'Monster Hunter World' launching beta in December, includes surprise for PS4 owners

Screenshot from the "Monster Hunter World" trailerPlayStation's YouTube Channel

"Monster Hunter World" will launch its beta on Dec. 9, ahead of the role-playing game's release.

The beta test will be accessible to players on all platforms, but players who own a PlayStation 4 will be in for a small surprise. PS4 players will have the chance to play the game as Aloy, the heroine of the action role-playing game "Horizon Zero Dawn."

In an interview with Polygon, the game's producer, Ryozo Tsujimoto revealed that they have been working on improving upon the previous games and have been trying to make things run smoother. Examples of these are the retooled third-person shooting controls, improved scout files, and they even added a small tracking mechanic that will assist players having difficulty keeping track of the game's map.

The tracking mechanic allows the hunter to catch a scent, get a hint on where the monster is, and find out whether or not they are going in the right direction.

Similar to the other games in the "Monster Hunter" franchise, "Monster Hunter World" will be a game about players going toe-to-toe with strange and horrific beasts, some larger and more terrifying than others.

"Monster Hunter" has always been an action role-playing game about slaying monsters and in "Monster Hunter World," players will once again be jumping into the shoes of a hunter. Players will go on quests to earn experience, craft stronger weapons and sturdier armor, and travel across various different habitats to slay a slew of different and unique monsters with their own sets of strengths and weaknesses.

"Monster Hunter World" aims to be the ultimate hunting experience and according to the official website, players will be able to use most of the things at their disposal to aid them in combat. Set in a place called the New World, an organization called The Commission is out to pursue an elder dragon by the name of Zorah Magdaros.

"Monster Hunter World" will be released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on Jan. 26, 2018. A PC version will be released at a later date.