Review for Monster hunter rise. Game for Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 26/03/2021
The wait is finally about to end. March 26 is approaching and everyone will have the chance to have a copy of Monster Hunter Rise in their hands, the awaited new chapter of Monster Hunter for Nintendo Switch. Capcom, on a communicative level, did not spare itself in this regard and presented the game on several occasions with videos and digital presentations in which the gameplay and atmosphere of the title were shown. Two demos were also released between January and March in order to let those who were simply curious or who were approaching a chapter of the series for the first time taste the game. Today, however, we are close to the actual release of the full game and we, thanks to Capcom and Nintendo, were able to try it in preview.
You just have to get comfortable, sharpen your weapons and dive into our Monster Hunter Rise review.
For hunters and explorers
Monster Hunter Rise is, from every point of view, a new chapter in the main series of Monster Hunter and as such, offers a structure almost identical to that of the previous chapters. In fact, you will be hunters from the village of Kamura, a place that will also be the main hub of the game where you can buy new weapons, forge armor, dialogue with NPCs and, above all, accept hunting missions. Once you have taken an assignment you will be transported to one of the game areas where it is possible to hunt where you will have total freedom of exploration. And when we say total, we say it in an absolute sense.
Monster Hunter Rise is in fact one of the chapters of the series in which you will feel more free: being able to move freely in any directional direction (even vertical), will sometimes push you to feel more explorers than hunters.. In this sense, the play areas have been studied very well and in addition to being vast, they all differ in fauna, flora and atmosphere: you will therefore pass from the ruins of temples located in dense forests to arid and torrid deserts just to name a few. Within the same area then there are no more loading times between one micro-area and another, making the exploration of places even more enjoyable.
Si goes hunting!
While it is absolutely true that exploring the Rise areas is a thoroughly enjoyable experience, the heart of the title, however, remains that of hunting. After creating our character, we will be able to choose the weapon to start with: we therefore pass from the evergreen broadswords to the double blades to also get to the bows. As with every chapter of the series, the starting weapon will not be the final one and we can change it at any time in the game; our advice is to try different ones, since each of them is assigned a specific moveset with unique attack and defense combos.
As for the bestiary, there are old and new monsters in Monster Hunter Rise. The new beasts are very beautiful and attention to detail and recall Japanese folklore and mythology, just to give an example, Aknossom is inspired by a Kasa-Obake, also known as the “umbrella yokai”. The creatures introduced for the first time in Rise are different but not so many and as Capcom promised, we expect the arrival of new monsters with free additional content that will be released over the next few months. Each mission will have as its main objective the hunting and killing of a particular monster; however this does not mean that monsters of a certain level and size can no longer appear in that particular mission. Let's take an example: in the mission to face the Tetranadon, it is also possible to meet a Grand Izuchi or vice versa and the fact that more monsters of this caliber can appear in the same map and in the same mission is not absolutely accidental.
More than in any other chapter of the series Rise proposes an interaction between monsters like never before. If you are good and smart enough, you can lure two beasts into the same area and let them collide with each other, in order to help you take down the main objective and, at the same time, collect monster pieces that you will then need to forge new weapons or armor. Weakening monsters will also allow you to ride them thanks to the new mechanic of the wyvern mount.
Wyvern mount
In Monster Hunter Rise, once a monster has been stunned or weakened, we will be able to ride it thanks to this new game mechanic. The addition of a technique of this type is absolutely congenial and successful and, although it will greatly simplify the defeat of another monster, it allows the player to feel even more free to face enemies in various ways. The wyvern mount will obviously have a limited time bar and, on the back of the monster, you can carry out a few but decisive actions: dodge, launch light or powerful attacks and, above all, throw the monster against a wall.
This last technique will be very useful when riding the target monster of your objective: the only way to inflict damage on the monster you are riding at that moment will be to throw it against a wall. Your hunter will be able to ride these huge creatures thanks to a new item that has been introduced in Rise and which is one of the most welcome additions to this title: the wire bug.
Goodbye grappling hook and welcome wire bug
Monster Hunter World was certainly the title in the series that was most played and best-selling globally. Among its advantages there was certainly the insertion of the grapple: an object that allowed you to move vertically in certain precise points and to cling to monsters. Capcom has learned the lesson and in Rise has introduced an object that constitutes an evolution from every point of view of the grappling hook of World: the wire insect. The wire bug is a tool that acts as a grappling hook, but which will be usable in any place, situation or point on the map. You will need it not only to move vertically, but also horizontally to perhaps quickly dodge the attack of a monster. Its use is then almost infinite and your only limit will be its loading bar.
