Monster Hunter Outlanders - Five things to do, and five things NOT to do when you start

• Monster Hunter Outlanders offers a full-fledged mobile version of the adventure hit
• But, it can be more than a little intimidating for newcomers and veterans alike
• Here's my personal top five do's and do-not's for getting started in Monster Hunter Outlanders!

With Monster Hunter Outlanders offering a sprawling open world to explore, it can all seem a bit overwhelming at first, especially for newcomers. Whether that’s a Monster Hunter game specifically, or even the third-person action-adventure RPG genre as a whole! So, to help you get introduced, there are some do’s and don’ts that you should take into account.

Having played more than a few ARPGs in my time, and with a decent grasp of what MHO is all about, after having gone hands-on with it ahead of launch, here are my top five do-and-don’ts for Monster Hunter Outlanders!

Do…

• Pay attention to the tutorial: Whether it’s field events or taking advantage of monster weak points, Monster Hunter Outlanders faithfully recreates many aspects of the original. And if you’re not already familiar with Monster Hunter, this can leave you feeling like a fish out of water, so pay attention to the tutorial!
  


• Pick a simple weapon first: To start off, don’t go picking a random weapon because you think it looks cool. A greatsword, for example, may look nice and hit like a truck, but that long wait between swings isn’t just for a show. Something like the longsword isn’t flashy, but it’s much faster, more forgiving and a far better pick until you get the hang of combos and timing.

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• Claim your pre-registration mail: Monster Hunter Outlanders isn’t what I’d call pay-to-win, but it definitely helps to have some goodies on hand to make up for any deficits. If you pre-registered, be sure to head into your mailbox to grab your rewards, and if not, you can still get some bonuses for downloading in-game resource packs.
  


• Use ziplines and launchers: This is something you’ll learn early on if you’re paying attention to the tutorial, but ziplines and other buildings are key to getting around the world of Monster Hunter Outlanders. It’s hard to ignore them, but if you’re having trouble reaching a high ledge, see if you can place one nearby to get up there.
  


• Make use of your buddies: Aside from being adorable, your buddies are key to helping out in combat, providing damage and other abilities. Those extra hits can be crucial for bringing down the tougher monsters, or at least for finding pinpoint weak spots.

Don’t…

• Pick Classic Mode right at the start: If you’re like me, and you hate simple controls, you might immediately go for Classic mode. But player beware, because Classic really does offer a challenge, and the lack of visual warning when a monster is about to attack can turn a relatively easy fight into a slog. Start off with Adventure, or at the very least prepare yourself for a steep learning curve.
  


• Simply swing at monsters: Again, MH fans will already know this, but newcomers might not. It’s Monster HUNTER, after all, not monster ‘hit it until it goes down.’ Specific monsters have weak points you can attack for massive damage or to negate their special abilities. The lock-on system will allow you to easily target them, so make use of that!

• Ignore the encyclopedia: Forgotten something? Don’t know anything about a monster? Check the guide because whatever you ignore will come back to bite you, sometimes literally. Each monster has different abilities, and if you ignore them or just assume you can get by with sheer brute force, you'll be headed back to camp in no time flat.
  


• Ignore crafting: Again, as with ziplines, this is genuinely hard to ignore. But I know some of you may scoff at the crafting menu. However, as longtime MH players know, you’ll need to craft much of what you need with resources gathered in the field. Simple healing potions, antidotes, and ways to survive extreme heat or cold will be a literal lifesaver.
  


• Ignore your friends: No, this isn’t some roundabout way of asking you to take a break every now and then. But be sure to check out the multiplayer features, like guilds. They aren’t just a simple checklist topic, but great for social play, including competitive dance features of all things. So be sure to check out the co-op game modes too!

And with that, you should be equipped with the basics to get started in Monster Hunter Outlanders! If you’re just making the jump to mobile for MHO, then first off, welcome! And if you want more Monster Hunter on mobile, check out our list of MH mobile games for more.

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