I never tire of facing buggers and beasts of more than half a ton wielding the Glaive Bug . It’s not the most powerful weapon in Monster Hunter, but its acrobatic style and versatility make my hunts as eye-catching as they are exciting. Perhaps because of that, my games of Monster Hunter Rise are turning out to be a real joy. Because the new Capcom for Switch is a surprise visually, but it conquers you game by game in the playable.
The Monster Hunter saga is no longer a niche experience or an unknown saga in the West, and Capcom knows that well. The 16 million copies sold of MH World are the best endorsement of Osaka’s epic hunt proposal, but also a responsibility for their upcoming titles. A high bar that, since Nintendo Switch, Monster Hunter Rise is fully determined to overcome by daring to put new ideas on the table.
After a first foray into Switch with the best and not so well aged of the classic installments, Capcom’s powerful saga of ARPGs unfolds all its greatness and, at the same time, surprises with its novelties. Preserving the best of MH World and the highly addictive traditional formula that balances crafting , exploration and spectacular combat . Facing, in the process, one of the most delicate points when it comes to bringing together veteran and new hunters: the mobility system.
After all, it is palpable from the first game that Monster Hunter Rise has been designed to settle on Switch all the milestones and sensations of Monster Hunter World and definitively establish the fifth generation of games in the saga that started on desktop consoles. Denying being a minor installment to run as the next great chapter in the saga . And despite the fact that there is still much to see in terms of its set of content, the sensations it transmits are tremendously positive.
Of course, despite the fact that you will see very recognizable weapons, beasts and elements in Monster Hunter Rise, the feeling of novelty is constantly manifested through a double and very successful change:
- First of all, because we will have new scrolling resources that give the game an enormous character without giving up the classic sensations. We will talk about them a little below.
- To which we must add that Monster Hunter Rise will reveal one of the most exotic areas of the universe of the saga: the Kamura village, a masterfully inspired starting point from feudal Japan without this ending up detracting from the aesthetics of the saga itself. .
As a result, Monster Hunter Rise not only begins to position itself preferentially among the previous installments, but it brazenly pursues being the next must-see for veterans of the saga . Being from now on, and on its own merits, one of the most powerful releases of Nintendo Switch for what will be the fourth year since its departure.
Welcome Kamura, the new mecca for Monster Hunter fans
Monster Hunter Rise is not the desired – and impossible – adaptation of the New World to Switch, but a main installment tailored to the Nintendo console . In other words: the same great gaming sensations that we saw in the rest of the consoles and PCs are transferred to a new region to discover and, in the process, it makes entering each new ecosystem an even more interesting and entertaining experience.
In many respects, MH Rise is the saga’s biggest evolutionary step since Monster Hunter World.
With that in mind, Monster Hunter Rise invites us to discover the Kamura village and its surroundings. An exotic location whose renown in the game universe comes from its Tatara steel and which will inevitably be exposed to great danger: the phenomenon known as Frenzy will make the village the target of a veritable pack of colossal beasts. And, of course, in Kamura they are counting on us to stop them all.
Visually, Monster Hunter Rise is also quite a surprise. Capcom has got the point with the RE Engine and is able to offer results especially achieved on the Nintendo console. What’s more, all the screenshots you see have been taken by us.
And for example, here you can see what the game looks like in handheld mode.
And this is what it looks like with the console connected to the Dock. And despite the difference in resolution – there are the textures and those saw teeth of the objects – it must be recognized that in both modes the game looks phenomenal.
And what about the controls? Capcom has found a perfect balance when it comes to presenting all the information on the screen without creating the feeling that it is saturating and, in the process, it retains the MH World control system with notable exceptions: we may not be able to jump, but We can swing like Spider-Man or gallop at full speed.
First things first: as in MH World, the most notable change that we will notice in the face of the return of Monster Hunter to Nintendo consoles is that the maps divided into zones and, by extension, loading times are over. when going from one to another. The stages are open, and they are huge.
