Capcom's Monster Hunter Rise is currently in development for the Switch. Fans of the series who have been waiting to see it return to Nintendo's hardware likely still have a lot of questions following Rise's reveal at the Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase earlier this month, but they do know its cover monster will be the Magnamalo.
The developer offered those fans a better look at this game's flagship monster by releasing a piece of concept art through the official Monster Hunter Twitter account yesterday. There are immediate similarities that can be drawn between Magnamalo and other quadrupedal monsters like the Fanged Wyvern Zinogre thanks to its arched back, horns, and tail. However, Zinogre is a Thunder elemental monster, whereas Magnamalo appears to be Fire-based due to the purple flames escaping from its maw.
The similarities to Zinogre also stop at Magnamalo's aesthetic design, as its facial features especially seem based on Japanese oni masks — a connection made blatant thanks to the Monster Hunter Twitter account including a fire and oni emoji on its post. Magnamalo also has a lot of sharp edges that Monster Hunter Rise players will have to watch out for, including its scorpion-like tail and serrated claws hooking back up next to its forelimbs.
While Magnamalo is the headlining representative for Monster Hunter Rise, similar to previous monsters like the Valstrax in Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate and the Gore Magala in Monster Hunter 4, it is not the only new beast players are currently aware of. Monster Hunter Rise has already revealed multiple new monsters, including the Bird Wyvern Great Izuchi and the amphibious Tetranadon that resembles a Kappa, another creature in Japanese folklore.
On top of adding new monsters to hunt, the upcoming Nintendo Switch game should stand out from the previous Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate by including new features and mechanics reminiscent of Monster Hunter World. Monster Hunter Rise will have traversal features like running up walls, zipping about using Wire Bugs like a grappling hook, and racing atop the new Palamute companion, which all benefit its open-world design.
The Palamute in particular appears to be a huge selling point for the game. New Monster Hunter Rise merchandise includes Palamute plushes, and the canine companion will receive an Amiibo figure alongside a traditional Palico and the flagship monster Magnamalo. Players will have to wait and see what other creatures they can tackle in the game as Capcom reveals more before launches next year.
Monster Hunter Rise will be available on March 26, 2021 for Nintendo Switch.