Topic: Monster Hunter Rise

Push Square and Pure Xbox have reported on Rise rumoured to be coming to PS5/Series X and a second expansion:

https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2022/11/rumour-monster-hunter...

@Grumblevolcano Just saw that. VERY weird, if true. All I can think is that the next-gen MH home console game is running substantially behind schedule.

This would be the first time a MH game received two expansions in a row as well. Seems weird that Capcom would wait this long to reveal the existence of a second expansion.

@Grumblevolcano
Heck yes!!!

Gimme that second expansion! With the recent leak that the next MH is also coming to Switch 2, I'm perfectly OK with Rise going multiplat. All games go to all systems, as it should be.

I want more content. So bring it!

@Ralizah Could be that Rise massively outsold expectations such that Capcom wants the next MH to release on Switch 2 the same day as the other systems.

@Grumblevolcano That would align with recent rumors about the upcoming MH game, at least.

This rumor only makes sense if the next game is either delayed or launching across all console platforms simultaneously in 2024. Which would also suggest a 2024 release date for the successor, I suppose.

@Ralizah
This is true. Or at least, 2024 at the latest. Basically, Switch 2 should be out by the time the next MH drops. Doesn't necessarily need to be a launch title, but the system does need to be available to be day and date (which I expect it will be).

Just imagine what else they could bring to Rise. Oh my gosh. We could still get Ahtal Ka. Gogmazios. All the big endgame monsters that were MIA in Sunbreak.

It does beg the question though- with how robust the endgame currently is, will a new expansion add difficulty beyond that? It would kinda have to, right? Unless it's just another master rank expansion different monsters.

@EaglyTheKawaiiShika
Not like the experience would be any different anyways. Aside from having to pay $60/yr to play online. And it'll likely be $60 too. So... not sure why anyone would want to play on PS5 instead of PC/Switch. For PS only gamers it makes sense, but the versions currently available are cheaper and offer advantages that won't be present on PS

@EaglyTheKawaiiShika
Pretty sure it'll be the same as the PC version graphically.

Wait, are we sure it was said another expansion is coming? And not that the base game would release, and then afterward Sunbreak?

Cause I'm starting to think a 2nd expansion is not in the cards.

I highly doubt another expansion is happening, if another MH is coming, it's MH5 or a spinoff game of some kind.

@CJD87 I started the game out with the Long sword, and while I liked it, I wasn’t a huge fan of the lack of speed. I actually switched to the dual blades, and those have felt way better for me. I prefer quicker combat styles, so this weapon seems to be right up my alley, at least for now.

The game is starting to make more sense to me now. I was completely overwhelmed with tutorials, gear, and weapons starting out. But at the point where I’m at, I’m at least feeling comfortable with the base mechanics. The combat feels awesome and the customization is super in-depth, and that’s really all I care about. I’m planning on going on a couple of free roams (or whatever they’re called) in the first area to grab some monster parts to craft some Wroggi armor. Might do a few online hunts as well to pick up on some skills from other people.

Definitely starting to feel the game pulling me in… even though I probably know a small fraction of everything it has to offer. I have a feeling this might be a huge timesink for me!

@StarPoint
I would caution you against that, actually.

Everyone, and I do mean everyone feels like weapons are "slower" when they first start playing MH, because they're used to action games. But the entire cadence of MH is built upon managing animation frames. Every weapon has a time commitment for a single button press attack. It's a game where you absolutely never just mash a button carelessly without knowing exactly what attack you're doing, and exactly how long its going to take to play out (this is why it's so crucially important to know your weapon and its combos).

The monsters also have animation frames. Seeing a tell, you must estimate how long you have to get out of the way. Or how much time you have to attack. Sharpening, healing, eating steaks, etc, all have animation commitments.

While Dual Blades may feel closest to what you're used to in other games in terms of minimal animation commitments and anticipation windup of moves, they kind of go directly counter to the entire rest of the game, instilling bad habits like button mashing without knowing exactly what move you're committing to before you commit. Imo, they're short term comfort now at the price of long term improvement as a player. They also dull twice as quick as other weapons due to faster attack rate, which means stopping to sharpen mid fight or continuing to fight while doing much less damage, causing the hunt to take longer. They also have horrible reach for cutting off monster tails (blunt weapons are good for breaking horns and stuff, severing weapons are good for tail cuts).

The best way to acclimate is to use a weapon with a more normal animation frame time commitment. Great Sword is what I'm using for Sunbreak and it's one of my favorites but admittedly, it's not the best for a new player because it'll feel a little too slow.

Long Sword is actually one of the faster weapons in the game, so you really want to at least acclimate to that until it "feels fast" to you. And, it will once you play enough and just get used to everything. Using a weapon like Long Sword is great for learning as each slice is purposeful with intent. The Rise iteration of it is based on countering though.

I think Switch Axe is a fabulous weapon that's a good middle ground, and the best part is, it's the funnest weapon to use in Rise by consensus. It's a more complex weapon but nothing a YT tutorial and a bit of practice in the training area can't overcome.

