For all intents and purposes, Monster Hunter Rise feels like a proper sequel to Monster Hunter World in both the look and feel of it. Except for some graphical reduction on the Switch, it’s actually quite surprising that the console can handle Rise. It’s proof that the Switch Pro is not needed any time soon as much as fans want it.
That aside, one of the biggest questions that comes up about Monster Hunter Rise is what are the differences between it and Monster Hunter World? In other words, what has changed between the two games, what has stayed the same, and what has been added?
10 Palamutes
Monster Hunter Rise has introduced a new pet to coexist next to the longtime Palico companions. Palamutes, unlike Palicoes, can always accompany players in multiplayer.
They are used as a combat companion and also a riding buddy, serving similar to a small horse to get around the maps faster. The series has made it so monsters could be ridden before but it was never in a dedicated manner like this.
9 Cohoots
Cohoots are another new animal companion. These owls act like drones in other games. A good example is Assassin’s Creed which uses birds to scope out areas. Unfortunately, in Monster Hunter Rise, players cannot take direct control of these birds in order to scout the land.
Cohoots are more like an explanation or justification as to why players can see so much on the map, from roaming monsters to mineral deposits.
8 Wirebugs
The guiding bugs from Monster Hunter World are out. In Monster Hunter Rise, they have been replaced with Wirebugs that act like World's grappling hook although more involved. Wirebugs can boost players into the air directly or onto cliffs.
Players can also run up walls like a ninja using them. Combining these two ideas together, the overall nature of this game is allowing players more traversal options.
7 Wyvern Riding
Wirebugs have another use. If players are careful enough, they can get them to wrangle monsters down in order to temporarily ride them. This is especially useful when two large monsters cross each other’s path.
This makes it easier to break off materials from the opposing monster as well as take them down quicker via massive damage. It’s like a big Kaiju battle or like a more intense Pokemon scuffle to keep things on-brand with Nintendo.
6 Rampage Mode
Rampage missions are like Monster Hunter Rise’s version of a horde mode from Gears of War. The idea of them in the story is that, from time to time, monsters will try and penetrate the gates of the town.
It’s still only four-player co-op missions but in a survival arena setting. They are fun distractions if nothing else and can be lucrative ways to get rare materials.
5 Multiplayer Separation
Monster Hunter Rise has now been split into two distinct hubs. One where players can go on missions by themselves in the story. The other is a gathering location for multiplayer.
This makes it so players that don’t care about the story can jump in almost immediately with friends or strangers. The setup is very quick compared to Monster Hunter World, which is a plus for any game launching with online functionality.
4 Reduced Story
The story in Monster Hunter Rise is less prominent than the one in Monster Hunter World. That may be a plus for some and a downer for others since Monster Hunter World was the first big push for the series to get a proper story.
Consequently, Rise may feel like a step back. Whether one likes the story or not, it should also be noted that cutscenes can now be skipped, even in multiplayer. This makes it much easier for players to get straight to the action.
3 Amiibo Support
It should come as no surprise to learn that a Switch game offers Amiibo support. Using almost any Amiibo will enter players into a lottery for the day. They have three chances to win random items via the town’s shopkeeper.
There are also three exclusive Monster Hunter Rise Amiibo available only at GameStop that offer one-time only DLC when registered. The Amiibo are based on Magnamalo, Palicoes, and Palamutes.
2 No More Environmental Potions
Monster Hunter World made it almost mandatory to drink potions in order to survive in different environments. It was like the potions used to survive the magma layers in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
This is no longer a factor in Monster Hunter Rise. There are still plenty of potions hunters need in order to survive a monster encounter but at least the environments are no longer enemies.
1 New Monsters
There are technically ten new monsters introduced in Monster Hunter Rise. Two of them are smaller monsters like the Bombadgy and Izuchi. The latter has a greater form, Great Izuchi, but it’s really only one new creature there.
The rest are all hits and include Magnamalo, Aknosom, Tetranadon, Somnacanth, Goss Harag, Bishaten, and Rakna-Kadaki. Magnamalo is the main attraction as the cover beast and returns many times throughout the game’s story.