This encounter felt fated. Written in the stars. Ever since the Nintendo Switch was revealed in late 2016, one pervasive thought has been: “How great is Monster Hunter going to be?” While we saw the release of Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate in 2018, it was just a port of the 3DS title that was previously Japan-exclusive; it hadn’t been built from the ground-up with the Nintendo Switch in mind. But Monster Hunter Rise is different; as a flagship title in the series, it’s the first one to land on Nintendo Systems in over six years, since the release of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. But unlike the aforementioned spin-off title, it comes with heaps of quality-of-life changes that were previously seen in Monster Hunter: World, and much more.
Boasting over 30 monsters in its roster, rivalling the original release of Monster Hunter: World, Rise looks to shake up the usual 'hunt, carve, craft and repeat' cycle with a few new significant tricks up its sleeve that completely change how you play the game.
In Monster Hunter: Rise, you pick from one of the 14 different weapon types and use it to bash a monster while out in its open-ended, living, breathing habitats. Each monster is structured to be its own standalone boss fight, meaning that they’re equipped with wildly different attacks, strengths, and weaknesses. Monster Hunter: Rise introduces the new Wyvern Riding mechanic, where you’re able to take the reins and ride a monster, using their attacks to hit another monster or topple them after slamming them into walls. We never once felt bored while hammering down each of the monsters. One welcome change in comparison to its direct predecessor, Monster Hunter: World, is that Rise has accommodated varied types of monster skeleton, and by proxy, different types of Monster.
You’re not going to be facing 17 different types of dragons; instead, we have fire-breathing spiders, ethereal water lizards, a big bear who just loves to eat your honey, and much, much more. That’s just a selection of the different types of beasts that you’ll be tasked with taking down, as we don’t want to spoil the really cool stuff in this review. But, needless to say, every monster fight feels unique, different, and much more varied than its most direct predecessor, which is no small task. This is in part assisted by some of the newcomers to the roster of beasts, which were partially inspired by the "Yokai" of Japanese folklore.
The Bishaten, for example, is inspired by a Tengu, liberally adapting the forms that the Yokai have taken through Japanese mythology and truly representing them through their own Monster Hunter lens. There are other examples of this, with numerous other monsters in the game, and through the review process it’s been a joy to delve into the real-life lore and history behind what has inspired our fifth-generation Monster Hunter newcomers – this level of detail is something that’s often not seen in terms of creature design. There’s no throwaway “big ugly creature” here; they’re all incredibly carefully considered and designed. It doesn’t stop there; even the weapons you can craft from these gargantuan beasts are as varied as the monsters themselves.
Each weapon you take into the field with you is, in itself, a microcosm of the game. While we used our tried-and-true Switch Axe for most of the review process, each weapon feels like you’re almost playing a completely different game. The best analogue would be to compare it to different characters in a fighting game. Each one has different strengths, weaknesses, combos and even unique mechanics. But that’s all explained away in your handy hunter’s notes. Some weapons, such as the Hunting Horn, in particular, have received significant changes that players will be happy about, thanks to some streamlining and a total changeup of move set. Others, like the Switch Axe, don’t play completely differently, but have enough small tweaks to put even veteran hunters on notice.
Whatever your preferred playstyle in third-person action games – big, slow hits, a flurry of attacks or even something unique and even more complex – Monster Hunter will always have you covered. The series has previously been known for having somewhat slow, clunky combat, but the truth is that every weapon is near-perfectly balanced. The changes to ranged weapons that came in Monster Hunter: World are reflected and refined in Monster Hunter Rise, meaning that they’re much easier to use and aim, and you can even use the Switch’s gyro aiming, which feels fantastic. Those of you who know the "MonHun Hold" or "Monster Hunter Claw" will no longer have to fret – there’s no awkward nub or circle pad pro, just good, satisfying, and intuitive controls.
One extra detail that the team has clearly taken on board since the release of Monster Hunter: World is the sheer amount of variety in weapon design. In World, it would be too often that you’d see a big metal sword with a couple of feathers stuck onto it. However, Monster Hunter Rise has taken a look back to its roots to fully realise the weapon designs and the items you craft them from to properly inform their design, meaning that you can get everything from bombastic hammers to incredibly intricate weapons that actually look like the monster parts that you’ve crafted them from.
While you can easily get by on knowing how to use your weapon in a basic sense in Monster Hunter Rise, it might take external resources to learn optimal combos. Gone are the button prompts showing the moves you can follow up with in the top right corner, meaning that you’ll have to put a little bit of extra effort in to gain true mastery of your weapon(s) of choice. On top of this, there are new levels of depth to almost every weapon in Monster Hunter Rise thanks to the addition of the Wirebug.
The Wirebug is a versatile tool in your arsenal that allows you to have an additional attack that costs either one or two "stocks" from your Wirebug meter at the bottom of the screen. These moves can be changed thanks to the addition of “Switch Skills”. These are new moves for each weapon, and you can unlock three slots to change over, based on where you’re at in the game and what rarity of weapon you’ve forged.
These allow you to personalise your weapon on a scale never before seen in the Monster Hunter franchise, meaning that once you figure out your ideal loadout of Switch Skills, you’re no longer just picking up a weapon from the shelf; it’s yours, suited to your exact playstyle. Some might find success with a Switch Skill loadout that looks completely different from yours, and that’s fine. This level of depth is incredibly welcome and is a fantastic touch of extra customisation to what is already an incredibly complex game.
