As you may be aware, I am quite the Monster Hunter fan (shocking, I know!), and judging by what I saw in Capcom’s latest Monster Hunter Rise showcase, the upcoming title has what it takes to be a smash for both new and seasoned Hunters.
The trailer kicked off with a look at one of the new creatures we will be hunting down and turning into a stylish hat, the intimidating Goss Harag. The Goss Harag is an Oni-based monster, which creates sharp ice blades using its sub-zero breath. Alongside old mate Goss, the trailer includes various returning monsters with Lagombi, Great Baggi, Khezu, Mizutsune, and ferocious fan-favourite Tigrex. We also get a glimpse of an adorable baby Tetsucabra being ridden by the new Guild Master, Guild Master Hojo.
Other new characters shown off include Minoto and Hinoa, two quest givers who will offer online and offline missions and Iori the buddy handler who is in charge of handling the scout facilities where you can potentially recruit multiple Palicoes and Palamutes to help you on your quests. There is also a quick glimpse of Master Kogarashi, the Felyne Chief in charge of the Meowcenaries at the plaza. I assume that Meowcenaries will work similarly to the Tailraider Safari and Meownster Hunters from previous games, where you send off some companions to gather and hunt at various locales while you’re running around doing other quests.
One of the coolest new features introduced in Rise will be Wyvern Riding, which functions exactly as you would expect, giving players a whole new way to traverse new areas. While we don’t know much about Wyvern Riding yet, it seems like you can control a Monster you’ve taken a liking to for a short period. Doing so will be a fantastic way to get through some massive biomes, like the newly revealed Frost Islands. These mounts look to become invaluable in battle, with the trailer ending on a brave (or stupid) hunter taking charge of a Rathalos against the game’s flagship monster, Magnamalo.
I cannot tell you how excited I am for this!
If you’re excited, or at least curious, about Monster Hunter Rise, then I have some good news for you – a demo is currently available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch! The demo includes four quest types including a Beginner’s quest against the Great Izuchi, an Intermediate quest against Mizutsune, a Basic Training quest, and a Wyvern Riding Training Quest!
Monster Hunter Rise releases in full on March 26th 2021 for the Nintendo Switch.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some monsters to hunt.