Image: Niantic
There are few game titles more literal than Monster Hunter. This is a world filled with monsters, and your job is to hunt them. But what makes the series so engrossing is the gameplay loop tied to those hunts: the way you prepare by collecting the right gear, weapons, and potions; how you spend time studying your target before heading into battle; and finally, using the downed monster to craft better gear so you can take on even more challenging beasts. It’s a long and involved process but also one that feels so satisfying when you pull it off.
Monster Hunter Now, a collaboration between Capcom and Pokémon Go developer Niantic, attempts to take that formula and streamline it into something that works in short bursts on your phone. In a…