But, also thanks to the Wirebug, you’re also much more mobile when in the heat of battle. You gain a suite of evasive and mobility-focused moves when using the Wirebug, meaning you can run up walls, jump over hills and even avoid attacks while out in the field. This hugely changes what were previously “slow” weapons, and allows you to reposition, recover from a fall and hit back harder – and faster – than before.
Once you’ve reached high-rank and are fighting some of the more challenging monsters, you’ll see yourself using the Wirebug to its fullest potential, and incorporating it into your move sets fluidly. There is a learning process involved when first getting started with the game, but once you’ve fully adapted to using the Wirebug, it’s a significant tool in your arsenal.
Here's an example. There came a point in our playthrough where everything just clicked with the Wirebug while fighting an Almudron, one of the new Monsters for this release. It can erect massive mud structures, which you’re able to Wirebug and run on top of. We ran, and at the summit, activated the Switch Axe’s "Soaring Wyvern Blade" skill, which sent us diving towards the monster at full-force. With the axe in its fully amped-state, once the attack connected to the monster, it let off an explosion that toppled the beast, allowing us to get stuck in and dish out even more damage.
Other times, we jousted against the Tigrex using the "Invincible Gambit" Switch Skill, allowing us to move and attack during its highly-damaging roars, and stay mobile (and well-positioned) during its scrambling swipes. When fighting Magnamalo, we managed to use the Wirebug to successfully dodge out of its deadly blight-inducing hellfire attacks, and retaliate while airborne, managing to successfully trigger it to a rideable state, at which point we sent it crashing into a wall. The skill ceiling hasn't just been broken with this game – it's been utterly shattered into a million pieces, and players will be able to harness the Wirebug and Switch Skills in ways that we haven't even imagined yet. It’s at these moments where you feel like the stars have aligned, with your weapons, armour skills, Switch Skills, and Wirebug all coming together in perfect harmony. In these moments, Monster Hunter Rise really does feel like the apex of third-person action combat.
The Wirebug also gives you an extra degree of verticality in Monster Hunter Rise’s seamless open environments, something which we’ve not yet seen on a portable entry into the Monster Hunter series. It’s a breath of fresh air in comparison to Monster Hunter Generations and previous titles; you’re no longer having to sit and wait while traversing between zones, and this means that you get an extra sense of realism in the various locales of the game.
One blessing in disguise in this regard is how easy it is to parse the environments in this game. While Monster Hunter: World before it draped every nook and cranny with the highest quality environments and areas, it was fairly easy to lose your way, even if you were someone (like us) who had put hundreds of hours into the game. This has never been an issue in Monster Hunter Rise, thanks to the somewhat simpler geometry of the areas. But, make no mistake, they’re just as detailed and thriving with life, collectables and things to do. You could almost make an entirely different game out of Monster Hunter, just by going fishing, looking for all of the endemic life, or just trying to explore.
This is aided through the use of the brand-new Palamute – a rideable dog – which is able to zoom across the map, get equipped with armour, weapons, and is even somehow driftable, Initial D-Style. The addition of a Palamute is a refinement of the Raider Rides seen in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, but this time you’re in full control and are able to perform almost every action you’d usually do, but mounted. This includes sharpening up your weapon, mining for materials, and gathering up endemic life during a hunt.
In single-player, you can bring in both a Palamute and Palico, which offers similar advantages, but the Palico is not rideable and can be equipped with a different suite of skills. In Multiplayer, you’re able to select between Palico and Palamute. However, due to the sheer convenience of what the Palamute offers, it would make no sense to not bring your new best-friend along as you explore the incredible areas of Monster Hunter Rise. You’re often bathed in a sense of wonder at the environments, and that’s in part due to the Edo-era aesthetic that’s draped onto the game.
Kamura Village, your main hub in the game, is filled with characters and people that make it feel like it is indeed an old Japanese village. From the gruff Elder Fugen to Yomogi the Chef, each character brings colour and history to Kamura in a way that’s never really been represented by Monster Hunter’s previous titles. It’s not just set-dressing; this game lives and breathes in its aesthetic, and makes you really believe in the history and world, too.
Even the mechanic of eating to boost your health and stamina before a hunt has been dazzled with a Japanese twist. The Meowscular chef has been replaced by little Yomogi, who tasks two tiny Felynes to pound mochi rice to create Dango. This is accompanied by a short cutscene and charming song, and it’s these little frills and details that make Kamura, and Monster Hunter Rise’s tone in general, feel like a step back from World’s self-serious attitude – it's closer to the often goofy Monster Hunter charm of old. The attention to these smaller details is what separates Monster Hunter from many other games, and it’s clear from the final product that it’s all worthwhile.
The story in Monster Hunter Rise is nothing to really write home about, and isn’t quite as involved as the plot present in Monster Hunter 4, or Monster Hunter: World. But what it loses in plot-value, it makes up for in style and tone. Even so, some may take issue with the fact that the narrative feels lighter and slightly tacked-on by comparison. In fact, it doesn’t take that long to hit the credits at all. We recorded around 15 hours of playtime before the staff names began to roll, but don’t be fooled. There are many, many more challenges after that, which (slightly confusingly) also drive the plot of the game forward.
It’s from Kamura that you’ll gain access to the quests of Monster Hunter Rise, which is segregated into a few different types. Village, Hub, and Rampage. The Village quests are what predominantly drive the “main” story, and range from one-to-six stars in terms of their overall threat level. Multiplayer Quests are split out into the gathering hub, and with it, access to high-rank hunts – once you’ve reached the appropriate Hunter Rank, which can be increased by doing hub quests.
