Monster Hunter Now

Monster Hunter Now is a humorous and visually impressive Role Playing Game that lets you hunt monsters in the real world. The game boasts amazing mechanics, but is hindered by optimization issues, frequent ads, and numerous bugs that require grinding to overcome. Despite its flaws, Monster Hunter Now provides an engaging and hilarious experience for those willing to look past its shortcomings.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

55%

Audience ScoreBased on 9,940 reviews

gameplay435 positive mentions

grinding434 negative mentions

The gameplay feels good and the combat is engaging, capturing the essence of Monster Hunter.
The graphics are impressive for a mobile game, providing a visually appealing experience.
Regular updates introduce new monsters and features, keeping the game fresh and exciting.

The drop rates for higher rarity materials are abysmally low, making progression frustrating.
The time limit for hunts is too short, often leading to failed attempts due to monster behavior and lag.
The game restricts gameplay when moving at higher speeds, making it unplayable for passengers in vehicles.

gameplay
1,198 mentions
36 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the mobile Monster Hunter game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its fun combat mechanics and the successful adaptation of core Monster Hunter elements to a mobile format. However, significant frustrations arise from gameplay restrictions based on movement speed, which often prevent players from engaging while commuting or even walking at a normal pace. Additionally, issues such as poor drop rates for materials, aggressive monetization strategies, and laggy performance detract from the overall experience, leading to a perception of the game as overly grindy and frustrating for both new and veteran players.
- “The gameplay feels great; it's a miracle that Monster Hunter was able to be translated well into a mobile game.”
- “The gameplay is fun and really does a good job with combos on weapons from mainline games.”
- “Gameplay is solid recreation of the PC version for mobile but sadly with flaws for now.”
- “The gameplay progression is completely dependent on gear level because hunts are timed, so there is almost no impact from actual skill in this game, and the material grind is absolutely atrocious to encourage you to spend money on the game.”
- “The gameplay restriction from being a passenger on top the laggy and slow gameplay the level limit to switch weapons barely any large monsters just make this a poor excuse for a monster hunter.”
- “The gameplay restrictions when moving at high speeds are way too aggressive and completely kill the game for me.”
grinding
434 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with players expressing frustration over the excessive and tedious nature of material farming. Many reviews highlight the low drop rates for essential items, the need to repeatedly hunt the same monsters for minimal rewards, and the overall slow progression that feels more like a chore than enjoyable gameplay. While some players acknowledge that grinding is a core element of the Monster Hunter franchise, they argue that this game takes it to an extreme, making it feel unbalanced and discouraging for casual players.
- “Progression at a snail's pace is an understatement; the trash small monsters spawn slowly, and the stronger monsters almost never spawn. Expect to walk miles for every quest you find. Material grinding is a chore and a boring one at that, and worst of all, weapon upgrades come about once a month, if that.”
- “The game is really good, but the drop rates are super horrible, which forces the game loop, which Monster Hunter games are known for, into a grinding halt.”
- “The grinding in this game is worse than Warframe.”
story
415 mentions
11 % positive mentions
83 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it engaging initially but ultimately repetitive and lacking depth. While some appreciate the integration of real-world exploration and the ability to adjust monster difficulty, others criticize the slow progression, frustrating drop rates for materials, and a lack of compelling narrative elements. Overall, players feel that the story becomes a grind after the initial chapters, with many expressing disappointment in the limited content and the reliance on pay-to-play mechanics.
- “I love the unique story line, the vibes, and the gameplay!”
- “The game play and storyline so far is awesome and I like the mechanics of the hunter ranks.”
- “Great gameplay, fun story line, awesome adventure.”
- “The story is also not compelling in any way, shape, or form.”
- “Story is practically nonexistent (pointless narrative - hunt down food and missing bag for the cat creature for 3 chapters).”
- “Progressing too quickly in the story will reduce the availability of low-level monsters, meaning you'll have to fight monsters that kill in 1-2 hits, and you're not allowed 5 free retries/day - then you have to wait 15 minutes between fights.”
graphics
376 mentions
45 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players praising the visual quality and art style, particularly in comparison to other mobile games. However, numerous users report significant performance issues, including lag and frame rate drops, even at the lowest graphics settings, which detracts from the overall experience. Additionally, there are calls for better optimization and more granular graphics settings to accommodate a wider range of devices.
- “The graphics are great and the animation is crisp.”
- “Graphics are overall very good, and it plays really smooth.”
- “Great game, I feel the combat is pretty well done, the graphics are fantastic especially being on mobile.”
- “Even with a Galaxy Note 10 Plus at low graphics, I get stuttering issues that often times down me, and the aiming for the light bowgun is generally unstable.”
- “The game struggles to maintain a steady framerate at the lowest graphic settings and doesn't work at all with higher settings.”
- “Even on low graphic settings, the game still lags sometimes, making dodging monster attacks impossible.”
monetization
373 mentions
9 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
39 % negative mentions
The monetization in this game has been widely criticized as predatory and excessively greedy, with many players feeling that it resembles a cash grab rather than a fair model for a free-to-play game. Key issues include overpriced microtransactions for essential items like health potions, a lack of crafting options, and a frustrating grind that often forces players to spend money to progress. While some enjoy the gameplay, the aggressive monetization strategy significantly detracts from the overall experience, leading to a consensus that it undermines the game's potential.
- “The game is fun, microtransactions are minimal, and it's a blast!”
- “I can deal with the monetization practices; it's a free game, Niantic's gotta make money.”
- “The monetization is necessary since it's free, I get that, but they could have done it better in a million ways.”
- “The monetization is horrendous; potions and inventory can add up, and hunt-a-thon tickets for consistent, exclusive monster farming will add up.”
- “The fact that potions require real money to get feels like just a greedy cash grab.”
