Review: MONSTER HUNTER RISE is a Fun Entry in the Franchise
A couple of weeks ago, Capcom release Monster Hunter Rise on the Nintendo Switch. The game is the latest in the popular monster-hunting franchise and fans are loving it. Capcom was kind enough to supply me with a code and it’s been a trip coming back to the franchise after several years (and games) of not playing. All the thoughts in this review are mine.
Monster Hunter Rise doesn’t offer much for those wanting a rich story. There’s a semblance of a story in the game, the people of Kamura must fend off various monsters to survive, but it’s not something to get excited about. That being said, the game still has plenty to offer.
The sound design for the game is really good. The music is great. The graphics are incredible for a Switch game. Even in handheld mode, the game looks fantastic on the limited hardware that the Switch offers. The character creation is okay, with plenty of options for the head, but there’s no way to customize the body if that’s important to you.
The gameplay is pretty familiar if you’ve played other titles. You get quests to gather materials or hunt monsters (for the most part) and then go to a location and you have a time limit to complete your goal. As you slay monsters, you can harvest parts to create and upgrade armor and weapons to bring down bigger and badder beasts. You have quite a bit to keep track of though including health, stamina, and your weapon sharpness (if applicable). This can feel a little overwhelming at first, but the UI design does make it a little nicer.
The big difference for Monster Hunter Rise though is the Rampage event. This is a special type of quest in the game where monsters try to attack the village. Normally, you go out and hunt monsters, but this time, the monsters are on the offensive. It ends up playing a bit like a tower defense game, but you can hop down and fight the monsters while your pieces also hit it hard. This is a fun addition to the game in my opinion. It’s not my favorite part of the game, but it is a nice break from the norm.
Another new feature is the Palamute. These are canyne companions that will join you on your hunt and I love them. Not only can you customize them, but you can equip them with different items to help you in some way and you can ride them for faster travel without using up your stamina. It’s so nice! Speaking of things you can ride, you can ride monsters in this game when you have 2 or more fighting. It’s a blast to hop on a monster’s back and use it to fight other monsters.
If you’re an established Monster Hunter fan, you’re going to feel right at home and love Monster Hunter Rise. If you’re a newcomer, it can definitely feel daunting. There are 14 different weapons for you to play around with and try to figure out, types of damage and statuses that aren’t really explained in the tutorials, and if you’re used to action games, your hunter can feel very sluggish. Your combos aren’t fast by any means and you have to sheathe your weapon to do anything besides attack. If you’re willing to stick with it though and put in some work, you’ll be able to get a basic understanding of how to play and start to really have fun.
I do have some complaints about Monster Hunter Rise, but they seem the same for all the games in the franchise. I wish there was an HP bar for the monsters that I could turn on, I don’t like how you’re limited to only one weapon per quest, and I wish my character didn’t feel so sluggish. However, these also feel like core parts of the franchise and while I’m not a fan, others love them.
Monster Hunter Rise is a solid addition to the franchise and I look forward to playing more of it. The Rampage quests are fun and help the game feel fresh. The graphics are phenomenal. New players will have to put in some work, but can still get the hang of it fairly quickly. If you’ve ever wanted to give the franchise a go, this is a great chance.