This split between single-player and multiplayer quests marks a departure from Monster Hunter: World’s unified quest structure, but the developers at Capcom have keenly realised that not everyone is going to be connected to the internet at all times (especially on a device like the Switch, which can be played handheld), meaning that you can’t really build out the game in the same structure as Monster Hunter: World. This means that during the course of the main plot you’ll have to fly entirely solo.
However, while in Hub Quests, you can have other hunters join you via a pre-established lobby which you can start while in Kamura, or via a “join request” which you can open to all hunters, and works similarly to the SOS Flare system from Monster Hunter: World. You can join one of these quests just by searching for a quest when in the Gathering Hub. We didn’t get the opportunity to test this too extensively before release, but while in a lobby, playing with people across the world, we experienced minimal lag while hunting on Wi-Fi.
It's worth noting that Monster Hunter Rise has no support for voice chat, even with the Switch Online app, meaning that there's no way to communicate via voice with other players. In place of this is a fairly typical chat function; while in a lobby, you can send stickers and messages. This is somewhat disappointing, as the voice chat integration present in the Wii U version of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate was a fantastic way to chat with your fellow hunters. If voice communication is an essential part of online gaming for you, then you'll have to coordinate with your team using a third-party app, like Discord.
With that said, multiplayer hunts remain a true spectacle. Every hunter can pick either a Palico or Palamute to come on a quest with them, which can mean that things can get very busy on screen, and on occasion, it becomes difficult to parse what’s actually happening, what with all the fancy graphical effects. But, the feeling of taking on monsters with a well-rounded team is peerless for a PvE experience. The game can get quite difficult when you’ve reached the later parts of high-rank, and coordinating with your fellow hunters is key to your survival.
Hub Quests have changed in comparison to older titles, however, as they now scale for the number of players in the quest, meaning that they’re not immediately defaulting to 4-player scaling like Monster Hunter 4 and Monster Hunter Generations. This is an incredibly important point as Monster Hunter is traditionally segregated into several different ranks. You start off at Low Rank, where most monsters are of a pretty minimal threat level. In High Rank, things start to get spicy when you reach the more difficult foes, such as the stunning flagship, Magnamalo. Here, you’ll find that some beasts have new moves up their sleeves (do monsters have sleeves?), and have different strategies. In Monster Hunter Rise, there’s nothing beyond high-rank presently at launch.
A welcome addition to Monster Hunter Rise is the addition of “Special License Quests”, where you’re able to access higher-level Hub quests based on your progress in the single-player Village quests. These allow you to practically ignore the low-level hub quests and skip through the quests that you’d otherwise be too overpowered for to pose a challenge until high-rank. This means that there’s no pressure in just focussing on single-player content first, before diving into high rank and the more difficult multiplayer hub quests.
With the inevitable expansion, we can expect to see G-Rank or Master Rank added in at a later date, but Capcom is already aiming to add to Monster Hunter Rise with further updates after its release. Two have been planned, with the first extra monster, Chameleos, having been announced already. Rise ends in a strange place after you clear out all of the high-rank quests, and there’s no solid 'endgame' to speak of. For many hunters, this might seem frustrating, but considering that the game is being released and has been developed in the middle of a global pandemic, it's perhaps understandable. We can surely expect to see something a little more firm as the updates begin to roll out but don’t expect a full endgame quite yet, after you exhaust all of the hub and village quests.
Until then, you can take down monsters in the brand-new “Rampage” quest, which is like a blend between an arena quest, and a tower-defence minigame. Monsters come at you in waves, with a larger beast to take down at the end of it. During the rampage, you can summon powerful NPCs and upgrade your ballistas to cannons, and eventually launch what seems to be a full-on nuke on the monster. In multiplayer in particular, these Rampages feel incredible, and after taking some time to get used to it, it felt just as rewarding as a normal quest. It gets incredibly hectic with four players placing turrets and fighting monsters during “counter-signals”, where you can get stuck in during some multi-monster madness and dish out extra damage. You can even “Ramp-up” your weapons at the smithy to add special Rampage-only skills.
While it might be hard to get used to, the Rampage quests are always accessible in the hub from fairly early on in the game, and you can even encounter “Apex” versions of monsters during these Rampages. These monsters have extra moves, health and drop different materials. You’re definitely going to want to coordinate with a team for these, and while it gets fairly busy, the Nintendo Switch barely breaks a sweat and retains a stable framerate throughout.
On performance, we found Monster Hunter Rise runs slightly better while undocked. One particular area makes the framerate chug quite a bit, but outside of that, we experienced minimal frame drops while docked and undocked. In multiplayer it can get hectic, and the framerate will begin to struggle; however, we only encountered that once in the 30+ multiplayer hunts we went on during the review process. Given how fantastic this game looks, it’s incredibly impressive that it remains as stable as it does.
Conclusion
New mechanics, monsters and a gorgeous setting make Monster Hunter Rise a new high-water mark for the franchise. The Wirebug, Switch Skills, Palamute and carefully thought-out monsters shake things up enough to make the game feel fresh for hunters who have previously spent thousands of hours with the series, and while the package could be slightly intimidating for newcomers, it's arguably the ideal place to get started if you're serious about getting into the franchise. And, with a peerless four-player multiplayer experience, the new Rampage quests are a blast. After spending some serious time with the game, it’s very easy to say that Monster Hunter Rise is one of the strongest entries into the franchise to date, and another stone-cold classic for the Nintendo Switch.
