It's been a while since we last heard of Monster Hunter Outlanders, with its official announcement trailer dropping on November 13, 2024, and very little news popping up in the ten months since. That all changed today, as a new Monster Hunter Outlanders TGS trailer has arrived, along with the opportunity for attendees to try the game out for themselves. And, while we can't attend in person this time, we did get the exciting chance to attend a Discord presentation, where we had a first look at MHO and a quick chat with the team about this intriguing new action-adventure game.
The Monster Hunter games have strong roots in the handheld space, with multiple titles spanning across the PlayStation Portable, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch, and, in the case of Monster Hunter Freedom Unite and Monster Hunter Now, even mobile. However, with two of the most well-known entries in the series - 2018's Monster Hunter World and this year's Monster Hunter Wilds - arriving on home consoles and PC, I feel it's easy for newer fans to miss this fact, even if they're familiar with 2021's excellent Nintendo Switch game Monster Hunter Rise.
Hopefully, this won't be the case much longer, though, as Capcom is working in collaboration with TiMi Studio Group (the minds behind some of the biggest and best mobile games, including Call of Duty: Mobile and Pokémon Unite) to bring this full-fat, current-gen Monster Hunter experience to Android and iOS.
Monster Hunter Outlanders is a brand-new game in the series where you take on the role of a bold adventurer, setting out with your companions from the Adventurers' Guild to unravel the mysteries of the uncharted island of Aesoland. Here, a rare mineral known as "radianite" is at the heart of everything, reshaping the terrain, influencing the culture and beliefs of the natives, and impacting the survival and evolution of the island's strange creatures in a variety of ways.
As with the settings for both World and Wilds, Aesoland is divided into distinct regions according to terrain and climate. During the Tokyo Game Show demo, lucky attendees can explore the Grand Archipelago - a region located in the vast ocean to the southeast of the island, and inhabited by various fungi and marine life that form a unique ecosystem of their own.
From what I've seen so far, this area reminds me of MH: World's Coral Highlands, and I'm incredibly jealous of anyone who gets to experience it themselves this week. But, hopefully, I won't have too long to wait, as TiMi Studio informed us that it's hoping to provide us with the chance to play the game outside of TGS soon.
As for the monsters that inhabit this world, it looks like we're going to be seeing a lot of familiar faces like the iconic Rathalos, Diablos, and Anjanath, as well as new "radiant" variants with increased aggression and power. TiMi Studio also informs us that the roster of monsters will grow even further in the future, including both returning beasties and ones that are entirely new to this game.
Throughout the game, you control the 'Fated Adventurer' - the main protagonist of the story and the default playable character. In true Monster Hunter fashion, you can fully customize their appearance and have them wield a variety of weapon types. During the TGS demo, there are five weapon types available (great sword, long sword, dual blades, bow, and heavy bowgun).
Don't be too disappointed if you don't see your favorite there, though, as TiMi has told us "there are some fantastic weapons in the series and we won't be ignoring them, and we'll be aiming to introduce them to enrich your experience", while also implying that there's a chance we may see some new weapon types in the future.
TiMi and Capcom have revealed that Outlanders features both single-player and multiplayer modes. In single-player mode, you're able to advance through the main story and explore the vast world accompanied by a squad of up to three NPC adventurers. In multiplayer mode, you can form four-player squads, coordinating tactics through either quick or voice chat as you tackle challenging instances together. Both modes are available to try through the TGS demo, with tougher, four-player instances available after 14:00 every day.
While TiMi is yet to reveal any specifics regarding monetization or whether MHO will follow in the footsteps of popular gacha games with different characters and equipment to pull, the studio has told us that the game will be free to play, and you'll be able to "obtain new adventurers for free by playing and through daily challenges", though "there will also be the option to pay for new adventurers". With the current state of free-to-play games, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this, but I'm keeping an open mind until we get more information.
Beyond your standard hunts, Monster Hunter Outlanders looks to introduce a variety of new features and mechanics, including world events and minigames, a new Adventurer's Guild social system separate from the usual Gathering Hub, and even the option to build facilities freely in the wild. I can't say I ever expected a mainline Monster Hunter to introduce building mechanics reminiscent of games like Fortnite, but I won't knock it until I've tried it - it certainly looks interesting.
While we don't have a Monster Hunter Outlanders release date yet, we know that the game is coming to iOS and Android, with a closed beta test scheduled to launch in November. Currently, it doesn't look like Outlanders is heading for any other platforms, but, from the footage we've seen so far, it seems pretty graphically demanding.
However, TiMi Studio has informed us that "the goal is to make the game adapt to as wide a range of devices as possible", assuring us "we will try our best to optimize the game to give the best experience to as many players on as wide a range of devices as possible". Hopefully, you won't need one of the best gaming phones on the market to give it a whirl.
If, like us, you're missing the opportunity to try this new Monster Hunter game at TGS, you can check out the new TGS trailer here. You can also head over to the official website to sign up for a chance to participate in November's closed beta test and to keep in the loop regarding future announcements. In the meantime, be sure to check out our guide to the best new mobile games to see what else you can look forward to.