Hello everyone, I’m Monster Review Girl, otherwise known as MRG.
But on a more serious note, this article will be about one of the games in 2021 that I’m excited about.
Rise’s Reveal
Monster Hunter Rise, a continuation of the popular Monster Hunter series put out by Capcom, is set to be released on the Switch on March 26th of this year.
This game was revealed during the Nintendo Switch direct back in September and the Monster Hunter Fandom exploded. Nobody was expecting a new Monster Hunter game for a while, let alone one with such close release date. Heck, the demo itself was so hyped up it broke the Nintendo Eshop when it launched.
Rise: What’s new and different?
Rise features several entirely new items and entities that change the mechanics and strategy of the game.
I’ll start with the most obvious. Monster Hunter has always given you the Palico, a bipedal sapient cat that helps you out on your hunts. You can kit them out in custom armor and weapons to match really any scenario. What Rise has done, however, is debut an entirely new animal companion in addition to the Palico. The Palamute, trained for both riding and battle, will be invaluable as an ally and friend. They take the role of a battle buddy, while Palico move to a more purely support role. Don’t worry, cat lovers, Rise lets you take either a Palico, a Palamute, or both with you!
Wirebug: Little bug, whole lotta power!
Next is the Wirebug. A little creature that seems like a mix of beetle and silkworm, it allows hunters to do insane things regarding aerial maneuverability. Even usually slow and plodding weapons like the lance and gunlance have been given new life and ease of use. Each weapon has a unique wirebug move, my favorite being the Wirebug move belonging to the sword and shield. This move has you attach the blade to your wirebug and swing it around your body in an impressive AOE.
Another thing the wirebugs can do, which took all of us by surprise when they showed it off, is allow for a new type of mounting called Wyvern Riding. Wyvern Riding, which replaces standard mounting as seen in World and Iceborn, has the hunter tangles the wyvern’s limbs in a material called Ironsilk. This Ironsilk is used to puppet monsters around, forcing them to attack or even run into walls repeatedly. This is on a timer, so Wyvern Riding needs to be used wisely.
Aside from these new mechanics, the monsters – both new and returning – really added to the hype train this game was building. From starter monsters like the Great Izuchi to the mighty flagship Magnamalo, each monster is a visual treat. Even returning monsters get spruced up, from the elegant Mizutsune to… well… Khezu, who honestly looks like a sleep paralysis demon. But Khezu’s always looked like a sleep paralysis demon, so that’s fine. It’s just a slightly more hi-def sleep paralysis demon.
{New Mizu and Khezu pictures here}
Story
The story of this game is also engrossing, despite us knowing very little at the moment. The story focuses on a specific hunting village named Kamura village which is apparently famous for its special Tatara steel. Kamura village, despite its peaceful appearance, is at the center of a violent phenomenon called the Rampage. The previous Rampage 50 years prior almost wiped the village out, and now they’re preparing for a new one. The whole village, from the quest maidens Hinoa and Minoto to the quest writer Guildmaster Hojo, has been preparing for this and needs the hunter to help them.
It’s immediately a story where I felt invested, like, I was going to help these people. Now that the demo is out I’m even more excited for the main game!
Demo
The demo has two hunting quests and two tutorial quests. The first hunting quest is for a Great Izuchi, a weasel-like wyvern that hunts with two lesser Izuchi that move in tandem with it. Despite being a beginner monster, their triple attacks wreak havoc on the unwary.
The next hunt, however, pits you against one of the fated four, the Bubble Fox Wyvern itself, Mizutsune. Mizu is hard on the unwary. His quick movements, high-pressure water jets, damaging bubbles, and the movement hindering Bubble debuff all present ways for him to wipe the floor with you. But you can beat him if properly prepared.
The tutorial quests are there to aid you in getting a feel for the controls. One involves you and the leader of the local Hunters, one Master Utsushi, moving around in the first map area using the wirebug and getting familiar with the controls. For those new to Monster Hunter, or using a switch in general, do this one a lot.
The second tutorial quest serves to get you familiar with the idea of Wyvern Riding and how it works. The game hands you an Arzuros and walks you through getting it into riding mode. Attacking, evading, or just smacking the poor thing into walls repeatedly.
Final thoughts
All in all, I think anyone who wants to give the franchise a try will deeply enjoy Rise and its story. The gameplay feels fresh and new but not entirely alien. The palamutes add character to the game itself and spice up strategies. So, I say unto you all in the words of the Monster Hunter dev team, HAPPY HUNTING!