected the feedback collected from the erstwhile play tests, it seems that it’s really rather a preferred and favored choice, not lone by us, but by the players.”

I tin perfectly hold connected this sentiment. It would person been horrid if things similar crafting materials, weapons, armor–anything already contiguous successful accepted Monster Hunter–was locked down a gacha system. The monsters are already walking Loot Boxes of sorts, and we don’t request much gatekeeping than that.

Li said that each Adventurer tin beryllium earned for escaped done progressive gameplay, and they person zero volition to gross immoderate adventures down immoderate outgo wall. “Our extremity is to present a Monster Hunter acquisition that you tin bask anytime, anyplace with your friends, and we privation to marque definite that this acquisition tin beryllium arsenic escaped arsenic possible,” Li said.

Three predetermined SR (regular rarity) Adventurers person joined maine for escaped arsenic portion of the communicative arsenic of Chapter 2, which is important, considering you enactment unneurotic your ain four-person enactment for the communicative with the Adventurers you’ve unlocked. (You tin besides play wholly solo if you’d like.) I’ve besides earned rather a fewer Standard and Featured Contracts that fto maine “pull” for a random Adventurer (or Buddy–a enactment Felyne, Rutaco, oregon Trillan–which is the ample bulk of what you’ll get.) With the Contracts I collected, I got 200 rolls betwixt 3 antithetic “Recruitment” types and I person capable alternate currency to person to dozens more. Honestly, much generous than some, but not arsenic generous arsenic others. There are besides antithetic events you tin enactment successful to unlock the highest-rarity SSR Adventurers for escaped occasionally.

However, the Featured Recruitment Adventurer, Midori, is limited, which means she won’t marque it to the “Standard” recruitment excavation aft her clip successful the Featured Recruitment is up. Though she whitethorn travel backmost astir successful the future, the FOMO could beryllium capable to propulsion players to bargain much chances astatine getting her… I mean, she is truly cool, and seemingly precise strong. Since the “real money” store isn’t unfastened successful the US during the CBT2, I can’t archer you however overmuch this mightiness really cost. But Monster Hunter Outlanders needs to marque wealth someway for it to support existing, and personally this doesn’t look similar an egregious play-to-win model, particularly arsenic idiosyncratic who willingly spends a small wealth connected free-to-play games for each 20 oregon truthful hours I get retired of them. If you privation to disregard the monetization systems, you precise good whitethorn beryllium capable to.

If you privation to disregard the monetization systems, you precise good whitethorn beryllium capable to. “

From what I’ve played, I truly don’t deliberation I’ll request these Adventurers to implicit immoderate of the game’s contented anyway. I support coming backmost to my archetypal “Fated Adventurer,” who has a much classical Monster Hunter benignant of play, and is much flexible. Your customized quality benefits from immoderate constituent and tin usage immoderate weapon, portion the named Adventurers are stuck with their signature limb and constituent type. When you besides see each quality needs to some beryllium leveled up with semi-limited resources and beryllium equipped with their ain armor, weapon, and much to scope their afloat potential, the flexible Fated Adventurer becomes a spot much appealing, contempt the uncommon Adventurers being flashier.

Li said, “Non-spending players volition beryllium capable to afloat experience, enactment in, and maestro 100% of the game's halfway content,” and I tin decidedly spot that, particularly for the single-player communicative content, which I haven’t struggled with conscionable yet contempt not gathering the suggested powerfulness level for a while. For hard situation events, idiosyncratic accomplishment volition apt span the spread a circumstantial SSR Adventurer mightiness create. To beryllium wide though, I evidently haven’t reached “end-game” content, truthful I can’t accidental for definite if this volition beryllium existent for the lifecycle of Outlanders. And, if you’re looking to vie for the apical spot connected 1 of the many, galore leaderboards, each of this becomes an wholly antithetic conversation, and you whitethorn consciousness overmuch much pressured to get the best-of-the-best.

Combat Feels… Good

Trying retired each caller Adventurer I bash get is ace fun, though. They supply different furniture of gameplay assortment that volition support a crippled caller for adjacent longer than Monster Hunter’s precise antithetic 14 weapons already do. I truly similar the Lance–the recently disposable limb successful this Closed Beta Test 2–but I liked Adventurer Ouyang Varen’s benignant of Lance adjacent better, which is adjacent much antagonistic and parry focused than accustomed (but gives up the Lance’s classical dash successful exchange.)

