Monster Hunter Rise: 5 Reasons to Play
On January 26th, 2018 Monster Hunter World released on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It would later release to PC as well and become the best-selling entry in the franchise. It sold over 5 million copies in the first three days after release. In fact, it’s Capcom’s biggest and most profitable franchise outside of Resident Evil. The newest entry into the franchise, Monster Hunter Rise, just launched on the Nintendo Switch.
If you’re wondering whether or not you should pick it up, the answer is an easy yes. Maybe you’re not wondering at all and you just don’t plan to pick it up. That would be a mistake and here are the five reasons why picking up Monster Hunter Rise would be the correct choice.
Giant Swords Are Cool
I know that first-person shooters, lasers, and machine guns are all the rage right now. Competitive shooters dominate the gaming market, from battle royales to competitive team games they are everywhere. But, let’s be honest, the gun is the coward’s weapon of choice. You shoot from afar, where it’s safe.
What you really need is a giant sword, thick as a tree trunk or long as Sephiroth’s Masamune. You need to get up close and personal with your prey. You need to go toe to toe, mono e mono. Put yourself in the thick of it, risk your hide as you attempt to bring down the beast. Feel the rush of adrenaline and the excitement of the hunt.
If swords aren’t really your style, there are a whole plethora of weapon types you can choose from. From giant axes to massive hammers, there’s even a bug stick (the insect glaive) that lets you fly around like you’re on a little rocket. And, if you’re too scaredy-cat to get up close and personal, yes there are bows and guns too. One even has a lance on it.
You don’t get that in Fortnite as you’re building your umpteenth HGTV shanty town.
Cat Sidekicks
If the internet has taught us anything since the mid to the late 90s, it’s that everyone loves cats. In Monster Hunter you get your very own furry companion called a Felyne (sometimes a Palico). They’re a sentient race of cute little cat people who follow you around and fight alongside you.
They have their own weapons and armor and aid you in battle in a variety of ways. They can heal you, buff you, and in prior entries of the series cook for you! Who doesn’t love a cat that actually pulls its weight?
Oh, yea, dog people. But don’t worry, because Monster Hunter Rise has something for them too! The canine companion Palamutes have been added to this entry of the Monster Hunter franchise as well. You don’t even have to choose between one or the other, you get both Palicos and Palamutes to fight alongside you. But the Palicos are still the best.
Live Off The World
Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve all been looking for ways to escape the confines of our house. When it all started, Animal Crossing: New Horizons was a blessing that allowed millions of people to live out their social lives in the fantasy land of a tropical island. We were able to hang out with friends, afford multiple home loans, pay them back, and for some odd reason, enjoyed yard work.
Monster Hunter Rise takes it to the next level and gets rid of the tiresome banking and loan shark raccoons. Live off the world and scour vast exotic jungles and landscapes for plants and herbs to brew new potions and enhancement elixirs. Look for bugs and wildlife that will allow you to craft a huge variety of medicines and tonics in your quest to hunt down the ultimate prey.
In Monster Hunter Rise, the world is your home and the flora and fauna owe you rent. It’s time to collect.
Play Wherever and Whenever You Want
Monster Hunter World was a lot of fun, but you were restricted by where and when you could play. You had to be tied down to your console or your PC, away from work or friends and family. That’s all fine and dandy, but it’s not how Monster Hunter should be truly enjoyed. My first experience with Monster Hunter was on the PSP handheld.
I’d go to my friend Frank’s house with my roommate Matt and we’d hunt together all night long into the wee morning hours. With Monster Hunter Rise out on the Nintendo Switch, we’re back to the portable days. Play anywhere you want, anytime you want, with whoever you want.
And if your boss questions why you’re hunting massive monsters with a giant hammer at work, just point out Masaki Hiyama, the CEO of a Japanese VR Tech company gave his entire company the day off to play Monster Hunter Rise. It probably won’t help you at all, but at least they’ll know what a cool boss is really like.
FIGHT BIG ASS MONSTERS
This is what Monster Hunter is truly about, hunting big ass monsters and then skinning and harvesting their parts to make some big ass weapons. Now, at first, you’ll start small, you do need to learn to walk before you run. You’ll face off against some Raptor-like monsters with razor-sharp scythes on their tails.
Eventually, you’ll move up little by little to larger and more dangerous hunts. Dragons-like entities come from the skies, the ground, the water, or even magma. It’ll take everything you have to learn how they move, how they fight, where they go when they’re wounded.
You must become the hunter and employ every possible tactic you can to survive against the biggest, most dangerous fiends in this game. Become the Alpha and dominate Monster Hunter, to prove who the true apex predator is.
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Feature Image, Screenshot from the Monster Hunter Rise Nintendo Switch Demo.