Monster Hunter Rise continues to not only release new content, but also expand the scope of who can access that content. It was a Switch-exclusive title in 2021 before jumping to PC in 2022, and then it hit PlayStation and Xbox consoles earlier this year. The Capcom Spotlight last week confirmed Monster Hunter Rise's Sunbreak expansion will come to consoles on April 28, coinciding with a digital event focused on Title Update 5. This gravy train doesn't seem to be slowing anytime soon, but Capcom will have to consider its next move to impress a steadily-growing fanbase.
The back-to-back releases of Monster Hunter World and Monster Hunter Rise have been truly blockbuster successes for a developer typically associated with games like Street Fighter and Resident Evil. World and Rise are the top-selling titles in Capcom's entire library according to its Investor Relations "Platinum Titles" ranking from December 31, 2022; moving 18.6 and 11.7 million units respectively, not including their expansions. It stands to reason this momentum will carry into the next Monster Hunter, which should make huge innovations to stand out. One possibility could be the blended weapon styles of the series' representative in Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite.
How Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite Augments its Monster Hunter
While not among the best-regarded entries in the long-running crossover fighting series, 2017's Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite did bring some interesting ideas to the table. One such idea was its blend of different environments and character interactions. A good showcase for these "hybrid" locations was Valkanda, in which the advanced Marvel Comics nation of Wakanda merged with Monster Hunter 4's desert port town of Val Harbor. In this instance, Black Panther ruled with a nameless monster hunter at his side to maintain peace between the disparate peoples of their worlds.
Story reasoning aside, this was a great opportunity to include Monster Hunter representation in Marvel vs. Capcom - something that was long overdue considering prior entries already tapped less combative characters like Phoenix Wright. The female hunter wears Rathalos gear (the iconic monster also cameos in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate), but deviates from the main series canon by utilizing three weapons at once: Great Sword, Dual Blades, and a Bow.
For the sake of a fighting game, it makes sense to blend different styles together. Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite's Monster Hunter can commit to longer, more devastating heavy attacks with the Great Sword, but not lose out on quicker combos with Dual Blades or ranged attacks using her Bow. Even better, the fighting game doesn't miss out on Monster Hunter's recognizable features by encouraging charge attacks for unique combos, as well as throwing in smaller nods to mechanics like Barrel Bombs.
Mainline Monster Hunter Games Could Try Infinite's Weapon Diversity
The Monster Hunter series is built on player agency and gratifying, self-motivated progression. There are 14 weapon types to use in main Monster Hunter games (11 for Blademasters and three for Gunners), all of which have a variety of combos to learn and unique interactions with armor skills or status effects. Players can spend hundreds of hours learning the ins-and-outs of any one weapon against each monster rogues' gallery, so part of the fun is getting together with friends and synergizing what weapons complement details like blunt or sharp damage.
Still, it's not unreasonable to wonder why a hunter couldn't bring multiple weapons, either swapping between them using a menu prompt or creating hybrid move pools. This system could be balanced by weight, making larger weapons like Great Sword and Hunting Horn incompatible. It could also restrict these combos to one melee and one ranged weapon, making every player capable of striking up-close and from a distance. If Capcom really wanted to go crazy, specific combinations could unlock new attacks, such as an aerial arrow bombardment if players bring Insect Glaive and Bow together.
This kind of dual-wielding system is unlikely given how finely tuned each weapon is when balanced against other tools and the series' hallmark monsters. However, Monster Hunter World and Rise both took steps in the direction of greater freedom using more interconnected environments and traversal tools like Wirebugs. A radical shift to weapon design inspired by Marvel vs. Capcom could be just what Rise's successor needs to set itself apart.
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.