Comments 135
I'm surprised that the lighter story is a negative. They just used narrative in the previous games to move you along to the next big bad.
I'm not convinced that I'm going to enjoy this as much as previous entries that I've played but I've got it preordered digitally and I'll give it a good chance to win me over at the very least. The lack of content will be a bit of a bummer if I do get really into it but at least my backlog will appreciate it not being a 1000+ hour time sink.
Woohoo! Sounds great
I wont be getting this (on switch) so enjoy the game for those who will play it now!
Story is light? Was there a story in the other MH games??
Great review! Is the story even lighter than that of MHW?
I think there will be plenty of endgame content by the time majority of us will be done with story though, so I don't worry about it too much.
Holy crap, I honestly can't wait. 2 days and 16 hours to go.
I am curious in whoever cared about the big story in a monster hunter game, maybe the lore if you are a fan but the story? I just know MHW though so i can't really talk.
Never used Voicechat on Pc so that is fine and i guess those Updates are gonna fix Endgame in about a year.
Honestly now that there are reports of the PS Store on Vita closing I might dig into the PSP-era MH games to see what all the hype was about pre-MH3
I'm probably picking this up for PC though. The Switch footage I've seen makes the game look really muddy imo
@BenAV I have no doubt that they'll continuously add more and more monsters we'll probably see some collaboration events with Nintendo. However, yeah I think we may blast through this quicker than previous entries.
@Chunkboi79 I'm the type to usually binge a game like crazy till I'm finished with it then move onto something else so the idea of more content down the line doesn't really excite me as I might have long moved on by then.
The game really does have some amazing graphics for a Switch title.
I’ve played about 4-5 of the MH games over the years on various consoles, but MHW was the first one that really drew me in and I actually stuck with for more than 10 hours or so.
I’m interested in this one. But the demo just didn’t really strike me the same way World did, so I’m a bit hesitant to pull the trigger on it. Think I’ve gotta spend some time watching streams to get some more info and a good look at the game as a whole. Not that that’s a bad thing
Can
Not
Wait.
I'm going to be all over this game when it launches.
Good stuffs. It's going to be a fun weekend once my copy arrives.
I've got it pre ordered but I think the online game lobby is going to be a deal breaker long term, I prefer to be able to drop in and out between coop and solo modes in these "looter shooter" type games and the extra time needed to leave a game and open separate lobby is a ball ache.
On the plus side if I don't like it I can always trade it in and sell the Amiibo for a profit.
never played one of these games, but this seems like a great game and good place to start. if i'm honest, it looks so complicated I might not even try.
@BenAV I agree with you wholeheartedly there. I think the only reason I was able to get back into MHW when Iceborne came out because they basically made a brand new game. The social aspect of monster hunter also pulls me in most of the time.
Interesting review. It is odd it has no voice chat at all. 15 hours for a MH story seems odd too. No endgame content, so perhaps i will wait for the Ultimate edition next year and hit it all fresh. Was actually going to get this straight away but this has me second guessing the purchase. MH Worlds main flaw was the content was so staggered you played the same stuff so much the newer stuff didn't even feel new. Interesting.
For those complaining about lack of story, go watch the movie. This is Monster Hunter, not How I Met Your Monster.
@TheFrenchiestFry
There's literally a demo for you to find out instead of looking at footage.
Also, your thought about it isn't accurate.
The game looks great docked and undocked.
Anywhoo, I went all in and purchased the Monster Hunter Rise themed Switch, so imma enjoy that bad boy no matter what.
Yes! Deluxe Edition here i come. Thx for the review!
Glad to see this turned out well. We need more of these types of games on the Switch that are more "mature" like this.
Got my copy on the way, hopefully my hunt will be long and epic.
Story? What story? xD
Once again, it's a shame a great game is marred by a sense of incompleteness to it at launch for physical buyers, but delighted to hear the game delivers in so many other ways.
Day 1.
Hold up... This doesn't have end game at launch? What does that make Magnamalo and the village raid? Good grief... This game has some scary difficult content.
Solo-hunter here. I'm glad hub quests in Rise scale with number of players, because some challenges in GU were a bit too extreme for me to do repeatedly.
The lighter story actually made me happy. I NEVER play for the story lol
No endgame at launch? Gotta leave some meat on the bone for the Ultimate version next year.
I've never really played a Monster Hunter game but this has looked great every time I've seen it, so one I'll definitely pick up soon
15 hours until the CREDITS doesn't necessarily sound bad, because as the review says, the game and story continue on AFTER the first credits roll. This has been the way of Monster Hunter games for years now. Just seeing the credits roll for the first time is not the end of the game...some would say its just he beginning! So I'm really not too worried about hearing that at all. Already have this loaded onto my Switch, and can't wait until it opens up for me to dive into it!
No endgame? No buy at launch then. Yet another one for the ‘buy when they actually finish the bloody game’ pile.
good review but I feel like some of the negatives aren't relevant.
I wann buy this game, but it seems very rinse repeat heavy if that makes any sense. It also looks like it will kill the battery real fast
it will be my very first MH game! I know it's "intimidating" deep learning curve, but I'll give it a try.. waiting my copy arrives.. any sugestion of wihch class to chose? I mean, I know all of them might be good, some harder or easier than others, but I wanted the funnier!
