It’s now been 7 years since the release of Pokémon Go!a game that redefined summer/autumn 2016. Of course, in 2021 Niantic tried again with Pikmin Bloom, but all that magic seemed to have vanished. Or probably the wow effect of a game that showed the amazing (for the time) potential of AR had just vanished. That’s why, when when we installed Monster Hunter Now for this review, our minds were full of prejudices.
It had also weighed on our load of hesitation Follow JC Go!, the Pokémon Go! in a Christian key developed by the Catholic software house Ramón Pané Foundation. After that traumatic experience (here’s the review) we said enough to searching for virtual objects in real cities. Will Monster Hunter Now be able to change our minds? Let’s find out.
The Monster Hunter Now review
No Ramón Pané Foundation. This time it’s serious. The game exploits the user’s real geolocation, and was born from the collaboration between Niantic e Capcom, owner of the Monster Hunter brand. Facing the difficult challenge of transporting the MH gaming universe to mobile, moreover in an AR version, Niantic did what it does best: simplify.
In fact, Monster Hunter Now maintains all the main features of the games in the series, but compacts them so that they fit in your pocket. Do you know the typical cartoon scene of the full suitcase that won’t close? Here you are: Niantic jumps on that suitcase until it fits everything in, and it doesn’t matter if some objects come out crushed.
Let’s take for example the key aspect of the game: the hunting. No more endless fights with invincible enemies. In Monster Hunter Now the fight with the monster lasts less than a minute on average (maximum time limit for each battle is 75 seconds). After all, the title is designed to be played on the go, so even the most banal waiting in line can become the perfect moment for a bloody fight with the monster. What must be done will be tap on the enemy to attack him and swipe to avoid attacks. A choice of simplicity that pays off, given that defeating enemies with the prospect of acquiring materials will give a certain satisfaction.
Another key element of the console saga is the preparation. Anyone who has played any of the Monster Hunter games knows that choosing and upgrading equipment are two of the key principles of the game. In Monster Hunter Now this aspect it no longer represents a strategic componentbut it even becomes the engine that leads the player to hunt: by killing monsters you will be able to accumulate material to improve your equipment, and consequently hunt stronger monsters. The concept of “completing the collection” that made Pokémon Go so popular is therefore no longer there.
It lacks a story, but the graphics are impressive
From a narrative point of view, Monster Hunter Now suffers from the same critical issues as Niantic’s other AR titles: the story is practically absent. Of course, the game is set inHunterVerse, but this is more of an obligatory choice of contextualization than a real stylistic characteristic. In fact, after creating our character (with very limited customization options), we will meet a Felyne who will meowingly introduce us to the first battles in a short tutorial. The story begins and ends here.
Little to say however regarding the graphic rendering. The game is, from this point of view, absolutely impeccableespecially if you play it on a smartphone that supports 60fps and Ultra mode.
Potions rhymes with microtransactions
Monster Hunter Now being a game free-to-play, it is obvious to expect a strong presence of items that can be purchased with real money. Everyday the player receives 5 free potionswhich can be used to replenish health points lost in combat.
If your character has low health, it will be very difficult for him to win battles. But if you do a lot of battles, you will most likely come out with low health. The potions therefore allow you to restore the health bar instantly. Furthermore, potions cannot be created. So, if you have low health and run out of potions you will have to buy them. The alternative is to close the game and wait and, at a rate of around 1 health point per minute, find the bar full after more than an hour of inactivity.
Considering that the game map updates every hour, and that without specific objects (also paid) you cannot prevent monsters from disappearing from it, potions will often be more useful than swords.
The review of Monster Hunter Now: summing up
It is clear that Niantic has made monstrous leaps forward compared to Pokémon Go!, both from a graphic and gaming system point of view. The choice to simplify the gameplay and to focus everything on a masterful graphic performance pays off, even if you are against it there is the total absence of a strategic component. In Monster Hunter Now you will start by winning practically all the battles, only to start losing when you encounter stronger monsters. If in the games of the console saga you could face the strongest monsters using a strategic component, in Monster Hunter Now the discriminating element between victory and defeat will be solely the power of your equipment.
Microtransactions are never a bothersome element, as you will rarely feel the need to shell out real money. However, if you have zero health, and you really want to fight that monster that has positioned itself at the exit of your favorite bar, then the temptation to buy a potion could arise.
More generally the game is fun, it can be taken in small doses and it has all it takes to bring the world of augmented reality mobile titles back into vogue. The prejudices that accompanied us at the beginning of this review have all been swept away by a sword struck in the heart of a Great Jagras.
PRO
- Free-to-play
- Graphics
- Quick fights
- Componente crafting
- Accurate GPS
- Map refresh every hour
AGAINST
- Potions not craftable
- Absence of a real story
- Battles will depend solely on the equipment you have equipped