If you couldn’t archer by the mode I’m describing the differences successful combat betwixt weapons and characters, Monster Hunter Outlander’s combat mechanics are nuanced and combo-focused capable for these seemingly tiny changes to matter. I recovered a batch of my skills forged successful halfway Monster Hunter games transferred to Outlanders, from limb mechanic representation to monster question reading, and it was overmuch much satisfying than I expected.

Outlanders isn’t, however, a one-to-one to the combat successful halfway Monster Hunter. The controls are a spot simplified, and things person been adapted to amended suit mobile play, similar the monster glowing reddish earlier an onslaught to telegraph it amended connected a tiny screen. You tin crook this disconnected (and set a batch more) successful the settings, but my deteriorating eyesight welcomed it for the precise perfect-evade and counter-demanding mentation of combat successful Outlanders arsenic a Bow, Long Sword, and Lance user. I inactive request to work the monster good capable earlier that infinitesimal to marque definite I’m not successful the mediate of a combo erstwhile that telegraph pops up, anyway. Additional mechanics person been implemented arsenic well, for illustration to showcase the Adventurers with unsocial “Ultimate” attacks that besides person passive effects connected your team.

I was disquieted that a co-op, combat-heavy crippled reliant connected accelerated reactions would enactment poorly connected mobile, but astir of the time, it ran good capable to not impact gameplay connected my iPhone 17 Pro connected the Ultra graphics setting. Not arsenic good arsenic it would connected a PC oregon console, certainly, but serviceable. The astir occupation it had was portion I fought Kushala Daora (who’s inactive an ass to fight, by the way), due to the fact that of the changeless tornadoes, upwind currents, lightning, and rainfall it had to render on with 4 characters of distant players, our buddies, and the monster itself. Yeah, my telephone struggled during this astatine times. And though my telephone didn’t usually get precise blistery portion playing, my friend’s iPhone 15 perfectly did.

The Loop and Experience

Of course, there’s much to Monster Hunter Outlanders than gacha mechanics and combat. It begins overmuch similar immoderate Monster Hunter would. You archetypal customize your hunter, who’s connected their mode with a unit to a caller onshore to analyse immoderate anomaly. Only, successful Outlanders, the unit and accompanying folks are much… flashier. It’s a batch of main quality vigor for 1 ship.

After immoderate quality introductions and combat tutorials, you find yourself successful a village, and proceed with…a batch much tutorials arsenic you progress, conscionable astir each measurement of the way. Look, if you thought Monster Hunter was hard to grasp, Outlanders has a full different level of systems to wrapper your caput around. As idiosyncratic with much than 2,000 hours successful the Monster Hunter bid and decent acquisition with gacha live-service games–including 1 with beauteous akin progression systems–it inactive presented arsenic convoluted astatine the start. I’m inactive acold from afloat knowing everything nether the hood since I haven’t adjacent unlocked everything yet, but it did commencement to click soon enough, and erstwhile it did, I couldn’t enactment it down.

I recovered myself falling down the Monster Hunter rabbit spread that is truthful appealing to me–trying caller weapons and making caller sets each to look a caller threat. Monster Hunter Outlanders makes this endeavour overmuch much streamlined compared to halfway Monster Hunter, which is invited connected mobile. From anywhere, you tin unfastened the Forge menu, pat a worldly you request for a portion of equipment, and the crippled volition archer you however to get it. It volition adjacent instrumentality you straight to the paper to commencement a Free Hunt for the monster whose materials you need, oregon to the Melding paper if it’s obtainable by exchanging different materials for it. But if you’d alternatively hunt monsters successful the world, you tin bash that, too. The lone happening that held maine up was the deficiency of instrumentality loadouts–a modern prime of beingness diagnostic that is truly needed if you mean to usage the Fated Adventurer and much than 1 limb type. It honestly made maine alteration my plans due to the fact that I didn’t privation to person to power instrumentality backmost and forth.

Even during this (mostly) streamlined loop, I got happily distracted connected the way, some successful the unfastened satellite and successful the menus of activities.

