Capcom shared some new details about Monster Hunter Rise during his last digital event, including some more information about the game’s free demo. The demo is now available on the Nintendo eShop and, if you download it, it will unlock a bundle of extra items in the full game when it launches in March.
The demo gives fans the first taste of Rise’s two new game mechanics: Palamute and Wirebug. The former is a new type of canine companion in which players can ride and fight alongside during a hunt, while the latter acts as a grappling hook and allows players to revolve around the environment.
In terms of content, the demo features four missions: two training exercises that introduce you to Wirebug and the new Wyvern Riding mechanic, and two suitable fighters. The “beginner” hunt is responsible for killing a Great Izuchi, one of the new monsters being introduced to Rise, while the “intermediate” hunt makes him fight the return of Mizutsune.
Both fighters can be played alone or online with other players, and you can try out all 14 types of weapons in the game. However, the demo will only be available until February 1st, so you will have limited time to play it. You will also need to have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to play the online demo with others. You can read our Monster Hunter Rise demo prints here.
Your progress on the demo is not carried over to the full game, but according to a post on the Switch news channel, everyone who has saved demo data will unlock a booster of items in the Monster Hunter Rise when it starts. The booster pack consists of the following:
- Mega Potion x20
- Pitfall Trap x5
- Energy Drink x10
- Mega Demondrug x5
- Mega Armorskin x5
In addition to detailing the demo, Capcom shared a new Monster Hunter Rise trailer during this week’s digital event. The video introduced us to a new location, the Frost Islands, as well as a variety of monsters that will appear in the game, including the new Goss Harag and several returning monsters like the Tigrex, Khezu, Barioth and the aforementioned Mizutsune. The video also gave us our first look at Wyvern Riding, a mechanic that allows you to ride temporarily and take control of a monster.
Monster Hunter Rise is released for Nintendo Switch on March 26. In addition to the standard edition of the game, Capcom will also launch Deluxe and Collector editions, which come with some additional bonus items. You can learn more in our Monster Hunter Rise pre-order guide. Three new Monster Hunter Amiibo will also be released along with the game on March 26.
Rise is the first of two new Monster Hunter games to come to Switch this year. The second, Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, is scheduled to arrive sometime this summer and is a follow-up to the spin-off of the series’ 3DS RPG. Capcom joked that there will be some connectivity between Rise and Wings of Ruin.
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