Each time you start a mission, you will have two wire bug bars to use, which you can extend to three if you find a new wire bug on the map to catch. Each time you use it, a bar will run out and, from that moment on, it will begin to recharge little by little. In addition to allowing you to literally move wherever you want, it will help you climb even the highest peaks. By aiming the insect at a wall, you can in fact latch onto it and start climbing it - watch out for the stamina bar, though. From the offensive point of view, however, in addition to allowing you to use the wyvern mount technique, you will also need it to carry out counterattacks on enemies and to bind and capture them for a short time, in order to inflict considerable damage on them in those situations.
Never alone
In Monster Hunter Rise you will never feel alone in your hunts thanks to the addition of faithful companions Canyne and Felyne. In fact, these nice companions will always accompany you on your adventures and will support you. The Canyne in particular, will provide you with an offensive type of help and will attack the monsters present in the area together with you; the Felyne on the other hand will help you from a defensive point of view, by healing you or collecting materials for you.
The Canyne is then rideable and will allow you to move very quickly in the various areas of a game map: it can also climb the walls. On the back of the Canyne, you can also sharpen your weapons or drink potions, particularly useful actions when you may be facing a tough monster to deal with and you need time to heal yourself or make your weapons effective. Another reason you won't feel alone in Rise is because of the ability to play online in multiplayer mode.
Hunting with friends
Online multiplayer has always been one of the keys to Monster Hunter's success and Rise is no exception. The ability to face monsters with other players is always a fun experience and, at times, necessary to be able to take down creatures in the most advanced stages of the title. The difficulty level is in fact more balanced and successful than in World. Once you have passed the first missions, the Kamura Hunters Guild will ask you to defeat monsters that are particularly difficult to face alone. Let's be clear: Monster Hunter Rise is punitive, but it always knows how to reward good strategies and good technique and every monster can be killed even by playing alone.
However, we can imagine that for newbies or those with little patience, the chance to face such beasts in the company of someone else will certainly be something to be welcomed. The game manages to withstand the presence of more players in an excellent way and the title shows some drop in frames only in the most excited actions with maybe more big monsters facing each other. Nothing that ruins the gaming experience anyway and, indeed, we must applaud Capcom and Nintendo for the excellent work they have done.
Technical sector
From a visual point of view, Rise is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful titles to see on the Nintendo Switch. The RE Engine, adapted for the Nintendo console, is confirmed as one of the most successful graphics engines in the entire gaming industry. The game also keeps its 30 FPS stable in both TV and portable mode. As for the artistic design, Rise transports us to a typically oriental and Japanese atmosphere with clothes, flora and fauna that recall those of the land of the Rising Sun.
A particularly apt choice that on Nintendo Switch makes it even more, given the large amount of Japanese titles available for the console of the Kyoto house. This atmosphere is also supported by the beautiful music featured in the game. In fact, they too recall typically Japanese sounds and the song on the game's home screen will be enough for you to transport your mind to the lands of the Far East. As for the audio, you can also choose whether to listen to the game with the original Japanese dubbing, the English one or the one with the imaginary language of the Monster Hunter world.
Plot and lore
The narrative sector has never been the strength of Monster Hunter, which has always shifted its focus towards gameplay and the variety of the bestiary. However, starting from Monster Hunter 4, passing through World, Capcom has also increasingly taken care of the narrative aspect of the titles of the series. The plot of Monster Hunter Rise is in fact very enjoyable and well managed within the game. Warning: do not expect an omnipresent and particularly original narrative; however, we cannot fail to admit that it is one of the best storylines in the entire Monster Hunter series.
The narrative premise is very simple: the village of Kamura, in the past, has suffered the attack of several monsters and a calamity, whose return seems to be coming. It will be up to us to investigate this calamity and be ready to face it. In addition, within the various game areas, hidden and in hard-to-reach places, we will be able to find ancient manuscripts that will unlock small hints of the environmental plot of that specific area. A particularly appreciable gimmick that allows the player to fantasize and imagine a story in the various lands to be explored, having such manuscripts as the basis of lore.
Furious monsters
The last thing we want to focus on is fury mode. This new mode, accessible through specific missions, will take us inside a place or a fortress to be defended from the attack of different monsters. Our aim will be to take down the monsters before they destroy our last defense outpost. These missions will not be particularly simple and the hordes of enemies who will try to destroy our defenses will be many and also made up of creatures that are difficult to take down. The fury missions will also be very tied to the main storyline of the title and you will need to complete them if you want to complete the story of the game.
Monster Hunter Rise is a title that knows how to innovate and at the same time maintain the formula and the heart of the previous chapters of the series. The freedom of movement and exploration and a varied and technical gameplay will win over newbies and not. Visually it is one of the best games currently available on Nintendo's hybrid console, making it a must-have title for anyone who owns Nintendo Switch. Capcom has done an excellent job showing its excellent form, giving players one of the best chapters in the entire Monster Hunter series. While waiting for the additional content promised by the Japanese development house, we just have to wish you all a good hunt!
► Monster Hunter Rise is an RPG type game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 26/03/2021