If the endgame is like what world had with Iceborne, ofc it won't be at launch for Rise
Got it pre ordered. Not the best MH player out there but I do enjoy the series. Can’t wait.
Might start with the bow. Generally avoided ranged weapons in monster hunter games, but time for a change...
Then again, the switch axe looks so good...
@rex_rex This is really one of the best parts of the Monster Hunter franchise, because there seems to be a weapon type for all playstyles. If you like ranged combat, there's the bow and bowguns. Prefer something quick to dart in and out? Sword and shield and dual blades could be your thing. Feel like just standing toe to toe and hammering it out with the beasts? Hammer, great sword and hunting horn will suit your needs just fine. Thinking of finesse and a back and forth of counter and strike? Long sword is there for you. There is so much variety, and every weapon makes it feel like playing a different style of game. Welcome to the hunt, fellow Hunter!
Any MH veteran knows that this is the training game until they release the Ultimate/G version but high rank can be a challenge at first
I honestly assume an Iceborne equivalent will be out within six months that has G rank.
I have been frightened of the MH series because of the learning curve (which is universally agreed upon as being quite steep) and the time commitment a play session requires (I've heard tale of numerous battles that could stretch to near one hour in length).
I'm not sure from this review, but I really don't know if this title continues with that tradition or if it's a bit more inviting to newer/casual players.
This may be a stupid question, but are the multiplayer quests still available for solo players? Or is this like Splatoon where the offline content only goes so far?
its sad but is true, but this game already on the pirates hands.
I need to give the demo another try. I had some trouble getting into it initially but I'm willing to give it another go.
50hrs on the demo so I think I’ll get plenty out of this till till G rank arrives a year from now.
I never understood the appeal of Monster Hunter. Slaughtering innocent dinosaurs isn't my cup of tea.
Played monster hunter world earlier this year, it really clicked played like 20 hours in 2 days! I deleted the game it scared me how long I would be playing! I may get this, I am a solo switch axe person and no endgame sounds like a plus! Xxx
I'm surprised that it did not gat lower score No "endgame" at launch
That off putting to start with that probably whey the price has been dropped a lot.
No story, no buy. That's why I can't get into this series.
I pre-ordered this game, really hope I get it on Friday, haven't played a Monster Hunter since Generations but I have always loved the franchise since Tri.
@BenAV Sooo... you did notice that there is a very in-depth demo available for this game, right? One that allows you to experience many of the things listed in this review. Did you try it out? I would recommend that, instead of blindly pre-ordering it without testing it out.
Played the first demo and was not impressed. Maybe MONSTER HUNTER is just not for me. : (
The customization, nice variety of monsters, more unique looking weapons and armor, the Japanese inspired art direction, free updates and dlc, portability......this is a day 1 buy if there ever was.
@Unit_DTH I played a bit of the first demo, yes. That's partially what I'm basing my assumptions that I won't like it as much as the older games on.
Honestly, if the title updates are frequent and add a sizeable amount of content, then not having an end game at launch isn't really a big deal to me.
@Unit_DTH usually the monster hunter demos themselves don't really.. do the best at showing you what you'll experience. You don't have control over your character build, and you usually face of against monsters without actually being eased into the game itself.
Man, I’m really excited for this game, new mechanics, new monsters, apex monsters! But the lack of G rank...I’ll be honest, that doesn’t sound good to me, hopefully they will add it later on.
Won't be getting this day 1, but a future purchase for sure. Really cool that Capcom made such a great looking game all built from the ground up on Switch. No reason why other third parties can't do the same.
Played Tri. Found better games to play.
I was so bad in the demo(s) that it really put me off the game. But this review makes me want to play it again. Hmm.
Just FYI Capcom has already said they will be steadily supporting the title with new monsters and content. HR cap removal + Chameleos coming in the end of April.
A well-written and informative review! I still intend for Rise to be my first main series entry. I won't be joining the hunt until around mid-April, but that's still closer to launch than when I typically pick up most games lol. Can't wait!
Demo 2 was hard but got the first trial done. I trapped it behind some trees like 3 times before I was able to kill it.
@BenAV Honstly, I wasn't overly impressed with my first play-through of the demo, but after it got updated... I am completely sold on it. The gameplay, especially in multiplayer is much faster than previous entries and the Wire-bug and terrain travel that it brings into this game is incredible (once you get the hang of it, which is not quickly). While I can understand anyone's trepidation with this new title and it's mechanics, it genuinely feels like the next evolution for the series and helps the way you fight monsters to fully evolve into something that isn't as stale as previous entries, including world.
@VoidofLight Mostly true, but you do get to experience, via this game's updated demo, what the gameplay will be like during the hunt... which is actually the main point of the game. Hunt, kill, harvest, repeat. The customizability that this review talks about seems like it would be something that would be hard to showcase in a demo and give the player enough of the gameplay to actually entice them. With the full game it isn't a "one or the other" type of setup, but with a demo it is. The developers choose what will give potential players, new and old, the best taste of the title. I doubt that just building and trying on armor and weapons would be that enticing to any potential new players, or even veterans of the series. Honestly, the Charge Blade setup in the demo is the worst setup I have ever tried in the entire MH series, but that doesn't mean that a newcomer wouldn't enjoy it.
The demo didn't click for me. I don't know if I'm doing something wrong, but I just didn't feel engaged by the fight at all. It didn't feel like anything more than wailing on a big HP bar, despite what everyone is saying. I had more fun fighting Lynels in Zelda.
