Capcom's latest Monster Hunter venture was defined by Rampages, a tower defense-style hunt wherein players set down siege weapons to hit waves of creatures before they destroy the peaceful Kamura Village. After the narrative concludes with hunters stopping the mating ritual of Narwa and Ibushi, Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak shifts focus to the effects of a communicable disease spread by the leech-like Qurio. Risen Elder Dragons are the latest addition based on this theme, but Capcom shouldn't restrict the phenomenon to its recurring trio of Second Generation monsters.
Malzeno, Sunbreak's vampire-themed flagship monster, absorbs the energy of its opponents by commanding the Qurio, which in-turn spreads the Bloodblight affliction. It's revealed that Malzeno is trying to keep that energy away from a more apocalyptic Elder Dragon, Giasmagorm, but when both threats are defeated the Qurio attempt to bond with any monster they can find. Hunters take on Afflicted monsters and Anomaly Investigations as a result, using enhanced parts to supercharge their gear. Sunbreak's Free Title Update 2 uses Risen Chameleos to answer what happens when this phenomenon spreads to other Elder Dragons, and the concept has wide-reaching potential.
Afflicted and Risen Monsters are Raising the Bar in Sunbreak
Afflicted monsters are considered more violent and powerful than their basic counterparts due to the influence of the parasitic Qurio, but in terms of gameplay they aren't hugely different. When Afflicted, every monster becomes a damage sponge with huge health pools meant to be whittled down by attacking clusters of Qurio, and their attacks will inflict Bloodblight similar to Malzeno. Once enough clusters have burst, the monster will move from its always-enraged "Delirious" state to a "Pacified" state that's little different from a regular hunt.
This reflects what happens when the Qurio overpower lesser monsters, but new Risen monsters are said to have overcome their Afflicted state and form a symbiosis with the parasitic leeches. Elder Dragons are implied to be the only monsters strong enough, with Risen Chameleos acting like a new Malzeno. It gains a handful of moves, and notably can enter a Risen state with crazier attacks and a visible effect on the surrounding environment.
Afflicted and Risen monsters have drawn comparison to the Frenzy mechanics in Monster Hunter 4. Both originate from a single monster (Malzeno and Gore Magala), spread among the wider population like a virus, give hunters a new status effect that relies on attacking to garner benefits, and can be overcome by powerful monsters. The Frenzy Virus led to eight Apex monsters, none of whom were Elder Dragons, so this new Anomaly has the potential to be much more deadly.
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Needs a Wider Array of Risen Elder Dragons
Using Chameleos to represent this mechanic feels very intentional. Capcom could have easily leaned on monsters introduced in Rise for new Risen forms, be it Magnamalo or Garangolm and Lunagaron - who join Malzeno as the "Three Lords" around Elgado Outpost. By choosing Chameleos, the developer instead points to this Elder Dragon-based phenomenon having obvious next subjects: Teostra and Kushala Daora.
The original Monster Hunter had scarce few Elder Dragons, restricted to just Fatalis, Kirin, and Lao-Shan Lung (plus some variants of them). Monster Hunter 2 brought a lot more attention to Elder Dragons by introducing the trio of Chameleos, Teostra, and Kushala Daora that would appear in nearly every game to follow. They tend to serve as entry-level Elder Dragons before any individual game's more unique threats arrive - though the Rusted Kushala Daora variant would become a major story element in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate.
It's likely Capcom will move up the chain by introducing Risen Teostra and then Kushala in the next few Title Updates for Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak, which will represent an escalation of the threat before some other powerful (and hopefully new) creature emerges. Yet it's precisely that expectation that Capcom should subvert by spreading the Risen phenomenon to other Elder Dragons. A handful of good candidates like Shagaru Magala are already available in Sunbreak, but it would be good to see a Title Update introduce wholly new monsters like Nergigante, Lunastra, or even an updated Caedeus to show how much danger the Qurio are attracting.
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is available now on PC and Switch.
