Monster Hunter Outlanders Closed Beta Impressions – The Fastest Hunt Yet

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I discovered the Monster Hunter series around the time of World and it quickly became a daily habit – I still jump into Wilds regularly for hunts or to try a challenging Omega (Savage) run. Because I enjoy it so much, I was really looking forward to Monster Hunter Outlanders. I recently got to play it in the closed beta, and while it still feels like Monster Hunter, it’s noticeably faster and requires more repetitive gameplay. It also feels a little restrictive in some ways, which could be a positive or negative depending on what you’re looking for in a game.

A New But Familiar Hunting Ground

I was thrilled to be one of the first to play Monster Hunter Outlanders before it officially launched. As a longtime fan, I’d been eagerly anticipating my time in Aesoland, and honestly, each time I finished playing, I was genuinely surprised and happy – though I did have one small concern, which I’ll explain later.

I usually wait until a game is fully released before diving into the story, but since you need to play through it to unlock things, here’s the basic idea: You join an expedition to investigate a strange event in Aesoland, but things quickly go wrong when a flying wyvern attacks. You then head to a village and begin helping the locals fight off monsters, uncover the mysteries of the land, and make some allies. It’s a pretty standard Monster Hunter story – investigating a problem and helping people while battling monsters.

The graphics are the real highlight of Outlanders. For a Monster Hunter game on mobile, it looks fantastic. Even on my Samsung tablet, where I couldn’t max out the settings, the environments, characters, and monsters were all beautifully designed – some of the best I’ve seen in a Monster Hunter game.

Okay, so I’ve been playing Monster Hunter Outlanders, and it’s a pretty big shift from the traditional MH games we’re all used to. Usually, we’re all about that slower, more strategic hunt, but this one throws you right into the thick of things with a team, and the goal is to take monsters down fast. You can choose between Adventure and Classic combat modes – I went with Classic, since it felt closer to the mainline games. It’s definitely streamlined – fewer complex combos, and a dedicated block button is a nice change. But honestly, I really appreciated the quality-of-life improvements. Being able to target specific monster parts or pull off weapon moves easier just made the whole experience smoother and more fun.

It’s amazing how well this mobile game captures the feel of a true Monster Hunter experience. While some players might not agree with the changes, I really appreciate being able to jump into a hunt quickly without needing to coordinate with others to avoid attacks.

Let’s talk about the gacha elements in Monster Hunter Outlanders. While it does use a gacha system, don’t let that turn you off. It’s fundamentally a great Monster Hunter game with fantastic exploration – you can hunt monsters directly in the world without needing to visit a hub first. However, you’ll also find typical gacha features like needing to level up characters, collecting and building a roster, and companions (similar to Palicoes) that offer stat boosts – they function a bit like Light Cones in Honkai: Star Rail.

The way you get new characters (called ‘pulls’) might be a problem for some players. While games like Neverness to Everness are making it easier to get the characters you want, Outlanders uses a system where you have a 50/50 chance of getting the character you’re aiming for. If you lose that 50/50 chance, the next premium character you pull is guaranteed, but it usually takes around 100 pulls – and a bit of luck – to get there.

It’s hard to evaluate the game’s spending system right now since it’s still in testing. We’ll get a better idea once the full game is released. While the guaranteed rewards are similar to other games of this type, games with a random chance system need to offer a good amount of free rewards each update. I hope the developers find a balance that makes the system fun, satisfying, and doesn’t require too much repetitive effort.

It’s funny, really. Monster Hunter Outlanders is actually the most grind-heavy MH game I’ve played! I mean, getting materials to upgrade your weapons and armor feels just like the other games, which is great, but there’s so much more. You’re constantly hunting for stuff to level up not just yourself, but your companions and anyone else you play with. Even though the game does a good job of making hunts easier, all that extra grinding can feel pretty intense, especially if you’re new to games where you collect and level up characters.

One frustrating aspect of the game is the constant level-gating. Similar to my experience with Destiny: Rising, Monster Hunter Outlanders frequently prevents you from progressing until you reach a certain level. Unlike games like NTE or those from HoYoverse, where you can enjoy a significant portion of the story before hitting a level wall, this game feels like it throws up too many obstacles. This really disrupts the flow of the game, and I hope the developers address it. Forcing players to grind repeatedly just to continue the story is never a good design choice.

Bridging Two Experiences

Generally, Monster Hunter Outlanders offers a unique take on the Monster Hunter formula. It retains core elements fans enjoy – like customizable weapons, Palicoes, collecting monster parts, and the familiar Monster Hunter story – while also introducing several gacha mechanics. These gacha systems can significantly impact the game’s flow, potentially slowing down progress for players.

Despite a few minor complaints about how some things work, Outlanders is a really beautiful and easy-to-pick-up Monster Hunter game. I definitely plan to keep playing, especially because it looks so good and the characters are well-made. Hopefully, the developers can fix the issues before the official release, because this could easily become the best Monster Hunter game on mobile.

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2026-05-08 22:36