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. It is quite unique to have a Mage class in a 'Monster Hunter'-style game. What is the background behind the appearance of the Mage class?

" There are two reasons. First is the world-building. In a Western fantasy setting where dragons and magic coexist, the Mage is an essential, classic class. Second is expanding the user base. Rather than sticking only to hardcore action, we included a class that fights relatively safely from a distance, allowing users with different skill levels or preferences to find a playstyle that suits them.

Q. I see four classes currently. Will there be more in the official version? Is the combat focused on combinations between classes.

" There are four classes in the current build, and we plan to expand to four or five for the official version. Each class has a different mechanism: the Warrior focuses on switching between offense and defense, the Mage on elemental combination magic, the Archer on long-range precision aiming, and the Warrior (Musa) on movement-based evasion. Weapons are fixed and tied entirely to each class. We designed it so that you can defeat all bosses and enjoy the content with just a single class. However, if you play in multiplayer combined with other classes, you can achieve a much richer combat experience through skill chains and cooperation.

Q. Please introduce the equipment system in detail. Are there equipment-specific skills.

" Our core focus is the 'User DIY Equipment System.' Users can freely research, produce, and manufacture equipment. Beyond the basic combinations provided by the developers, you can create your own custom equipment by combining various materials obtained in-game. Equipment is designed to replicate the characteristics of bosses in both appearance and stats, and the official version will feature many equipment-specific skills to add depth to combat.

Q. How is the life content structured.

" It is broadly divided into two paths. One is production-based play, such as equipment crafting, cooking, and potion making. The other is gathering-based play, similar to survival-building genres, such as logging, mining, and fishing. You can build your village using provided basic designs or build it with complete freedom. Each NPC villager has their own appearance and personality, and users choose which ones to recruit for their village.

Q. I heard there is a pet system. How does it work.

" After defeating a large boss, you can capture it and make it your pet. Pets evolve from childhood to adulthood. Once evolved, they can become mounts to explore various regions of the game and also assist in combat.

Q. It is a structure that combines life content and combat. I am curious about the total volume and playtime. How many bosses are there.

" It varies greatly depending on playstyle. If you enjoy all content deeply—combat, production, gathering, and socializing—it will take at least 50 hours, and it will be shorter if you focus only on specific content. For users who craft their own equipment and research settings, the playtime will be much longer. We are aiming for about 50 types of boss monsters for the official release version.

Q. I saw the boss' outer shell breaking. Is this an actual part destruction system.

" It is not just a visual effect; it is a functional physical part destruction system. The demo's Beetle Turtle boss has a shell as hard as rock, and you can target and destroy specific parts. Before and after the armor is destroyed, the type damage the boss takes and its hit-zone ratings change completely, and the destroyed part has significantly lower defense. Also, a boss with a broken shell will, under certain conditions, burrow into the ground and absorb surrounding rocks to regenerate a new shell.

Q. Is it possible to play without engaging in combat at all, focusing only on life content.

" Yes, it is possible. NPC villagers are not just quest providers; they act as the user's companions. Users can assign different jobs to NPCs, allowing them to handle areas the user is weak in or prefers not to do. However, not all NPCs are skilled in combat. The official version will include a commission quest system. If you assign a mission to a NPC, they will gather materials, and the user pays them in gold or rewards. However, NPCs sent out to hunt can die during combat.

Q. You combined a realistic background with cartoon-style characters. This is the opposite of typical matching; is there a reason.

" We wanted to create a unique visual that users around the world haven't seen before. We tested several drafts and confirmed this combination through global user preference tests. There is a clear reason for choosing a realistic background: it is only under realistic lighting that real-time weather and time changes are dramatically revealed. Weather is not just a visual effect; it is linked to boss ecology, where some appear only in specific climates, and in-game time is synchronized with real-world time. On the other hand, we kept the characters cartoon-styled to remove the impression of a heavy, hardcore action game and lower the entry barrier for all age groups.

Q. I know you are a small team, but I was surprised by the high level of build completion. Could you introduce your development period and strengths.

" Although the team is small, all core developers are veterans who have made large-scale games. We are a group of people who enjoy action and simulator games. While the period spent developing the build in earnest after forming the team was only about 3 to 4 months, the planning and preparation period before that spanned several years. We verified the combat system with a pre-demo build starting in 2023 and have been researching the fusion of combat and life content for over two years. The most time-consuming part of development is overturning and redoing plans, but we reduced that waste through thorough preparation. We are currently focusing on polishing details like impact, control responsiveness, and visual effects.

Q. Is the business model a package or an online service.

" It is a package (purchase-type) game purchased via PC Steam. It is not a full online-only live service. However, similar to 'Palworld,' it supports multiplayer and co-op, where you can open a room and hunt together with friends based on the package.

Q. Is there a flagship monster that represents the game.

" We do not intend to decide that arbitrarily. We are designing every boss to have its own unique ecology, patterns, and personality. We plan to select the final flagship monster based on which one users find most attractive after several tests. We want to decide it together with the users.

Q. Is there also a romance system with NPCs.

" It is a system currently under review. It has not yet been confirmed whether it will be included in the official version.