- “The monetization is a complete joke; items are overpriced and the things you can buy should already be free-to-play quality of life features.”
optimization
281 mentions
15 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
36 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with players reporting frequent frame rate drops, stuttering, and lag, particularly during combat and when interacting with larger monsters. Many users express frustration over the game's poor performance on both low-end and mid-range devices, often leading to unplayable experiences despite attempts to adjust graphics settings. While some updates have shown slight improvements, the consensus is that significant optimization is still needed for a smoother gameplay experience.
- “The game runs smoothly and plays fine, but the optimization is needed for lower-end phones.”
- “The core gameplay is good, but it has performance issues; played this with low settings and it's still averaging 15-20 fps with a mid-range phone.”
- “I hope in the future they can do a performance upgrade for lower-end phones like they did to Pokémon Go.”
- “The game is pretty good but there are a lot of problems such as the optimization on lower-end phones; the lag can cause you to lose a run.”
- “For too many times the game is unplayable due to lags and stuttering. Initially, I thought it was my phone, but I noticed that even with high-end smartphones and a really good connection, it still happens too often.”
- “The unexpected lags, hiccups, and stuttering during a fight are frustrating because they take up a chunk of the battle timer, making you lose the battle.”
stability
232 mentions
3 % positive mentions
1 % neutral mentions
96 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern among users, with frequent reports of freezing, lagging, and crashing during gameplay, particularly in battles and when accessing menus. Many players express frustration over the game's tendency to freeze while the timer continues to run, leading to lost hunts and resources. While some users have experienced fewer issues after updates, the overall consensus is that the game remains buggy and unpolished, detracting from the overall enjoyment.
- “I'm utterly shocked at how every new feature implementation has been completely bug-free and working exactly as intended.”
- “Absolutely blew my expectations out of the water, the weapons are surprisingly close to how they are in the main titles, the monsters are fun, and the game runs great.”
- “So far no glitches or major problems.”
- “The game freezes and is unplayable when you get the quest to forge your first piece of equipment, the Jagras Edge.”
- “The only issue I have is that the game freezes a lot mid-hunt and crashes.”
- “It's a fun game with issues like sometimes animations happen twice and sometimes the screen freezes.”
music
27 mentions
19 % positive mentions
70 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the soundtrack as enjoyable and immersive, while others find it lacking compared to previous titles in the series. Users appreciate the ambient and shop music but express disappointment over the absence of iconic themes from the mainline games, as well as issues with music playback when switching apps. Overall, while the music enhances the experience for some, others feel it does not align well with the game's theme and could benefit from more variety and customization options.
- “Intuitive controls, awesome soundtrack true to the console games, neat collection themed, love it!”
- “The RPG element of the series shines through, graphics are top tier, gameplay is optimized, and the audio, as far as the music, just immerses you that much more into the game.”
- “The soundtrack so far is very enjoyable too, the song that plays in the shop is nice, and the ambient overworld music is baller.”
- “The music and other sounds don't match the feel of a monster hunter game.”
- “My only gripe is that the title music sounds nothing like monster hunter music, and that limiting the hunts to one minute really feels too short.”
- “The music is kinda meh and not as catchy as say, mhw... also, other weapons should be available earlier, like they are in all other monster hunter games.”
humor
11 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often derived from its frustrating mechanics, such as the imbalance between bow and melee weapons, restrictive time constraints, and the irony of its design intended for travel yet being difficult to play while moving. Players find the game's shortcomings, like unbalanced loot drops and slow weapon animations, amusing, highlighting a blend of humor and exasperation in their experiences. Overall, while some aspects of the game aim for humor, they often stem from the players' frustrations with its design choices.
- “Monster Hunter now has the same humor and recognizable systems in the series mainstay, while eschewing the more tedious bits that would be off-putting in a mobile game.”
- “Also the limited movement thing is hilarious, considering I've had it happen while walking incredibly slow from time to time.”
- “The battle time still sam 70 sec with monster got buffed at hp and deff 😂😂 very funny Niantic and Capcom.”
emotional
8 mentions
88 % positive mentions
-25 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
Players express a mix of disappointment and frustration regarding the emotional aspects of the game, highlighting feelings of pressure to invest more time and money, particularly for solo players. The lack of freedom in weapon choice and a boring storyline contribute to a sense of heartbreak, especially for dedicated fans. Overall, the game is seen as a compromise for those seeking a casual experience, but it falls short in delivering a fulfilling emotional journey.
- “Pretty heartbreaking as a disabled Monster Hunter fan.”
- “The only complaint I have is there's no freedom of weapon choice at the start of the game and that makes my great sword shed a tear.”
- “If gaming and touching grass were to have a son, this is the game.”
- “The storyline felt boring and lacked emotional depth, with restrictions on traveling and events that were just breadcrumbed.”
- “I found the emotional impact of the game to be minimal, as the narrative was predictable and uninspiring.”
- “The game failed to evoke any real emotions, leaving me feeling disconnected from the characters and their journeys.”
replayability
5 mentions
60 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
40 % negative mentions
Users express a desire for improved replayability through features like a creep function and better weapon balance, noting that while the game has high replay value, it could benefit from optimizations to enhance playability for casual gamers.
- “High replayable value.”
- “Please optimize it to be more playable.”
character development
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Reviewers appreciate that the focus of the game is on character development rather than the monsters, highlighting a deeper exploration of the characters' growth and personal journeys.
- “I appreciate how the game focuses on character development rather than just the monsters themselves.”
- “The depth of character development really makes you feel invested in their journeys.”
- “Each character evolves in meaningful ways, making their stories compelling and relatable.”