Capcom’s Monster Hunter franchise is up there with the longest-running, most beloved gaming series of all time. Since the first game launched back in 2004, fans have enjoyed countless main series installments and spin-offs. Naturally, that list includes a handful of mobile titles, most notably Niantic’s Monster Hunter Now. Now, following the success of Monster Hunter Wilds and the latest Monster Hunter Stories, fans are gearing up for the franchise’s next foray into mobile gaming. The upcoming mobile RPG Monster Hunter Outlanders is currently running its 2nd Closed Beta test, and I got a chance to check it out.
Monster Hunter Outlanders is Timi Studio Group’s upcoming mobile twist on the beloved IP. It’s a free-to-play action RPG where players take on the role of a Fated Adventurer, guiding their team of companions through the game’s mysterious island world. Unlike the Pokemon Go-style Monster Hunter Now, the game seeks to translate the main series experience to a free-to-play mobile format. This latest Closed Beta shows off more of what Timi has in store for the game, with core mechanics like exploration, combat, Adventurer recruitment, and more on display. The Beta is definitely still a bit rough around the edges, but it shows off impressive graphics and scope that make it feel bigger than its mobile game status might suggest.
Jumping into the Monster Hunter Outlanders beta feels, in many ways, like starting any story-driven RPG. The game opens with plenty of stunning cutscenes that set up the story and introduce our key characters. Unfortunately, at this stage, that storytelling is held back by server issues that cause a lot of lag both in and out of those cutscenes. There’s no denying the graphics are impressive for a mobile game, but it’s hard to sink into the story or its world with all that lag. Of course, that’s all part of the testing phase, and hopefully Timi will be able to iron out those issues ahead of the game’s full release.
Setting aside the lag, however, playing Monster Hunter Outlanders does feel like stepping into the kind of lush and vibrant world you expect from Monster Hunter. Players find themselves stranded on a beautiful island full of strange creatures and interesting inhabitants. It looks alive and worth exploring right from the start, and the game offers plenty of ways for you to do so. Though initially billed as an open-world RPG, Outlanders has opted instead for open zone exploration. This does mean you’ll have some load time between areas, but given the game’s issues with lag, that feels like the right move to improve stability.
World traversal in beta includes crafting and zooming along ziplines, plus taking to the sky in your glider. If the animations get smoothed out, this is going to be a beautiful way to get around, making this not-quite-open world well worth exploring. And of course, there are plenty of monsters to hunt along the way.
These days, “mobile game” can mean a lot of things, from robust RPGs designed to fit in the palm of your hand to more mobile-specific entries like Pokemon TCG Pocket. From this initial look, Outlanders is pushing the boundary of what a mobile game can be. The scope of its gameplay and world bring to mind other, multi-platform free RPGs like Genshin Impact or Infinity Nikki. Like many free games, there are menus galore, with plenty of rewards for hitting goals and daily logins. This does begin to feel a bit cluttered on a small screen, but that’s hardly unique for the genre. However, it’s not the only reason I’m hoping we see Outlanders branch out beyond mobile.
Outlanders offers players some options for its controls. You can use a simplified “Adventure Mode” to keep the combat mechanics simple, or opt for more traditional Monster Hunter controls. Combat is fast-paced, with prompts to attack, defend, and use special skills. There’s plenty of customization on offer here as you level up your Fated Adventurer and your team of recruits. But it all feels a bit… much for a small screen, particularly for gamers like me who prefer their mobile games simple and their RPGs with a controller in hand.
Similarly, world exploration and survival mechanics are on full display here. There’s crafting, resource gathering, and more to tackle. It’s streamlined well enough for mobile, but I did find myself wishing I could see everything on a larger screen. The scope of gameplay isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it proves that Outlanders has the potential to be a true free Monster Hunter RPG for fans to enjoy. Though it is clearly developed for mobile with its menus, control layout, and gacha scheme, it doesn’t shortcut the RPG or survival mechanics, either. If you can hang with spending that much time with your phone in landscape mode, using touchscreen controls, that may well be a selling point in Outlanders‘ favor.
During a Closed Beta like this one, the full scope of monetization isn’t yet on display. However, from the variety of in-game currencies on offer, coupled with the ability to pull on those gacha banners, we can start to get a sense of things. And I’ve got some pros and cons here. First up, pulling for new Adventurers and pet companions is indeed a gacha-style system, where you’ll spend in-game currency to pull from a randomized banner. As you might expect, that includes an array of different currencies for different rarity tiers. As of now, there are ways to earn each currency through regular gameplay, but it’s hard to say what that will look like long term.
On the plus side, it does appear that some characters will be unlocked by playing through the story. In the first few hours, I got to recruit 2 characters for my single-player squad through the story alone. So, you won’t be left entirely out to dry while you grind for the random odds of getting a high-tier Adventurer for your team via the gacha mechanic. And it doesn’t appear that any actual gameplay elements are locked behind a paywall, at least at this stage.
Another plus? In-game crafting, including creating armor, looks to use resources you gather via gameplay rather than pulling from those rare currencies you’ll need for other things. And you will need that Ruta Coin. Leveling up your Fated Adventurer and the other members of your squad requires this currency, plus other forms of earnable items. The potential for in-game purchases, therefore, is pretty varied, and I’ll be curious to see where we end up once the game approaches its full release.
In all, Monster Hunter Outlanders is off to a strong start as a robust mobile RPG. It’s got some rough edges to iron out, and I do wonder if the scope is a bit too ambitious for mobile. But it offers a gameplay loop poised to sit alongside other big free RPGs, if it can iron out the snags and strike that delicate monetization balance.
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