New Monster Hunter Game Lets You Befriend Beasts

Ever feel guilty about fighting monsters in Monster Hunter games? Wouldn't you rather befriend them? Capcom is channeling Pokemon in its newest mobile title: Monster Hunter Riders. The RPG is set to make its Japanese debut on iOS and Android in December, and with it comes some familiar, scaley faces.

The store page promises that, "Rathalos, Zinogre, Nargacuga, Glavenus, and other popular monsters from the Monster Hunter series will appear one after another." But don't worry — they can be your friends. The story is set in a faraway land where monsters and humans live in harmony. Players will be tasked with gathering together a party of monster riders, then customizing their team to their heart's delight.

The trailer shows some pretty cool characters in wicked cool armor. Like recent Pokemon titles, it looks as if players can hang out with their monsters, watch them nap, and cook elaborate meals to share. But there's also a darkness lurking in the background: this peaceful world is "about to once again become engulfed by a dark malice." Uh oh. Sounds like a job for a peppy anime girl astride a Rathalos.

Monster Hunter Riders is free-to-play, but will feature micro-transactions. You didn't think Capcom was going to hand out items for free, did you? Pre-registration does promise some freebies, according to the official site. The site, which doesn't seem entirely unlocked, seems to hint at a possible Monster Hunter Riders movie. Monster Hunter Riders might be the next big part of the Monster Hunter franchise. 

Monster Hunter: World brought the franchise into the limelight in the West, gathering an impressive player base and a whole lot of hype for later expansions and crossovers. Capcom seems eager to keep the Monster Hunter hype train chugging along, so maybe we'll see another full-fledged console release after everyone is done marveling over the Iceborne expansion. Here's to hoping.