With about a month remaining until the launch of Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak, fans have a good idea for what to expect from the "massive expansion" to Capcom's latest action-RPG. Trailers have shown new monsters that will appear alongside Rise's Master Rank quests, from the unique Three Lords terrorizing Elgado Outpost to returning favorites like Seregios. Some of the base game's monsters will also get variants, including the Blood Orange Bishaten, Aurora Somnacanth, and Magma Almudron.
The Monster Hunter Digital Event streamed earlier this month also went into detail about features and mechanical tweaks. For example, new single-player Follower Quests will let fans team up with popular NPCs, and wall running will be accessible without the grappling hook-esque Wirebug. Yet the biggest mechanical change is the expansion of Silkbind Attacks and Switch Skills, as well as a Switch Skill Swap feature that could vastly improve the viability of every weapon type.
How Sunbreak is Expanding Monster Hunter Rise's Switch Skills
Some previous Monster Hunter games have provided players the opportunity to customize their abilities beyond forging different weapons. Monster Hunter Generations notably introduced four Hunting Styles that changed up techniques like evading, as well as Hunting Arts with generic or weapon-specific moves to activate mid-hunt. Switch Skills in Monster Hunter Rise are an evolution of this idea that affect the intrinsic style for each of its 14 weapon types.
As players make their way through the game, they can unlock a Switch Skill for three "sets" on each weapon. Some of these alternate skills change basic aspects of the weapon, for example with Hunting Horn's "Switch 1" choice between Overhead Smash and Melodic Slap. Using the same button combo, this choice is the difference between a heavy slam that impacts monster stamina or a more circular swing with a flourish that helps stuns monsters. Silkbind Attacks are the same in concept, taking up at least one of the three customizable sets, but are more powerful techniques that often make monsters vulnerable to Wyvern Riding and cost players the ability to use their Wirebug for a limited time.
Whereas the base game required players to pick just one Switch Skill in each of their three sets, Sunbreak's Switch Skill Swap feature will let them bring designated "red" and "blue" skills to alternate between. Capcom has released a Sunbreak video showcase for all 14 weapon types, each one teasing the new Switch Skills and Silkbind Attacks being added. One demonstrative example is Light Bowgun, which can use the Fanning Maneuver Switch Skill to dodge an incoming attack before swapping to Wyvern Counter which deliver serious follow-up damage.
Switch Skill Swap Could Do Wonders for All Weapon Types
Another key aspect to the appeal of Switch Skill Swap is the additional "swap evade" technique coming to Monster Hunter Rise. This makes it so a player can change from red to blue skills and keep from being a stationary target, reducing the potential trade-off of getting a desired technique at the cost of health. The merit of increased customization alongside other new features in Sunbreak is clear in and of itself. However, being able to swap between this increased pool of techniques on the fly also makes each weapon more interesting - and potentially useful - to play.
Despite Monster Hunter's core design encouraging player choice, "meta" options inevitably push out their competition. For Monster Hunter Rise, Long Sword is often considered the most powerful weapon type, and data released by Capcom has shown this reflects in actual player selections. The "Kamura Village Hunter Analysis Report" released in June 2021 showed 40.2 percent of players used Long Sword, with just 4.7 percent using the lowest option; Lance.
Having more options at once could make a weapon like Lance better able to stand out. The Switch Skill showcase video for Lance demonstrates Anchor Rage, a defensive move that delivers a powerful counter-attack if monsters strike during a short window; swapping to the new Skyward Thrust, a fast attack move that hits straight up and down. With weapons like Long Sword also getting powerful new Switch Skills, it remains to be seen if overall usage numbers will change. But if nothing else, Switch Skill Swap will give each weapon's fans a lot more versatility.
Monster Hunter Rise is available now for PC and Switch. Its Sunbreak expansion launches on June 30, 2022.