A monstrous pattern to live in
Interestingly, Rise’s development started long before the launch of World under an entirely different team. Director Yasunori Ichinose told IGN in an exclusive interview that the team originally planned areas separated by loading screens, as was standard for Monster Hunter games before World. “On Nintendo Switch, we thought it would be difficult to preserve visual quality and details in a sandbox environment. However, as development progressed, we began to realize that open environments have increasingly become the norm for highly successful titles, and the success of World has inspired us to accept the challenge, ”recalls Ichinose.
Shrine Ruins, the area featured in the demo released at Nintendo eShop in January, is a testament to the efforts of Ichinose and his team. Not only did they manage to perform a perfect hunting experience on a scale similar to that of World (albeit with slightly less detailed environments), the game looks impressive on the Switch.
See the latest exclusive footage from the Monster Hunter Rise game above.
Open environments are not the only idea that Rise takes from World. With a more friendly overall design, World successfully introduced the series to a new audience. Improvements in quality of life, such as wish lists that make it easier to track the material needed for weapon and armor upgrades, the ability to return to camp from wherever you are on the map, allowing players to change equipment without having to go back to the hub, weapon trees that provide information that you would have previously consulted in previous guidelines – the list goes on. “In that sense, there are certainly many changes that we have adapted from the World,” says Ichinose.
A more action-oriented beast
But Rise is not a title that simply depends on the success of the world to play safely. It uses the foundations of the world to offer a whole new view of what a Monster Hunter title can be. The moment you go on a mission, it becomes apparent that Rise is a much more action-oriented beast, literally speaking. With Palamutes (a new dog-like comrade) that you can ride and Wirebugs that you can use to swing through the air and climb the walls, the help of these creatures makes exploring environments a breeze. While World showed you its detailed environments by examining footprints and other clues that would slowly lead you to your target, in Rise you will be making your way to the monsters in no time.
The Scoutflies that guided you to the next trail in the World are also gone, and instead, the locations of the monsters are indicated on the map from the beginning. Although you don’t know the monster’s identity until you find it, and the details of each area until you actually explore it, it remains obvious that Rise aims at a much faster flow of exploration. For players who have been discouraged by the lengthy search for monsters in previous entrances, Rise lowers the bar significantly, allowing players to enjoy their exploration and combat more like a pure action game.
Considering that until now hunting preparation was a big part of Monster Hunter’s identity, Rise allows players to fully prepare themselves on the way. Various types of endemic life are spread across the Rise areas, and as you collect these creatures on the way, your stats will increase until the end of the mission. The endemic life you encounter depends on which route you take, and heading towards your target in a straight line will make the hunt significantly more challenging.While it is still possible to eat meals before entering a mission, Endemic Life alone offers a huge increase in stats for players to jump right into the action without having to regret it later. Similar to World, items like whetstone, fishing rods and catch nets are all fixed items, and while keeping the weapon sharp with Whetsones is still one thing, you can do this while riding your Palamute on your way to the whereabouts of the monster, so you don’t need to stop – like on Iceborne’s Raider Ride. Also, although in previous entrances you would be in trouble if you forgot to prepare a hot drink when going to a cold area like the Frost Islands, Ichinose announced that this item will not make a return. For players who enjoyed the action of Monster Hunter, but were overwhelmed by its layers of preparation, Rise seems to be a much more forgiving experience.
More affordable, yet challenging
This does not mean that the action itself has become a piece of cake. As the demo’s Intermediate Quest indicates, killing a monster can still be as exhausting and unnerving as ever, providing a good challenge for even the most experienced player. But here too, Capcom has found a way to make it more accessible. By eating meals before leaving for the mission and capturing as many Endemic Life creatures as possible to maximize their stats before entering the battle, players can face the challenge with more advantages than ever before. The beauty lies in the fact that, while Capcom still chooses not to implement difficulty settings, you can balance the difficulty for each individual mission by choosing how many stats increases you take along the way. If you want an intense experience, skip meals and Endemic Life entirely.
“I think the more experienced hunter doesn’t have to take detours before entering a fight, but if you want a well-balanced challenge, you will probably want to at least take the Endemic Life you found while chasing your target,” Ichinose advises.
Still, the nature of Monster Hunter’s challenging and rewarding battles remains intact. If you’re new to the series, expect to get beaten up several times in the most difficult missions, even with your stats at maximum. To make the learning curve a little more accessible, Ichinose advises beginning players to start with Village Quests. In previous Monster Hunter games, Village Quests are single-player story missions.
“We’ve reduced the difficulty of Village Quests, so they should work as a good entry point for new players,” says Ichinose.
Stronger together
As in the previous entries, Buddies will be there to help you in your quest. Palicoes, the beloved feline creatures in the series, can support the player in many ways, from offensive Palicoes that will attack monsters along with the hunter, to Palicoes that will heal you when you need it most. But the aforementioned Palamute dogs create an entirely new layer of support and comfort. Not only do they make exploration much faster, but you can also perform synchronized attacks together, making it possible to quickly engage in melee combat for a surprise attack.
“You can choose up to two friends. Of course, the most basic and balanced combination is to take one Palico and one Palamute each. But if you are a gunner, for example, choosing two Palicoes can also be an effective strategy ”, explains Ichinose.
If even with your friends the hunting is very intense, there is always the option to switch to multiplayer mode. Ichinose tells us that connecting with other players has also become simplified. While in World your friends would only appear in the Gathering Hub on the fourth floor of the village, in Rise the entire Kamura Village can be explored together with other players, making the meeting much less confusing.
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You can even go to the Training Area together to test your teamwork without any threat before entering real missions. And while there are separate tutorials for mastering wire-skipping, Wirebugs can also be used within the village. You can always travel quickly to any facility in the village, but rocking your body can act as a way to get used to the new mobility of the game in a safe environment. Ichinose proudly tells us that he himself was able to swing and land right in front of the village facilities and NPCs.
The Training Area has also evolved, as players can adjust the attack patterns and the position of the mechanized giant Tetranadon’s head in the center of the area. This allows players to practice for different situations with the weapon of their choice.
Weapons are still difficult to master, easier to upgrade
Speaking of weapons, Ichinose expects players to switch weapons more often than before. While he understands the fun of becoming an expert on a specific weapon, with 14 widely different weapons available, these players will experience only a fraction of Monster Hunter’s diversity.
“One reason for players to keep the same weapon has always been the fact that it takes a long time to update the weapons, which is why we decided to significantly reduce the amount of materials needed to update the weapons for Rise,” Ichinose tells us.
Considering that looking for materials in previous titles could easily take hours, this adjustment sounds like another big step forward for welcoming more casual players.
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Mastering the weapons themselves is as challenging as ever, and the tutorials still just scratch the surface of the many combos each weapon has. Ichinose tells us that the team considered teaching the player more combos, but they finally came to the conclusion that it would be more confusing and overwhelming than useful for most players.
When asked about the best weapon to start with, Ichinose says the Sword and Shield used to be his standard answer, but the weapon has evolved so much that it has become difficult to recommend as an initial option.
“I think the Long Sword may have become the best weapon for beginners, since you can easily deliver a good flow of attacks by simply pressing the buttons without having to master how to block,” says Ichinose.With sword design techniques based on katana swords, the Long Sword must be a great match with the Rise Japan-inspired setting too!
Monster Hunter Rise is due to be released on the Nintendo Switch on March 26.
Esra Krabbe is an editor at IGN JAPAN. When he’s not hunting, you can usually find him at TwitterIGN sits down with Monster Hunter Rise director Yasunori Ichinose to learn what the team has done to make the series more accessible than ever.