@sikthvash I realize the tongue-in-cheek in your post, but I'd legit watch a parody MonHun sitcom with that name! XD
Going all in on this. Can't wait!
@Unit_DTH That's honestly very true. The mechanics presented in the demo at least show you what to expect gameplay wise. I just know in the past, the demo's never really clicked with me. However, I was able to get into World, mainly because the ease into the tutorial and the better explanation of everything.
@VoidofLight I think that World was a wonderful entry style MH game and brought in a wealth of new blood to the franchise, which kind of reinvigorated the series for me and this game seems to take that formula one step further. Even the Monster Riding tutorial and the Wirebug tutorial were intuitive and helpful. I imagine that they learned a LOT about what helps people get into the game faster from MH: World. I'm glad Rise doesn't have the stupid Monster finding bugs... Those were the worst and constantly dropped off the trail to show you a footprint or a d***ed blastnut. lol
Gahhh, I already have a hard time waiting for this game!
Never imagined that I would get so hyped by a MH game
@Unit_DTH Yeah honestly. I'm glad that they learned something about making the series easier for newcomers to get into with World, and while I had no real problems with the tracking bugs, I can see how they could get annoying in some aspects, so I'm glad they're gone as well. Makes things a bit more interesting.
story is light? but it's monster hunter. who cares about the story?
@SmaggTheSmug The first demo made me feel like that, but after it was updated I went back through all of the training quests and really dove into learning the mechanics. Once I got the hang of them, the game really came alive. Just exploring the locale with the wirebug becomes super fun and intuitive. Once using that mechanic clicks, the game really comes alive. I hope that you give it another chance.
@Auenegheps Mostly people that lack Online capabilities. It gives the game more meat if you play mainly offline.
@sikthvash which movie as the MH one has even less story
Day one, of course. The lack of endgame stuff at launch doesn't really bother me, since I'll be playing through this slowly. It does give me more incentive to get it digitally, though. No point in getting the physical if it's a service game that gets updated over a period of months anyway.
When you say no endgame...do you mean that there's no final boss monster, or something? I mean, every game had one, even World (Xeno).
@Muddy_4_Ever I definitely wouldn't say 50 mins (which is the maximum time allowed for a single hunt outside of Expeditions) is the norm at all. With general competency, hunts usually take anywhere from around 5 minutes to 15 or 20. 30+ is typically reserved for select quests that are notably harder, and even then, 50 full minutes is extremely rare. I wouldn't worry too much about time commitment for hunts individually (but boy do the hours ever stack up over multiple!)
Why create an endgame when you have 2-3 DLC expansions planned?
I'm willing to bet the expansion(s) will have more/heavier story beats
And this apex truly is legendary.
Expected nothing less. Super excited for Friday!
So... how much is the DLC going to be? Honestly, it's a bit hard to swallow paying $60 for what the review suggests is an unfinished game game and then being asked to pay extra to the get the whole thing. Is this how developers are sneaking $70 and $80 games onto the market? By selling it piecemeal so the final price tag is less obvious?
@Anguspuss I know, I was being silly =0p
My favourite Monster Hunter story was in Monster Hunter 3 where the plot was “a village is having problems because of nearby monsters so they hired a monster hunter to hunt the monsters” and that’s the whole plot.
I tried MH on the Wii U and couldn’t get into it. Great to have new content on the Switch. Might try picking it up again...
Who the heck plays Monster Hunter for the story?
I haven't played a MH game before but I've been intrigued since MHW. I've got a new child coming in the next couple of weeks so I've ordered this. Be perfect to play in bed when I'm getting my early nights in!
@Mountain_Man : This is what p's me off most about DLC. More often than not nowadays, it is content deliberately withheld in order to circumvent the arbitrary US$60 cap for games. It also allows publishers to release unfinished games sooner and then charge more for content that should have been in the base build at a price disproportionate to the content offered.
The argument that games are still "complete" regardless no longer holds water considering that there is a ridiculous number of games with expensive DLC on the market nowadays. What a crock.
While other markets (including Australia, Europe, and Japan) are open to higher pricing tiers for games (especially Japan for more niche titles), there seems to be an arbitrary US$60 limit for the US. While some games now cost US$70 for new generation games, I sadly doubt that this will make much difference for Switch games as publishers continue to refuse to release games on higher capacity cartridges. Consequently, it seems that the physical product is produced around the US$60 cap, irrespective of how much the game will cost in other markets.
I would rather that publishers delay the game or increase the price if it means that we get EVERYTHING on the cartridge rather than what most are doing now. Or hell, release the game digitally first (so that they can start making money on it immediately), and then release everything on a cartridge when it's complete (which I suspect will be the case with the much-demanded DOOM Eternal physical release).
But as a preservationist, my biggest issue with DLC is that it cannot be preserved for prosperity. I wish that (some) Switch cartridges had a separate writable partition that would allow updates/DLC to be downloaded directly to the cartridge so that the DLC is tied to the cartridge itself (as opposed to one's NNID), but such measures would of course cost more than the current ROM cartridges.
The Cons appear to me to be cherry-picked reasons not to give a third-party title a 10/10.
And to compare the lightness of a base game's story like Rise to MH4U is wholly disingenuous. To compare MH4U to Rise is like trying to compare Rise directly to Iceborne+World. One is a base game + expansion, and the other is just a base game.
Like it or not, Capcom has put Westerners on the same launch schedule as Japanese gamers, releasing the base game a year~ before its combined expansion release. As a gamer, you can either wait longer for more content to be developed and released as a complete package or dip in now with what's available.
