Monster Hunter 4 rampaging early 2013 in Japan

As part of its Japanese Summer Jam event, Capcom has announced that a new Monster Hunter game is in the works. According to a recent teaser, Monster Hunter 4 will be released exclusively for the 3DS in spring 2013 in Japan.

The sequel will take place in an as-yet-unnamed open world, where players will need to defeat large monsters and craft weapons. Unlike previous games in the series, Monster Hunter 4 appears to put a greater emphasis on platforming, with walls and cliffs now more easily scaled by players. Hunters have also been given the ability to grab any part of a giant monster and slash at them. Monsters introduced in previous games, including the wyverns, rathalos, and tigrex, will make return appearances.

The most recent Monster Hunter title from Capcom was Monster Hunter 3 G for the 3DS. The game was launched on December 10 last year and featured downloadable event quests and 3DS StreetPass functionality, as well as a target camera feature that centres the player's perspective on nearby large monsters.