While support for Monster Hunter World is beginning to wrap up, concluding with one final battle against the Elder Dragon Fatalis, fans of Capcom's action-RPG series can look forward to a brand-new title coming to Nintendo Switch, Monster Hunter Rise, which was announced earlier today as part of Nintendo's latest Partner Showcase.
Although Capcom didn't share a ton of details, with only a short trailer and 15-minute Monster Hunter Direct being released, fans have been given a first look at what to expect from the gameplay, setting, and the monsters themselves, with a few new ones already confirmed, including the game's flagship monster, Magnamalo.
Aside from the new beasts players can look forward to tracking down and slaying in Monster Hunter Rise, series producer Ryozo Tsujimoto went into a little more detail on the two types of support characters that will assist players in exploration and battle.
First of all, dog lovers can finally go hunting with canine companions, a first for the series, with the announcement trailer even opening with one of these new Canyne Buddies called a Palamute. Players can hop aboard these animals' back to traverse the environment at a quick pace (they can even climb up walls). Since stamina doesn't decrease, one can ride to their heart's content, and use the opportunity to use certain items or restore their health.
As they're an attack-type support, Canyne's will also assist in dealing damage to enemies. In the footage shown, the Palamute can be seen holding a blade in its mouth, which may remind some of Persona 3's Koromaru, who also fought by wielding a kunai in its mouth. The Felyne Palico companions are making an unsurprising return as well, though they will focus more on support than attacking enemies.
Players can adventure with up to two Buddies and can decide what combination to take with them, be it one of each, two Canynes, or two Felynes. This won't be the case for multiplayer, though. Players will only be allowed one Buddy each, possibly to avoid making the party too overpowered.
This wasn't the only Monster Hunter announcement today either. Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, a sequel to the RPG spin-off for 3DS, will be coming to Switch in 2021 as well. Further details on both titles will be shared at this year's Tokyo Game Show.
Capcom certainly knows how to make its fans happy. Only yesterday, as part of the PlayStation 5 showcase, it also announced Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition as a launch title, which will come with next-gen upgrades and Vergil as a playable character.
Monster Hunter Rise will release for Nintendo Switch on March 26th 2021.
