Monster Hunter Rise

Monster Hunter Rise is an offshoot of Capcom's celebrated series of hunts against giant monsters, designed specifically for Switch and inspired by the feudal Japanese aesthetic of Kamura Village, threatened by a periodic monster invasion called the Rampage. The core of the game stays faithful to the series: as a hunter, the player sets out on expeditions against dozens of unique monsters, from the dragon-like Rathalos to new species such as the wolf-like Magnamalo, then forges weapons and armor from the harvested materials for further, tougher hunts, creating an addictive loop of gathering and upgrading gear. The fourteen weapon types handle so differently from one another that switching from the hammer to the bow means practically learning the game again.

The novelty is the Wirebug, an insect-based device enabling fast vertical movement, swinging between points in the terrain, and effective evasive maneuvers, which fundamentally speeds up and adds dynamism to movement and combat compared to previous entries in the series; it also brings the ability to mount a weakened monster and use it against another. The Palico feline companions are joined by new dog-like riding creatures called Palamutes, on which the hunter can traverse the map much faster than on foot. The Rampage defense mode casts the player as a commander defending the village against waves of monsters using installable towers and traps, combining traditional hunting with elements of tower defense.

The Sunbreak expansion added a new, tougher faction of monsters as well as the Elgado stronghold. Thanks to its more accessible pace, pronounced Japanese style, and the Wirebug mechanic, Rise became one of the most successful entries in the series and brought many new players to Monster Hunter who might not have taken to the slower pace of earlier generations of the series. On Switch, it also works as an ideal game for short sessions, since a single hunt typically lasts only a few dozen minutes, and up to four hunters can team up both locally and online. Visually, the game does lag behind competitors on more powerful platforms in terms of detail on Switch hardware, but the stylized Japanese backdrops of temples, bamboo forests, and flooded plains more than make up for it.