Monster Hunter Rise marks the popular action-RPG franchise's first major release (and return to handhelds) following the success of Monster Hunter World. Launching first on the Nintendo Switch, the game promises to offer something for new and old fans, including a horde mode.
Reviews for Rise, which launches on March 26, have been largely positive. Critics have praised the game for providing plenty of options for fighting monsters, while balancing gameplay to appeal to both longtime fans and newcomers introduced through World. Here's what critics have to say about Monster Hunter Rise.
Tom Marks, IGN: "Monster Hunter is about hunting some dang monsters, and here the options available, locations to fight in, and techniques to do so with are, on the whole, superb. And while the Switch's comparably weak hardware means things don't look quite as crisp as I got used to with World, it's frankly remarkable how close Rise gets. That includes how well it generally runs, as well as load times that are shockingly fast both in and out of hunts. Capcom also deserves a special shoutout for making an online system that just works, letting you join the lobbies of your Switch friends with little to no hassle. That's become a frustratingly infrequent standard of living on the Switch (I'm looking at you, Animal Crossing)."
Kazuma Hashimoto, Siliconera: "Monster Hunter Rise offers two styles of progression through its Village and Hub Rank quests. These simultaneously cater to players who jumped into the Monster Hunter franchise through Monster Hunter World and series veterans that spent more time with the portable titles. I found myself gravitating towards the Hub quests, as they allowed for me to leap into action without engaging in the story to an extent."
Sergio Solorzano, The Gamer: "Rise, as if in response to the many fans who hated the Handler, narrows the scope of its story. It's basically 'there are lots of monsters coming, go get them.' Some Kamura residents get very simple character arcs, but none get the spotlight that the Handler did. If you're only here to fight big monsters, Rise is more accommodating to that than World was."
Gene Park, Launcher (The Washington Post): "When it comes to the gameplay loop, there's little to differentiate it from Monster Hunter World, and that's actually a remarkable thing. World was a massive upgrade for the once-niche series, streamlining its action while making it look prettier than ever. That Rise manages to match this almost one to one is in and of itself a remarkable feat. It's also not a knock that Rise takes after World so much. After all, the Monster Hunter series is one of those giant mega-franchises (over 64 million sold worldwide) that reiterates the formula with small updates because people already love the core loop."
Chris Carter, Destructoid: "If you felt like Monster Hunter was clunky in the past, the wirebug might change that notion. Think of it like a flavorful grappling hook, which can not only zoom you around the map for exploration purposes, but zip you around in combat as an action-centric dodge. Hunters have access to a recover ability (think fighting games when you get knocked down), which prevents you from getting stunlocked or comboed by enemies, as well as special wirebug moves."
Jason Guisao, Game Informer: "The environments are visually arresting, and house entire ecosystems filled to the brim with endemic life as well as hard-to-find secrets. My two favorite locales -- Shrine Ruins and Flooded Forest -- are littered with the remnants of ancient civilizations; they have huts wrapped in thick vines and sky-piercing pyramids that loom in the distance. While roaming, I often thought about the histories of these forsaken settlements and the people that once called them home. However, my imagination was often all I had to go on, since the lack of meaningful story beats makes the plot fall flat."
Ryan Gilliam, Polygon: "This mobility helps give Rise a more modern feel than its predecessors. Instead of lying on the ground after a big hit, I can use my Wirebug to recover in midair. It lets me pull myself to safety and heal before the monster can catch me again. I don't only have to choose between dodging left or right; I can also dodge up. I can escape a fight by scaling a mountain, or follow a retreating monster by zipping over some buildings. I have more chances to save myself from the often brutal enemy AI."
Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica: "Previous MH games' missions have included weapon options like mounted cannons, but Rampage missions go one further by asking a combined team of players to juggle a limited pool of resources and react on the fly to things like destroyed cannons (which can be repaired faster if someone runs to a 'kiln') or a 'counter' state (which makes melee attacks more powerful for a limited time, thus urging players to get off the cannons and go whack some frilly super-lizards). These missions aren't necessarily revelatory, and they don't emphasize MHR's suite of new movement abilities, but they provide a welcome dose of differentiation when some of the other monster-combat missions can blur together."
Martin Robinson, Eurogamer: "...as much as World pushed the series into the mainstream, it's Rise that could yet propel it to be a phenomenon -- and at the very least, it'll earn the series some new fans along the way. If you've been put off by the challenge, the investment or even the action, Rise does its very best to smooth the path and open up Monster Hunter's charms to all. If you're already smitten with the series like I am? Well, Monster Hunter Rise might well be as good as video games can get."