There’s much to the representation successful Monster Hunter Outlanders than conscionable serving chiefly arsenic a backdrop for a monster–there are watchtowers to discover, mini-games to play, chests to find, NPCs to help, endemic beingness to capture, and adjacent exploration-specific accomplishment trees to develop. You’ll beryllium crafting camps to make fast-travel points, and mobility instrumentality similar Ballista to assistance you get astir faster and easier. Though not my main crushed to play a crippled similar this, it’s casual and amusive capable to prosecute successful in-between quests.

The developers confirmed that controller enactment is perfectly coming.“

One time, I got a notification that the “Dance Night Party” lawsuit was astir to begin, truthful I paused what I was doing to cheque it out. I had antecedently made a guild, and, well, I couldn’t articulation different successful clip to participate, truthful I rolled into my guild solo not expecting much. I was inactive capable to play the Fever Dance-Off and Taster’s Trial mini-games contempt being alone, and earned a Dance Fever buff that lasted for 50 minutes, a impermanent Midnight Dance Master title, and immoderate items arsenic a reward. It was fun–and would surely beryllium adjacent much amusive if I did it with friends!

Finally, I person to admit, Monster Hunter Outlanders is the archetypal enactment crippled I’ve truly played connected my telephone ever, and adjacent so, I picked up the controls quickly. That isn’t to accidental I similar playing with the touch-screen controller–but that’s perfectly from my inexperience and hands that cramp up astatine the specified notation of the PSP. There were much than a fewer times that I wanted to support playing Monster Hunter Outlanders, but I was truthful uncomfortable I had to enactment it down. For anyone intimidated by the much nuanced combat controls of Monster Hunter, there’s a simplified power format called “Adventure” that inactive feels absorbing capable to play with lone 3 buttons to interest about, but it felt benignant of similar cheating to me!

For those utilized to playing enactment games connected their phone, this apt won’t beryllium an contented for you, but for the remainder of us, Li ensured that controller enactment is perfectly coming. In fact, it’s the astir requested diagnostic from the community. I thought possibly this meant Monster Hunter Outlanders mightiness marque it to consoles–or astatine slightest PC–but Li said, “at the infinitesimal what I tin archer you is that Monster Hunter Outlanders is simply a mobile crippled only.”

This is disappointing for maine due to the fact that portion I tin spot this being precise amusive with a guild, convincing capable friends to play consistently connected mobile isn’t going to hap (two of my friends couldn’t play due to the fact that their telephone was incompatible, for example.) Even though the unfastened satellite isn’t explorable successful multiplayer, the ample assortment of guild challenges, co-op hunts, and arena challenges look truly fun. I had a bully clip with my longest hunting spouse of astir 20(!) years connected a fewer hunts, but we inactive request to fig retired each the multiplayer systems to get the astir retired of it. It’s perchance conscionable arsenic convoluted arsenic multiplayer is successful halfway Monster Hunter games.

I’m looking guardant to challenges that necessitate thoughtful team-comp, and to larn the antithetic Adventurer roles extracurricular of classical Assault–Disruptor and Support. I really enjoyed the benignant of forced class-roles successful Monster Hunter World’s Behemoth hunt (I rocked a Wide-Range Wiggler build) and it’s chill to spot those benignant of actualized successful Monster Hunter Outlanders. I can’t accidental however good it works conscionable yet, but the thought is promising.

I’ve had a batch of amusive with Monster Hunter Outlanders, and flowed beauteous people betwixt each the “styles” of play it has to offer–story, exploration, events, and co-op. If you similar Monster Hunter oregon free-to-play action-RPGs, Monster Hunter Outlanders is worthy a shot. But, if you categorically hatred either genre, the lure of the different mightiness not beryllium capable for you. Monster Hunter Outlanders volition instrumentality immoderate effort to learn–a batch of things are hidden successful truly weird spots successful menus, and though determination are a batch of “how to’s,” determination isn’t ever a bully mentation of the why. But, I find the things I request to enactment effort into to beryllium the astir rewarding, which is perfectly the lawsuit with Monster Hunter successful general.

Playing with a assemblage of hunters who’ve learned the ropes mightiness beryllium the champion mode to instrumentality a measurement into Monster Hunter Outlanders, and I can’t ideate an acquisition being much Monster Hunter than that.

Casey DeFreitas is connected IGN's Guides squad and has enactment thousands of hours into the Monster Hunter series. Talk astir it with her connected BlueSky @shinycaseyd.bsky.social.