But as a reviewer, it is disingenuous to position Rise directly against MH4U, and frames Rise in an unfair light.
@jcvandan ‘I’ve got a new child coming...’ sounds like you’re waiting on something in the post! 😅 jokes aside, hope all goes well with the new arrival.
@Silly_G @Mountain_Man
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Capcom already announce free updates coming that will include new monsters and other content. Past monster hunter games have always received free updates too.
There will likely be a paid expansion released about a year from now. I think all MH games have followed this pattern. As far as value for money goes nothing competes with MH in my opinion. If you like the series you can easily get hundreds of hours of enjoyment out of each game.
@Silly_G MH World was eventually re-issued in one package with the Iceborne content. Perhaps Capcom will do something similar with MH Rise and whatever its expansion ends up being?
@Ralizah @teko : My comment was directed to the practice of DLC generally, not specifically in reference to MH:R. It is, however, annoying that they would issue a very expensive collector's edition with a DLC code when they very well could have issued a separate cartridge with said content pre-loaded instead.
And yes, I am aware that Capcom typically reissues Monster Hunter games with all additional content on the supplied media, and perhaps then I may consider picking this up, but for now, the amiibo will do me nicely.
No funds as of right now but I'll definitely grab it down the road
@Silly_G It'd be pointless to go through the trouble of manufacturing a separate cartridge for the tiny bits of added stuff in the collector's edition. Especially considering they're adding stuff post-launch regardless.
But yeah, this service game strategy is why I'm not too worried about owning it physically.
So excited, got the Deluxe version on my Switch ready for me at launch. Shame about lack of Endgame at launch though.
Preordered and plan to put plenty of hours into this. Thanks for the great review!
I’ve only ever played MH on the Wii and Wii U, and then totally solo, but I’m excited to zip around and slay a bunch of Yamato-era yokai!
Yep, that’s right - they’re yokai and now I don’t have to feel as guilty butchering them with giant swords or rapid-fire crossbows.😅
Can't wait for Friday.
I’m very excited for this, sounds like a winner.
I wonder what specific items do you get from lottery from amiibos?? I'm just finding more reason to pre-order amiibos for MH rise other than the layered armor... can anyone help?
@ATaco mostly just world thats it but for me its all about the action and questing online.
I don't know... I've put a good 4 hours+ so far into the demo, and I'm not enjoying it right now. Never played a Monster Hunter game before, I'm not seeing why all the hype yet. I'll still give the full game a try, but if after a week or so, and I still feel the same, I'll be bringing it back.
@Beatrice Of it's more like the pre-World games, there will probably be much fewer cutscenes, and they won't be as long. Can't confirm though
@Dragonstar the demo’s are usually poorly made for newer players, due to not easing you into the gameplay like the actual games, and due to the fact that there’s no customizing your character’s builds in the demo, making them better.
@Mountain_Man Outside of some small stuff like emotes and Palico skins all the new Monsters, gear and events will be free updates until the paid expansion later next year where the free updates will focus on that. Expansion will most likely cost £40 and if like Iceborne will add new locations, new rank in G/Master Rank, tons of new and returning monsters and gear, tons of new features and a new story, after it drops it will be supported with new monsters and events what come in free updates.
Nearly every MH game has done this except prior to World it was a new game like Generations to Generations Ultimate due to DLC and Expansions being harder or impossible to do on PSP/Wii/3DS. With World on wards they can finally just add the "Ultimate" content as a paid expansion. It is that as well an Expansion and adds a whole new games worth of new content.
@Silly_G Can see this is a person who is unaware of how Capcom does things with MH and how they done it with World and why the community is fine with it.
Less than £35 on Shopto which is practically giving it away! Can’t wait to get this
I tried Tri and I tried World and I just can’t get into these games. Good for those that can though. I feel like this might be the biggest name franchise that I just don’t... get.
I'm so excited for this! Last MonHun game I plaed was 4U on 3DS, a good while ago now (played Tri and bounced off, but got really into 3U on Wii U). Sad that for now my MonHun gang can't go back to the 3U days of me on TV with Wii U, other 3 portable on 3DS, but post-pandemic (maybe with an expansion release??) I'm sure we will! A central screen making most of the noise was good, made the room feel less empty than all on handheld in 4U (which was still great of course). But we have online for now!
Wish I still had my days I booked for it this weekend: sadly my work is super busy right now so won't get to play probably until Easter weekend...will be voraficously gobbling up any NL articles about it on my phone in the meantime!
I've tried demos of past MonHun games and could never get into them, they felt really slow and super clunky. I liked pretty much every other monhun-style game I've tried so I clearly enjoy this type of game. However, played the demo for this one (Dual Blades) not for very long but enough to notice that the fluidity is much better and it was fun. I've preordered this but will take my time learning the mechanics as I know that it's crucial to understand them for max enjoyment.
Well for those who really played the game i mean like MH4U or even Generations you will be disapointed this game sucks and yeah that's all
Don't preorder or even buy this one sucks
Having never played any Monster Hunter games but looking at this one - seems like Witcher + Zelda, is that accurate? Should I get it?
@AmplifyMJ that is sorta what's happening. It's just a really noisy smelly package that turns up one day.
@GannonBanned Yes but just fighting boss monsters every time in a big arena on repeat
One of the very best games there will be on Switch is finally here. Man, I really want to play it, but I'm tempted to wait until it's complete...
