Monster Hunter World's PC release may still be a few months away, but players looking for a fun alternative can now take down towering monsters together in Dauntless. Phoenix Labs' free-to-play action RPG has entered open beta, meaning everyone can download and begin playing it free of charge--although you may have some trouble connecting to it at the moment.

Like Capcom's monster-slaying series, Dauntless puts players in the role of Slayers, and they must work together to hunt ferocious Behemoths that are draining the Shattered Isles of their aether. Up to four players are able to band together and take on the monsters, using an array of different weapon types and armor.

Those looking to jump into the game can download it for free from its official website; however, like many online titles at launch, Dauntless is currently experiencing some technical issues. Many players are reportedly having trouble connecting to the server, with queue wait times estimated to last an hour or longer. Phoenix Labs has acknowledged the issues on Twitter, saying it is "working to resolve issues with matchmaking."

Phoenix Labs says that Dauntless and all of its future expansions will remain free-to-play, but players will also have the option to purchase customization items for their Slayers. However, the developer stress that these will strictly be cosmetic in nature and won't have any bearing on the gameplay. Likewise, Dauntless does not offer any type of loot boxes to purchase.

We had an opportunity to go hands-on with Dauntless at PAX East 2018 last month. In the video above, you can see us team up with several developers from Phoenix Labs to take on Shrike, a giant owl-like monster that makes its home in a forest.