After this game was announced, some feared that Monster Hunter Rise would go back to the typical style for the franchise. In other words, was Monster Hunter World a one-time thing or would it be the blueprint for the future of the series? It turns out that it was indeed a blueprint because this feels like a full-on sequel to many of that game’s ideas.
It’s a bit smaller in scope in some areas like the literal size of maps, but that’s not a bad thing. All that being said, there are certainly other aspects of the game that aren’t good though so let’s weigh the pros and cons.
10 Best: Multiplayer
Multiplayer has never been faster in a Monster Hunter game. Getting into and out of matches is like a dream come true. That’s the hope for any online functional game at launch but sometimes launches can come with hiccups. Thankfully whatever magic they did at Capcom before release was a miracle to avoid those kinks.
9 Worst: Not Enough Done With The Era
The name itself is a nod to this series sort of going back to the origins. It makes sense since this is themed like a feudal-era Japan version of the games. While some of the aesthetic stuff is cool, Capcom didn’t really do enough with it to justify the motif. What’s more, a lot of environments are either reused completely or only slightly remixed. It would have been nice to see a clear distinction in eras in other words.
8 Best: Load Times
Fans have been clamoring for a new Switch model for years now but this game is proof the normal Switch is still plenty powerful. Based on the load times alone one would think it is running on a Switch Pro. From the multiplayer setup to going into different zones solo, it is clear that something powerful is behind the hood of this beast. It is the fastest loading process in the series so far.
7 Worst: Mechanic Overload
For newcomers to the series, the mechanics overload could make one throw the game down out of frustration. There is a lot to get through between the old and new stuff. That’s the one thing this series has been always bad about: explanations. There is a lot in the menus to make sense of it all, but again that can be too much to handle for gamers right off the bat. The menus themselves aren’t much better.
6 Best: Wirebugs
While the guide bugs from Monster Hunter World are missed, the Wirebugs are a nice replacement. Not only can they help hunters zip around the map both vertically and horizontally, but there is an even cooler use for them.
Wirebugs can also be used to ride the big monsters around in order to either gain the upper hand in battle or to use them in giant Kaiju battles. It’s like a more intense Pokemon experience.
5 Worst: Photo Mode
While it is nice that this game does support a photo mode, it is far from perfect. The game does not pause when using it making it hard to set up precise shots compared to other more thorough photo modes in other games. It makes sense not to pause during multiplayer but when playing solo gamers can literally pause the game already. Then there are the watermarks Capcom places on them which is not a crime they alone are guilty of but is no less aggravating for some.
4 Best: So Many Pets
The longtime Palico companions in this series have always been adorable. However, the cute factor was just upped. This game not only adds the Palamutes, but there are now owls called Cohoots. Palamutes will always accompany the player even in multiplayer and will both be useful in battle and out of as trusty steeds. The Cohoots then are kind of like drones in a game like Watch Dogs.
3 Worst: No New Weapons
There are fourteen weapon types in the game which all have a great range of uses for all types of players. Unfortunately, none of them are new. In fact, many upgrade paths from the previous game are similar so even weapons look similar.
One would have hoped for more especially considering the setting of the feudal era. In a way, Palamutes are like new weapons which is a plus, to be fair.
2 Best: Gear Customization
There are a lot of ways to make one’s character look unique. One of the new things in this series is Layered Armor. This is basically aesthetic costumes that players can put on over their character while still keeping the best armor in the game. Players can also hop into the menu and turn off which parts of armor show or not. One can even run around in what looks like their underwear.
1 Worst: Character Creator
The one aspect of character customization that is not so fluid is the actual character creator. The options are far from the worst setups out there. It may even be better than Cyberpunk 2077, but altogether it is pretty barebones. Since armor is so unique this is something that can be forgiven in the grand scheme of things. It’s still a grievance worth voicing though for both this game and the series as a whole.