Monster Hunter Rise review

Capcom’s latest entry in the long-running, action-packed Monster Hunter franchise has a lot to live up to. The most recent entry before that, Monster Hunter: World and its massive expansion “Iceborne,” was a huge success for the Japanese developer/publisher. Monster Hunter: World is essentially a soft reboot for the series, bringing in newcomers and introducing exciting new mechanics to bring hunting veterans back. Monster Hunter Rise is meant to be a continuation of those improvements, and while the game doesn’t reach the same high numbers as World and Iceborne, it still manages to be another unique title for the franchise. Even though it’s a Switch exclusive (for now), Monster Hunter Rise is a gorgeous title on Nintendo’s hybrid system. No, it doesn’t have the same visual fidelity as World, but thanks to the incredible RE Engine from Capcom, the game runs like a dream and has faster loading times than World. The Japanese theme of the new hub area, Kamura Village, and the five surrounding areas are smaller than the World, hence the faster loading time, but it allows hunters to chase monsters faster, without having to explore a large area for minutes at a time. By talking to one of the NPCs in the bustling village, players can create a lobby, join another lobby, or even scroll through their friend list to find friends who are currently online. Unlike other Switch games, players can invite a friend to join their lobby, without the need for a separate application. This improvement to Monster Hunter is greatly appreciated and just goes to show that Capcom has really gone out of its way to make this entry less time consuming than previous titles. Sure, players still have to get used to repeatedly hunting certain monsters, but getting the perfect materials for armor sets and most-wanted weapons isn’t a drag, especially since most of the main quest can be completed in approximately 10-15 minutes. Something new in Monster Hunter Rise is the Wirebug mechanics, and they really change the game – not only in terms of traversal but also in combat. By using these recoverable bugs, players can now zip through the sky and get to areas faster, and since the areas are full of high cliffs and mountains, it is necessary if players want to find the endemic life scattered throughout the areas. These can be things like temporary attack and defense boosts, frogs that can be used to poison monsters, and even a skunk that can lure monsters to the player’s location. These Wirebugs are one of the best things to ever happen to Monster Hunter, and once players get used to them, they’ll wonder how they ever played the series without them. Climbing walls to get to the top of a cliff continues to be enjoyable and rewarding. Being able to look at a monster from a high vantage point and then proceed to jump down to smack it in the face is honestly an incredible feeling. And as mentioned before, these bugs are a great asset during battle and are also used to unleash new, technical attacks called Switch Skills. Each of the 14 weapon types in Monster Hunter Rise has a set of skills that players can switch between, but each weapon will have two at a time. For example, a weapon like the Hunting Horn can use two Wirebugs to unleash a powerful, but slow attack that pierces the monster and attaches them with a wire. These attacks are often very dramatic and spectacular, very similar to the Hunter Arts from Monster Hunter Generations. These abilities are not only flashy and powerful, but they really help encourage players to experiment with all the game’s weapons and try out all the different Move Skills. For players out there who are used to focusing on one weapon, it’s now easier than ever to try out all types of weapons. Since monster materials and parts are easier to obtain, the ability to craft different types of weapons is feasible and the game definitely encourages players to do so. Since the difficulty for Monster Hunter Rise is on the easier side, at least until players reach high-ranking quest lines, players can use a weapon that is a bit weaker than they are used to and they are not overwhelmed. The big monsters aren’t too threatening, which makes things simpler for newcomers and makes the series more approachable. Quality of life features like auto-crafting and unlimited Whetstones return from World, and there are more features to make things more user-friendly, such as being able to recover from an attack with the Wirebug or see the big monsters. ‘ locations without needing to track prints or throw paintballs. Even if the difficulty isn’t what die-hard fans may be looking for, Monster Hunter Rise is undeniably the most accessible title in the series to date. Its systems and mechanics will be confusing for brand new players at first, but once they really get into it and know what it’s all about, players can look forward to a thrilling and exciting experience in hunting with so much content to offer. And with free title updates coming from Capcom, there will be more adventures to join and monsters to hunt. It’s not the ultimate World and Iceborne package, but the compact nature of Monster Hunter Rise feels perfect on the Switch and will certainly serve as a blueprint for future entries. Monster Hunter Rise is now available for Nintendo Switch. A PC port will be released in 2022. Today Technology was provided with a code for this review. MORE: Monster Hunter Rise: Complete Guide for Tips, Tricks, and General Help