Monster Hunter Rise Review (PC)

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Bazifar30

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Published on January 16, 2022 2:43:03 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn6dGgcLowo

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Monster Hunter Rise (2021)

Duration: 6:36

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Monster Hunter Rise PC Review

Being a PC owner in 2022 is like a gaming skeleton key, opening doors to console exclusives that Sony, Microsoft, and even Nintendo zealots would firmly like to keep to themselves. While your God of Wars and Halo Infinites are indelibly linked to their home consoles, Monster Hunter has never quite found a permanent residence, as evidenced by Monster Hunter Rise now coming to PC. The series started out on PlayStation 2 and PSP, dallied with Xbox 360 and PC in Japan, before bunking in with Nintendo up until the wondrous Monster Hunter World. PC owners can therefore feel pretty smug, their platform becoming the only place to play both of the two newest Monster Hunter games and, if you’ve got the gear on hand, the best place to play them.
Rise was, of course, originally designed as a Nintendo Switch exclusive and, though this PC release is a good port with everything you'd expect, it has nowhere near that immediate visual 'wow' factor that World did. Nor can it compete on things like textures or the stunning bespoke animations for monsters fighting each other. Monster Hunter's problem for new players is also the game's main strength: This is a combat system of almost unparalleled depth and precision, with literally dozens of fundamentally different playstyles. It's overwhelming at first. Rise has easily the best onboarding experience in the series, and in the process introduces several new mechanics that enhance the hunting experience even beyond Generations.
One of the most fun additions is your Palamute, a rideable dog. You've still got your Palico, of course, but the dog transforms the game's traversal which, arguably, was always a weak—or at least not standout—element. Series veterans will recall many a long slog across maps you know like the back of your hand, simply because that's the way things were, but in Rise your options with and without the dog now include wall running and a Spider-Man-style grapple that doubles up as an essential battle tool. You can not only get around faster than ever, but it feels amazing to do so.

Away from battle, the wirebugs turn Monster Hunter Rise's maps into veritable playgrounds, letting you clamber up sheer cliff faces that previously would have been nothing more than empty set dressing. Helpful trails of stat-buffing Spiribirds are on hand to guide your eye toward certain resource-rich locations tucked away from the main path, but following your nose to your own discoveries is all part of the fun. Sure, you're curtailed by your stamina bar and the number of wirebugs currently at your disposal, but overall these little beetles bring a welcome sense of openness to Rise that even World's enormous biomes sometimes struggled to convey. Indeed, climbing to the highest peak and spotting your quarry having a wash in the stream down below on the far side of the map (thanks, increased draw distances) is a thrill that never gets old.

As always, the goal of hunting these scaly beasts is to harvest their flesh for precious hides, fangs and scales to forge ever stronger sets of armour and weapons for you and your two animal companions. You can only carve off three bits of monster after any given hunt, although your cat-like Palico and dog-friend Palamute will often scavenge a few extra doodads on your behalf to help bulk up the numbers. Even so, you rarely have enough to craft a complete armour set after just one hunt, so you'll often have to head back out for another round to fill in the gaps. This is the age-old rhythm of a Monster Hunter game, creating a natural grind that some may just not have the patience for.

Each zone is gigantic, like those found in Monster Hunter World, but in Rise you can explore almost every nook and cranny of these environments. This is thanks to Wirebugs, which are tendrilly bugs you can use to grapple around the world and reach new heights. The increased mobility adds a new challenge as you scale cliff-faces and swing through the treetops in pursuit of your target. Rise’s new-found sense of speed does come at a price: there’s no tracking mechanic here, which I do miss sometimes as being able to always see where a monster is removes some of the tension from hunts.

Players also have a second AI-controlled buddy backing them. Joining the palico cat characters are palamutes. Yeah, they’re dogs. Ridable dogs. After being dropped at your base camp, you can grab a bite to eat to get yourself certain buffs, as well as take what you want from the quest item chest. You then hop on your palamute and set off. Honestly, I prefer the way Monster Hunter Rise handles things. Palamutes are quick and have a ton of stamina, so they’re great for getting where you’re going in no time flat. You can attack while mounted as well, or you can leap off and slam your weapon into the enemy beasts. Whatever works.

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