I don't wanna discourage you too much from using Dual Blades because they can be a really fun weapon, but I do think it's important to get to a point other weapons don't "feel slow" and using DB isn't going to speed up that process, in fact it's going to prolong it.

I guess, I'd recommend watching this video from HeyJay. He tried Rise when it launched and said it wasn't for him. "It felt too slow and clunky". But the community encouraged him to give it another go and now he's a diehard fan with 3 games under his belt and his entire channel is dedicated to the series. He reviews his original "Why I'm not buying MH Rise" video and reacts to his initial thoughts with the benefit of experience and hindsight. I think it'll help you as some of his thoughts when he was a new player may be similar to some of your thoughts now, and his new perspective after becoming a veteran player might help you see things a bit differently

Here it is:

@JaxonH Gotcha, thanks for the advice. At this point, I think I'm still just testing out all of the different weapons to see which one I like the most, but I do think it makes sense to go with the "slower" weapons just so I can get more accustomed to the play style. I will probably switch back to the long sword for now since I was doing pretty well with that weapon anyway.

I'll definitely give that video a watch, though. My initial impressions of the game are very positive, but I am absolutely willing to gain more advice and recommendations.

@StarPoint
What got me hopelessly addicted back in MH3U was the sheer unending depth of the game. It felt like nomatter how much I learned there was always more, much more, that I still didn't know.

Now, after 3,000+ hours spanning half a dozen games across 5 platforms, I finally feel like I know basically everything I need to know. Still not everything. Half the skills in this game I don't know what they do from memory without reading the description (they always add a bunch of new ones each game). There's damage values for your weapon, but they get multiplied by the sharpness modifier, and scale versus the hit zone of the monster part you attack, all of which have different motion values and those values vary by element as well, and that's not acounting for charm buffs, item buffs, skill modifiers, etc. Its an insane amount of info that goes into the damage calculation. There's a certain threshold in the calculation as well, below which your weapon will bounce, and above which your weapon will not bounce.

Though it does change slightly from game to game, I remember green sharpness is 1.05x damage, blue is 1.20x, white is 1.32x and purple is 1.40x. I keep a calculator handy so I can compare attack values between weapons of different sharpness colors (though at endgame I only use purple).

But ya, a huge chunk of the fun is the seemingly neverending depth. You'll soak up knowledge like a sponge the first month or two you play.

I just loved fighting bosses, and back when Tri was announced for the Wii, someone on here told me that the series was basically just a boss battle simulator. That's all it took me to get into it. lol

@JaxonH The Push Square article says that: "Another expansion on top of Sunbreak is apparently also coming in spring 2023." But going to the source, I see nothing that alludes to the existence of a second expansion, so I'm not sure where they're getting that information.

@JaxonH Yeah I am super impressed by just how involved every feature is. Like you get certain monster parts from trapping, and in order to trap them, you need a pitfall trap and a tranquilizer, and in order to get those, you need to harvest certain resources and craft other things… etc. etc. It’s pretty time-consuming but it feels great when you pull off something. I just trapped a Great Wroggi for the first time actually.

Hopefully certain aspects and features become clearer over time as well. There are still a lot of things that I’m unsure of but I think I’ll become familiar with them as they become more relevant.

@StarPoint Jaxon makes a good point re Dual Blades...

Don't get me wrong, they are a viable weapon for sure - but I fell into a real 'trap' by using them as my first weapon in Rise, as they made me play the game like Devil May Cry...! (when MHR is far more nuanced in its combat, and reliant on reading Monster tells/animations + punishing during relevant openings)

I see a lot of people online at Master Rank playing DB.... but I see a ton more playing Long Sword! Long Sword seems to be a more popular weapon, albeit I am always told Sword&Shield is perfect for beginners (I've not played S&S personally, can't vouch)

But for sure watch a lot of YT beginner videos on your chosen weapon, and learn the mechanics.

Always ask on here if you have questions, guys are more than happy to help!

@Ralizah
Ya, as suspected then. Nothing to get excited over. It's just a late port of what already exists.

They might squeeze a couple million extra sales out of this, but without cross play, and with the vast majority of MH fans already having bought and played through the game, and without PS/Xbox offering any real advantages over Switch/PC and not having the "ooh, ahh" graphics those gamers like, and being so late, I suspect the online will be abysmal after a few months. Even PC version is hard to find lobbies.

Ah well. I am so totally hooked on the game again. This title update changed everything. I'm up to MR 79, working toward 100, and then 120 and 140. This is the game that never ends, and I love it.

@StarPoint
Congrats. It feels good when you accomplish things like that. Back in the day we didn't have little blue icons that told us when a monster could be capped. We had to watch for the limp or wait for them go back to their nest to sleep. There was a skill called Capture Master, I believe, that showed an icon when they were ready to be trapped. Ever since World though they've given an icon.