Even more information on the newly announced console game.

More details on Capcom’s newly announced Monster Hunter: World have come out via E3 2017 interviews published by Game Watch and Dengeki Online.

Here are all the notable tidbits:

Planning included, the development period has been about four years.

The game engine is a reworked, next-generation MT Framework. It has been tuned up quite a bit, and although it is not the official name, they call it the “World Engine.”

As for why they’re making this, there were a lot of requests to play Monster Hunter on a home console, especially PlayStation 4.

Capcom combined the good parts of what it has cultivated so far with the existing concept of proper monster ecosystem depiction to create the concept of Monster Hunter: World. So this is a Monster Hunter game through and through. With that as the base, Capcom is putting in gameplay systems in the manner of, “let’s add this” or “let’s change here.”

The subtitle, “World,” means that it can be played worldwide, and that you can jump into the world of Monster Hunter as a hunter. That is the concept. As it is time to reevaluate Monster Hunter, they’re putting game concepts in titles instead of numbers. Monster Hunter: World feels like a numbered title.

There are currently no plans for a Switch version.

There are 14 weapon types.

The size of each field you visit during quests is 2.5-times the size of previous Monster Hunter fields. Each area is seamlessly connected and appears as one giant field.

Capcom is making an environment with dense fields, where things will happen and you’ll make various discoveries by simply walking around.

With the game being seamless, you cannot use methods such as “escaping to the next area to get yourself in order,” so they’re lightening up on actions such as recovering and eating while walking and mid-action cancellations.

The monster ecosystem has, to some extent, a hierarchical relationship. Since each monster has their own territory, they usually do not interfere with one another, but it is possible to lure them out of their territory and run into another monster. By making use of the environment like this, you can hunt while limiting the use of items and such. Rathalos stands at the top of the hierarchy in the ancient forest area seen in the trailer.

There are several base camps. You can also fast travel to move instantly.

You can change your equipment at base camps, even if you are in the middle of a quest.

The game proceeds in the same cycle of previous games, where you enter the field as a quest to achieve your objective. Achieving your objective will yield rewards.

There is a “Guidance Insect” that plays the role of a hunting dog. The Guidance Insect will tell you of usable items and traces of monsters (footprints, scratches, etc.) in the area, and following those traces will lead you to the whereabouts of that monster. The more traces there are, the clearer the guidance. Also, if you tag a place, the insect will guide you until you get there.

There is a greater emphasis on environmental dependence in that there are natural traps, falling rocks, small animals, plants that have recovery effects, plants that spread poison, and so on. For example, there are places where fallen trees bring the river to a stop, and if you free the water by destroying those trees with bombs or Rathalos’ breath, you can use that current to push monsters off of the cliff.

Hunters have a new piece of equipment called the “Slinger,” which can be used to shoot fruits and stones. Until now, it was necessary to select and use items like stones one by one, but this way is much simpler. The Slinger can also perform a wire action. However, in a place that fully supports it and under the right conditions you can use the wire to perform an aerial recovery when being blown away.

As for multiplayer, in addition to the previous way of doing it, there is also a drop-in system that allows anyone to jump in after you already started playing. When you’re in a difficult situation, you can send out an S.O.S. flare to call for help.

While you can match with players across the world, you can also only target your own country. (Editor’s Note: This is a Japanese interview, and they said you can target Japan, but we assume that means you can limit your search to your own country as well.)

The new monster that appeared in the trailer is called Angenaph. It is a warlike creature that attacks other monsters without hesitation. You won’t know its name at first during the game, but you’ll come to learn it as you gather its traces.

The yellow monster from the trailer is called Dosjugglus, and its smaller types are Jugglus. Dosjugglus leads a pack of Jugglus, has a heavy appetite, and is quarrelsome when hungry. It swallows up the prey it kills and gives what it spits out to its pack. If you attack it while it is eating its prey, Dosjugglus will spit it out.

When hiding yourself from monsters, you can do so in a clump of bushes or through a special equipment called the Ghillie Mantle. Since the Ghillie Mantle hides any indication of your presence, you can use it to safely replenish your items.

Damage numbers are displayed as a result of feedback that the parts where attacks are effective, attributes, and weakened states are difficult to understand by the monster’s behavior alone. While there was the idea of adding an HP bar, they wanted to preserve the element of judging a monster’s condition through its appearance, so they just added damage numbers.

If you missed it yesterday, read up on some more details here.

Monster Hunter: World is due out for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in early 2018, and PC later. In Japan, it will only launch for PlayStation 4.

Thanks, Games Talk.