An interesting sight has started appearing online in Time to Hunt (Chinese name: 狩猎时刻 ), a game that clearly aims to be Monster Hunter but on mobile.
In the gameplay trailer posted on its website, the game clearly takes many cues from the popular monster-hunting RPG, with very similar attack animations and weapon classes.
It’s not all about hunting monsters though, as the game also contains farming sim elements as you tend to your garden and breed pets.
The game appears to be published by Bilibili, a Chinese social media and video sharing site. The game itself is developed by 10 Heroes.
While it looks like the game will contain MMO-like elements, it seems to be sticking to the Monster Hunter ethos of 4-man hunts.
Of course, this does bring up the recurring discussion of homage vs plagiarism. Many of the moves in the game look almost directly lifted from Monster Hunter, such as this particular weapon bearing a more than striking resemblance to the latter’s Rathalos Longsword.
That being said, the game does add plenty new, such as a boomerang-type weapon class. You could also argue for the game’s unique art sets it apart from Monster Hunter, though it does evoke another popular Chinese RPG, Genshin Impact.
Regardless, Chinese fans don’t seem all that bothered by it, as they’ve shown their support by pre-registering for the game, unlocking various rewards for when the game finally launches.