Monster Hunter Rise players have had nearly a week to make their way through Capcom's "massive" Sunbreak expansion. Though they'll start seeing newly added monsters like Daimyo Hermitaur immediately, other features are slowly doled out as hunters adjust to Elgado. Switch Skill Swap is one of the first mechanics offered up, letting players bring two sets of Switch Skills for each weapon - with new options for skills and Silkbind Attacks being introduced. Soon enough, Follower Quests also become available.
Follower Quests were introduced during Sunbreak's May 2022 Digital Event, and the appeal of this concept is clear. As with all prior Monster Hunter games, Rise's initial hub area Kamura Village and Sunbreak's Elgado Outpost are full of prominent NPCs who run services or guide players. Once Follower Quests are unlocked, some of these characters can be brought to single-player hunts; each of whom use unique weapons and have particular styles. It's a great addition for character-building, but the way it's implemented into the narrative also points to ways that Capcom can continue expanding the series' co-op.
How Monster Hunter Rise's Follower Quests Work
Sunbreak adds Master Rank (MR) quests, which are the equivalent of difficult G-Rank hunts from previous titles. Players have to work through MR levels the same way they did Low and High Rank in Monster Hunter Rise, completing enough Key Quests to unlock Urgent Quests that advance the narrative. The Urgent Quest to advance from MR 1 to MR 2 is hunting Blood Orange Bishaten, the subspecies of a monster introduced in Rise. Dame Fiorayne, sister of Argosy trader Rondine, accompanies players on this hunt.
Fiorayne also joins subsequent Urgent Quests that advance players to MR 3 and MR 4, hunting Garangolm and Lunagaron, respectively. These are two of Sunbreak's Three Lords that threaten Elgado, and Fiorayne being present means she is able to play a more integrated role in the expansion's story. Yet this also serves as an introduction to the idea of Follower Quests in general, as more characters around the world will ask players to hunt with them following the Blood Orange Bishaten Urgent Quest.
There are two types of "Follower Collab Quests" at the Quest Counter: Follower Quests, in which the player joins an NPC on hunts they ask for; and Support Surveys, in which multiple NPCs can be selected to take on harder challenges. Each characters' personality can be gleaned from their discussions and playstyles, from Rondine saying she needs more practice with her Charge Blade after lying low as a trader to Luchika expressing concern that nobody wants to hunt with her - as it turns out she focuses only on battle without providing any support. Support Surveys add more to these AI companions, as players are able to select between a few weapons they excel with.
Sunbreak Opens the Door for Bigger Hunts
Though Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak puts emphasis on the freedom to mix-and-match with numerous NPCs, Fiorayne's introduction provides a more interesting window into the future. Because MR quests are multiplayer hunts, any given player could have a full party of four when they set off. Even so, Urgent Quests that bring Fiorayne along won't keep her on the sidelines, meaning five hunters can be on-site at a time alongside their allied Palico or Palamutes.
This might not be a big deal if NPC followers were less adept, but Capcom put a lot of effort into creating realistic AI that approximates human behavior. Characters won't just heal their allies between attacks, they can also set down traps and taunt monsters to fall in them, or initiate Wyvern Riding sessions complete with Mounted Punishers. It really feels like players can have five hunters at once, which begs the question whether Capcom would set up an official party size expansion.
Multiplayer in Monster Hunter has long been limited to just four people, and this has always worked. Having players scattered around an area results in monsters running about, potentially interrupting each individual hunter's combos, and having four people feels overwhelming against smaller monsters like Great Izuchi. Yet cinematic hunts against huge monsters and Elder Dragons like Malzeno or Narwa the Allmother could be even more exciting if five, six, or more hunters got to combine their power to defeat overwhelming odds. Monster Hunter Rise leans into helping hunters with Endemic Life like blight beetles and now Follower Quests, so Capcom may consider doing even more in future titles.
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is available now on PC and Switch.
