There are few adventures gamers find more exhilarating than testing their mettle against giant monsters, as evidenced by the meteoric rise of action role-playing games like Elden Ring in recent years. The RPG category has always been highly competitive, with multiple top-class titles being released yearly by the best developers, and it seems to get tougher with each passing year. The Monster Hunter franchise comes from the brains at Capcom, gaining renown for its challenging gameplay and its unique system of equipment crafting. The fifth installment of the series, Monster Hunter World, was particularly successful upon its release in 2018, accumulating stellar reviews and winning The Game Award for Best Role Playing Game. Capcom added another title to the franchise in 2021, Monster Hunter Rise, although it didn't reach the lofty heights of its predecessor - and a comparison might point out why.
In the grand scheme of things, by all standards, Monster Hunter Rise was a largely successful game that had everything required of a sequel to an award-winning title. However, awards are the ultimate metric to see just how great a release was, and despite its nominations in the Best Multiplayer Game and Best Role Playing Game, Monster Hunter Rise came out empty-handed. When games are being compared at surface value, this absence is a gaping hole in the legacy of the sixth installment, especially since its predecessor, Monster Hunter World, was successful in that regard.
Palamutes and the Wirebug Added Functionality to Rise
Monster Hunter Rise follows the scant storyline featured in previous editions of the Monster Hunter franchise, as Capcom elected to have a separate franchise dedicated to a fully-formed plot called Monster Hunter Stories. Through the years, Monster Hunter has cultivated a culture of its own, and Monster Hunter Rise retained several notable elements from its predecessor, with a sizeable number of monsters making a reappearance in the franchise's sixth installment. To combat these beasts, Capcom has given gamers aid in the form of Palicoes - cat companions belonging to an umbrella species called Lynians.
For Monster Hunter Rise, the developer wanted to bring a fresh dynamic to the Palico, introducing a new companion known as the Canyne - or the Palamute in the game's English version. Traditionally, gamers' companions had taken on the form of cats, and while the longstanding companions still make an appearance in Monster HunterRise, Palamutes are a delightful addition to Monster Hunter's Buddies and present a bag of tricks for players to explore. The wolf-like creatures are skilled hunters capable of providing coordinated offensive support to players in battle. In addition to these abilities, Palamutes also allow Rise players to ride on their backs, making travel across the game's map much quicker and easier.
Another noticeable point of contrast between the Monster Hunter titles is the debut of the Wirebug mechanism in Rise. Wirebug vastly improved upon the gaming experience in Monster Hunter World, a new recharging resource that allows players to scale obstacles with modern techniques like ziplining and wall climbing, as well as the ability to jump through the air and recover from heavy hits dealt by opponents. The added maneuverability increases the game's pace significantly, reducing the downtimes in combat and eliminating the loading screens featured in older games.
With the new feature, gamers can now get back up immediately after sustaining big hits and re-engage in battle smoothly in counterattacks that previously were not possible. Healing is also faster with this new mechanism, as potions give players half of their restoration powers right away. The Wirebug might be the best feature to grace the Monster Hunter franchise in years, as the increased pace is essential in a gaming industry that is fast-advancing in combat mechanics. The loading screens that dominated the series' earlier releases got old fast, and it's great to see Capcom embracing the times.
Rise's Disjointed Progression Might Have Cost It An Award
Despite the numerous positives, Monster Hunter Rise still had some areas where it felt like its predecessor had performed better. The franchise had never been particularly well-known for its plot, but Rise seemed even thinner in composition compared to previous games. Progression is one of the core components in gaming, and Rise felt disjointed in its adopted system, featuring remarkably little correlation between important hunts and unlocking new areas. Monster Hunter World, on the other hand, had the sense of continuation the sequel was lacking.
The novel art style adopted by Monster Hunter Rise may have been the reason behind the disconnect. Where World, as its name alludes to, was an open-world environment with large interconnected areas for gamers to explore, Capcom set the latest installment in a small walled village called Kamura. The theme of exploring the continent in Monster Hunter World was one of the things that made the game so successful, and Capcom's gambit to turn away from a working formula caused a minute but noticeable reduction in the overall gaming experience.
These areas where Monster Hunter Rise seemingly regressed from World can be overshadowed by the categories of massive improvement, like the Wirebug mechanism and the addition of a new companion. The multiplayer mode in Rise was much improved, as Capcom got rid of the specific gathering hubs gamers had to go to in World to access the feature, giving gamers a seamless experience in joining up with other community members. Monster Hunter Rise may not have the prestige that comes with winning an award, but it is still one of the better role-playing games out there.
Monster Hunter Rise is available now for PC and Switch, with PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S versions launching on January 20, 2023.
