Cute, charming characters that look like they belong in ‘Animal Crossing,’ yet giant, terrifying monsters straight out of ‘Monster Hunter.’ A game with such a unique and intriguing blend has arrived. This is the story of ‘Monster Fantasy,’ a new title currently in development by the Chinese game company Perfect World Games.
‘Monster Fantasy’ is an action RPG combined with life simulation elements. It layers ‘Animal Crossing’-style life content and a Western fantasy world where dragons and magic coexist on top of ‘Monster Hunter’-style hunting action. The team’s winning strategy is to bridge these two genres rather than focusing solely on hunting or village building.
Perfect World Games held a media briefing, demo, and Q&A session for ‘Monster Fantasy’ at the Bilibili First Look event. With producer Ling in attendance, the team answered various questions regarding story length, class and equipment systems, content volume, the intent behind introducing the Mage class, the pet system, behind-the-scenes details of their small-team development, part destruction, business models, and how they plan to select their flagship monster. Below is a summary of the key Q&A from the event.
Q. What is the length and depth of the story in ‘Monster Fantasy’.
“ It follows the classic JRPG structure where a hero saves the world. However, we have added various experiments to ensure the story doesn’t feel flat, and we have prepared many unexpected twists. Compared to ‘Monster Hunter,’ the volume is much larger. It is not a patchwork of hunting quests but a narrative closer to a traditional RPG, where every NPC in the game has their own independent backstory.
Q. Can you enjoy the game without engaging in combat, focusing solely on life content?
“ Absolutely. NPC villagers serve not only as quest givers but also as companions to the user. Players can assign various tasks to NPCs, enabling them to handle areas of weakness or tasks they prefer not to do. However, not all NPCs excel in combat. The game will feature a commission quest system where NPCs can gather materials for the user in exchange for gold or rewards. Be aware though, NPCs sent to battle can perish in combat.
Q. Your game combines a realistic setting with cartoon-style characters, which is unconventional. What led to this decision?
“ Our aim was to create a visually unique experience that hasn’t been seen before by a global audience. After testing various concepts, we settled on this combination based on user feedback from around the world. The realistic background was chosen to showcase real-time weather and time changes effectively. Weather impacts boss ecology, with some bosses appearing only in specific climates, and in-game time mirrors real-world time. On the other hand, the cartoon-style characters were selected to make the game feel more accessible to players of all ages, moving away from a heavy, hardcore action game impression.
Q. Your team has managed to achieve a high level of completion despite being small. Can you share more about your development timeline and strengths?
“ Despite our small size, our core developers are experienced veterans in creating large-scale games. We are a team passionate about action and simulator games. While the actual build development took around 3 to 4 months, the planning and preparation phase spanned several years. We started testing the combat system with a pre-demo build in 2023 and have spent over two years exploring the integration of combat and life content. The most time-consuming aspect of our development process is revising and refining plans, but our thorough preparation has helped minimize wastage. Currently, our focus is on refining details like impact, control responsiveness, and visual effects.
Q. Is your game a packaged product or an online service?
“ Our game is a package (purchase-type) title available for purchase on PC via Steam. It is not solely an online live service. However, similar to ‘Palworld,’ it does support multiplayer and co-op modes, allowing players to team up with friends for hunting missions based on the package purchased.
Q. Do you have a flagship monster that embodies the essence of the game?
“ Instead of arbitrarily choosing a flagship monster, we have designed each boss to have its own unique ecology, behavior patterns, and personality. The final flagship monster will be selected based on user feedback and preferences after multiple tests. We aim to involve the players in this decision-making process.
Q. Is there a romance system with NPCs in the game?
“ The inclusion of a romance system with NPCs is currently under consideration. Its inclusion in the official version has not been confirmed yet.
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