@Highlar man, best answer ever! tks a lot!! I'm thisty to start! If I love and i think I'll, I try to play 2/3 times with very differents classes/weapons.. again, tks for the explanation fellow hunter!!
@luckiernut weird - there’s no exploration just arenas? Is it like Dark Souls without the wandering?
@GannonBanned No. You get a quest to hunt for a monster then you are thrown into a big map, you can do some farming before you engage but the objective is to kill the monster which is a complex fight with several phases. Rinse and repeat. Its fun because this varies a lot depending on your equipment and different monsters
I didn't like Monster Hunter till Monster Hunter World. That entry made it very easy for newcomers and off putters to get into the game with ease. Hearing Rise having some QoL taken from World, I'm looking forward to this game.
Plus, another game to play for my Switch. : P
@jcvandan oh I got a couple of deliveries myself some years back, I think you’ve got it spot on 🤣
@luckiernut ok that’s pretty cool, I’m just trying to see if I can convince myself to drop $60 while I still have like 12 unplayed games in the queue
I have a prediction regarding MHR: It will sell really well initially, but then after a of month or so not so much anymore.
Because (1) the japanese gamers (or at least the MH fans) will really love it and will buy millions of copies at launch and then the first month or so.
And (2) it will sell well in the west at first also, because their isn't much else big coming out for the Switch (or in general - PS5 and Xbox Series haven't got much coming out either IMO) at the moment.
But what I think will happen in the west in particularly after a month or so, is, that a lot of people will find the game way to difficult play with all the systems going on.
Now I'm not saying it is bad game at all, just that the "average Joe" will find the learning curve way to steep and give up on the game eventually.
Plus there will be people that are disappointed that there's not much of a story in the game (people that has not played a MH game before or maybe just World - which of course a lot have - 24 million copies sold between World and Iceborn speaks for itself).
I was looking forward to this so much that it's the first time I ever bought a full-priced game digitally. Pre-ordered at that. I mean, I wouldn't have if my local Gamestop hadn't closed down, but modern times require modern solutions.
Another hit and a new level of ascension for the Monster Hunter series. Can't wait to start hunting.
Question for those familiar with the series... I am gonna be playing online with a friend and was wondering can start playing multiplayer as soon as you begin or do you have to play solo for a few hours to level up, design your character ... Would be great if you can do that together.
MHGU was my first foray into these games and I fell in love with it, but that sheen of 3DS jank kinda dulled the shine for me after a while. This? I’ve worn that demo OUT and I’ve got Red Bulls ready to roll for midnight tonight to get started on the real deal. I’m stoked, it’s gorgeous and it plays SO much better than MHGU so I’m excited to finally get sucked into crafting rad armor & beating the s$&t out of these poor beasts who are clearly just trying to go for a stroll through the woods.
So nice to see a third party game actually made for the Switch, rather than a PS4 game crunched and compressed down to work on a Switch, the difference is huge. Not buying it myself but hope it does well.
@Muddy_4_Ever I am by no means a veteran of the series (World was my first) but I am around 10 hours in Rise and pretty much every hunt has lasted about 5 minutes, 10 at the most. Which I find extremely disappointing.
So far this game has lacked any challenge, I'm waiting for my "Diablo moment" of hitting a wall for days trying to beat a monster. Hopefully it comes.
But yeah, no hour long epic hunts (yet)
This game is hands down GotY. I love Monster Hunter, hunting coordinating with friends.
@Sulleymonster
You should be able to play the online hub with your friend after you create your characters and all that. Its reccommended you try offline to get the hang of the game mechanics while scavenging stuff.
Also when you play with your friend on a mission, you both get credit for completing that online mission. Except for urgent quests, you gotta enter that quest per player.
Also online quests are scaled by number of players so they are a little more challenging than the offline village quests.
@sikthvash for that there is monster hunter stories
@Hippy_Pirate_89 thats one of the things that I like about it. I bounced hard on iceborn.... it was such a grind to get anything, battles lasted forever...
So... I have now put in between 50-100 hours in Rise. And although it does seem like one of the best Monster Hunter games in the series, I have one major complaint - and I'm disappointed that the review mentions nothing of it. Maybe the reviewer hasn't really played other games in the series to full extend or maybe he is just not that skilled.
Anyway... the major complaint is that the game is WAY TOO EASY. It's beyond ridiculous. Taking down monsters takes around 5-10 minutes compared to older games in the series which would take in comparison 4 times as long.
Monster Hunter games is supposed to be hard or at least not easy. It is supposed to require skill and forces you to pay attention at all times. I don't feel that's the case here. I have yet never experienced a quest abandoned cause of 3 faints. When a game is too easy, you don't feel rewarded when you succeed a hunt.
I'd like to know your opinion on this matter. There's no way I can be the only one with this feeling.
@Aneira If your speaking in terms of the village quests then your correct. The village quests are meant to be easy, it's seemingly practice for the monsters (more-so geared to newcomers to the series). The hub/online quests are much harder.
Even online the easier hunts are likely do to having a solid veteran team. I've been online with randoms before and it made thens much harder, people carting back to back often being one shotted. For the vets they'll likely have to wait until the end of April update for the harder content, or possibly have the online hub scaled a bit higher.
While I love Rise the story feels so hollow, even compared to 3U and 4U. There's no urgency. Even the big bad rampage is completely optional. I did it once and was just... bored so I've not done it since.
The combat is amazing, probably best in the series, but the framing around the quests is just... bad.
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