It may seem hard to believe, but Pokemon GO came out all the way back in July 2016, almost seven years ago now. Pokemon GO, much like the very first entries in the franchise, is one of the few times a game can be truly considered a phenomenon. For a few months, most of the world was collectively leaving their homes, pulling up their mobile phones, catching some Pokemon, and battling for dominance in their local Gyms. But while Pokemon GO has managed to have a much longer shelf life than many thought possible, it still isn't perfect, and a lot of that boils down to its combat system, a system that needs to be much improved for Niantic's upcoming Monster Hunter Now.
Releasing in September of this year, Monster Hunter Now is the latest in a long line of Niantic mobile projects. Much like Pokemon GO and Pikmin Bloom before it, Monster Hunter Now is designed to deliver a condensed Monster Hunter experience that encourages players to leave their houses and explore their surroundings, all under the guise of slaying some monsters. But while Pokemon GO could rely on its collect-a-thon gameplay and Pikmin Bloom was all about exploration, Monster Hunter Now's reputation revolves around its combat gameplay, so it needs to be good.
Monster Hunter Now Needs Better Combat Than Pokemon GO
Over the last seven years, Pokemon GO's gameplay has received multiple updates, but even then, the game's core combat mechanics have remained largely unchanged. When engaged in a Pokemon battle, players are limited to essentially just one button press, with tapping the screen being the only way to attack. Players can do certain finger swipes once they've charged an attack, and they can technically dodge by swiping left or right, though this doesn't always work too well in practice. Pokemon GO's battling system is extremely simple, and it's easily one of the weakest parts of the game. Pokemon GO's catching and collecting mechanics help to paper over the game's combat issues, but that's not something Monster Hunter Now can really rely on.
The entire Monster Hunter experience, at its core, boils down to combat. While players are encouraged to plan carefully before each hunt, prepare, and scavenge for supplies, it's all in service to the game's primary form of gameplay, the combat. And if Monster Hunter Now wants to truly capture the essence of the franchise and distill it down into an addictive bite-sized, on-the-go adventure, then it'll need to have combat systems that are at least similar to the rest of the series, and much better than those in Pokemon GO.
According to Niantic, Monster Hunter Now plans on condensing the series' infamously long battles into a streamlined 75-second experience. While this might sound like an alarm bell for Monster Hunter fans, it makes a lot of sense in this new mobile context, and it sounds like the devs might be able to pull it off. Apparently, when in combat, players will turn their phones sideways, giving them a better view of the monster and their surroundings and giving them more room on the screen to play with. Players will attack the monster by swiping on the screen, with the direction of each swipe actually playing a role in how the monster is affected by the attack. Players will also be able to dodge out of the way of counterattacks and block some oncoming hits.
On top of all that, Monster Hunter Now will also allow multiple friends to team up together to defeat one monster. According to the devs, Monster Hunter Now will encourage players to work together as a team, with coordinated attacks giving the team a bonus, and letting them defeat the monster at a faster rate. Winning the fight will reward players with currency and materials that they can then use to unlock brand-new weapons and upgrade their gear. All in all, it sounds like Monster Hunter Now is doing a lot to try and capture the heart of Monster Hunter's core gameplay loop, hopefully coming out on top when compared to Pokemon GO's combat.
Monster Hunter Now releases on mobile devices in September 2023.