Now, each hunting territory is a great map full of life and contrasts that we can travel with great freedom and without interruptions from one end to the other. Which does not mean that we are constantly exposed to the unpredictable and violent nature of true titans and that stealth itself is a powerful advantage that we should not miss.
That new mobility options have been added for totally open scenarios is a total success , especially when our prey starts his flight. Serving as a premise and starting point to introduce the two most notable novelties of MH Rise: the Chordoptera and the Canyne.
- Chordoptera are, in essence, insects that produce a kind of super- resistant and elastic thread called Cordofiber, which we can use to hook ourselves to surfaces and large creatures, balance ourselves and even as a weapon depending on the equipment we carry.
- For their part, the Canynes are comrades, like the Felynes, who will assist us in combat. And, although these are more offensive in nature than their cat counterpoints, the really interesting thing is that we can use them as mounts.
Through these two additions to our usual actions, the Monster Hunter Rise scenarios gain new nuances and the games become much more entertaining. First of all, because we will not get exhausted when going through the mapping or we will not get exhausted to the confrontation with other beasts. Moreover, our actions will not be limited to us beyond -logically- not being able to use the weapons we carry.
There is a third great novelty: in Monster Hunter Rise we can ride on large beasts to face them with others or smash them against surfaces and cause them even greater damage. The control system is not half as fluid and intuitive as riding our Canyne, of course, but it adds even more variety to the fighting.
Thus, and brilliantly, Capcom has integrated ninjutsu techniques into its robust ARPG formula through the Chordoptera, the Canyne and the mount system. So not only are we encouraged to explore even more and better , but it makes climbing a wall on the back of our quadruped comrade or gaining an instant boost – especially in combat like and when it comes to traversing a vertical zone in no time – is an experience as round as it is completely satisfactory.
The return in style of Monster Hunter
The Monster Hunter experience can be perfectly enjoyed alone. Hunting on our own in the company of our cat and canine comrades. As we discussed before, in this installment there is a plot context that will have us really busy constantly and a variety of minor assignments with which to repeat missions and hunts. However, where it really shines is when sharing the game with other players. And MH Rise comfortably meets expectations.
Although the proper thing is to have friends and a group communication system by voice similar to that of Xbox, PlayStation or Steam, which continues to be a point against in the Nintendo console, the veterans and hardened that come from the deliveries of 3DS will be delighted to see how easy it is to handle two sticks that Capcom takes full advantage of.
Especially when the console maintains the pace and intensity of each game without drastic drops in performance or connection problems . The only chaos that you will see on the screen will be that caused by the powerful beasts that we will face, and once the new mobility and movement options are internalized – and with a minimum of coordination – the multiplayer experience is amazing.
In fact, that extra mobility thanks to the Cordoptera ninja rope system and the mounts means that we can retreat more effectively in these more vertical scenarios, and also rejoin the assault earlier and in better condition when struck down and taken to the camp. .
Adding a great new rhythm to the games that adds real whole points to the whole and, as we already mentioned, precedents that deserve to stay in the saga.
Special mention to the design and behavior of the creatures. Especially the new ones. Huge in size and fierce enough to petrify four players with a loud roar. But also with its own autonomy and customs : if we play our cards well, we can make two huge beasts fight each other. Being, equally, a show as epic as it is chaotic.
The feelings that Monster Hunter Rise has transmitted to us are especially positive with a view to its final launch, scheduled for next March 26 . It will then be necessary to see the size of all its zones and the plans and events that Capcom has planned for its post-launch.
Following the line of Monster Hunter World and the deliveries released on 3DS, Nintendo Switch will already have its first essential of 2021. In any case, MH Rise is already, in its own right, a must for Monster Hunter fans and is conveniently directed to define the future of the saga.
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch
- Multiplayer: Yes (in local cooperative and up to 4 players online)
- Developer: Capcom
- Company: Capcom
- Price: 54.90 euros on reservation
- Released: March 26, 2021
