We have been seeing new installments of the Capcom franchise for almost 20 years. And the truth is that ‘ Monster Hunter ‘ continues to feel as young as ever . We’ve all grown up, of course, and Rathalos is no longer that unbeatable danger from his first installment. The mythical Yian Kut-Ku has been missing for years and it continues to be requested that Lao-Shan make an appearance again in that famous fortress where the main theme of the saga took over the action .
Almost twenty years have passed. But the franchise’s modular design and potential are still there, up front, withstanding one onslaught after another . Now, with ‘ Monster Hunter Rise ‘ we enter a new variant of it, which had been divided between the creative potential of Nintendo laptops and the technical muscle of desktop consoles and PC. A new variant that, once again, comes with the idea of changing everything to be at the center of its evolution .
Hunting reinvents itself once again
And it is that the most surprising thing about ‘Monster Hunter Rise’, and we affirm it first, is its innate ability to reinvent a saga that has exploited each and every one of the points that it has presented throughout its already extensive existence. A point in favor for the Capcom franchise that, far from stagnating and replicating its formula, has managed to continue renewing its dynamism point by point while never ceasing to embrace the origins that have given it life and shape since its first installment.
A combination that includes the vintage flavor of a franchise that is almost two decades old – and an important look into the past that includes monsters, weapons, mechanics and endless references – but that adds enough spices to turn that classic into a real Current benchmark that, surprisingly, has little to envy to ‘ Monster Hunter World ‘ , the current champion of the Japanese company and the main culprit for its return in the form of a hurricane.
So much so that ‘Rise’ can boast of taking everything that made its predecessor stand out, highlighting the organic factor with which it revolutionized the genre that he himself invented years ago while displaying the same creativity that promoted hunting in the time of Nintendo. Without feeling like an extension of any of its two main influences, the new game installment has all the points to become the most functional and surprising bet that its equipment has given us so far.
New title, new ideas
As is usual in the saga, ‘Monster Hunter Rise’ is a completely different title from the rest. It moves from the same concepts, of course — new monster, new threat, new life as a hunter or hunter — but it maintains that proposal that allows each ‘Monster Hunter’ to be slightly different from the previous one .
This time we moved to the village of Kamura, a perfect opportunity to recover the Asian aesthetic that we lost with the exclusivity of ‘Monster Hunter 3rd’ on the PSP stage. And not only do we have a new challenge, Magnamalo, but it also influences the way its mechanics transmute in this new installment . So much so that this new challenge is accompanied by a new dynamic: frenzy.
A game mode where we will have to face monsters in the form of hordes while we prepare a complete fortress – none of the classics mapped from previous titles -, placing defenders and establishing our own points of attack with classic weapons such as ballistae or cannons but adding new features as interesting as the rapid-fire cannons, which serve as machine guns or the fearsome wyvern firing, especially useful to face the most fearsome monsters in the game.
It is a concept in which narrative and mechanics come together again without being able to stand out. At the end of the day, his story does not go much beyond forcing us to face one threat after another and although it shapes the excuse, we will not end up following the tracks of a new elder dragon because we are concerned about the salvation of Kamura . Even so, it is worth noting that both parts work well enough to create some symbiosis.
Of course, this is not everything. Almost recovering the styles of its last portable stage, ‘Monster Hunter Rise’ brings with it the cordoamarres, which apply verticality to the title and allow us to cross the stage jumping , but also apply it to our weapons (each one has an important range of skills to rotate with) to develop a new type of combat. More frenetic, more dynamic but, above all, more focused on free style and the emerging style of play. A delight that, once again, completely turns the tables.
From new to veterans, there is room for everyone
All in all, the most surprising thing about ‘Monster Hunter Rise’ is how it works with inclusion. As has always been usual in the saga, the title divides the missions between the village and the meeting room, leaving the challenge (and the possibility of playing them in company) for the second option. However, the latest iteration of the hunt takes this to a new level and creates a safe space for anyone who wants to take on the title in stride without destabilizing the challenge .
The village serves, throughout all its missions, as a start-up. An invisible and extensive tutorial that allows us to catch up with everything the game offers, its mechanics, its monsters, its weapons … once it is overcome and whenever we want to go further, the meeting room saves monstrous challenges to ones that even the most seasoned players will encounter difficulties. Of course, that’s without taking into account its free events and DLCs.
A fact that also applies to your experience in the field. ‘Monster Hunter Rise’ includes creatures from all installments . From the most classic ones like Nargacuga or Diablos to more recent ones like Tobi Kadachi without forgetting to make new signings as interesting or more than the previous ones. Goss Harag or Rakna-Kadaki are examples of this .
With all this, ‘Monster Hunter Rise’ has all the points to become the new star title of the series. Not everything is perfect, of course, and your system can be too extensive at times. And a greater variety of weapons and potentials is also missing – the elements, for example, have been drastically reduced in this title – but it puts all the meat on the grill with a proposal that moves between the classic in the modern to give It hits the nail on the head and works, perhaps, as never before had another title in the long-lived franchise. A reinvention with room to add a bit of everything, including new game modes and styles .
It is a perfect game for new players but one that is also perfectly adapted to veterans and, best of all, we have only seen the tip of the iceberg . That a title as complete and functional as this hides behind the shadows a large amount of content and news is synonymous with extension and fun. If something is clear to us, it is that this year we will not miss hunting at any time.
9.0
The best:
– Its accessibility, there is space for everyone
– His ability to reinvent himself (once again)
– The combination of past and present creates a unique experience
– Your constant updates score a lot of points
Worst:
– Specific technical downturns when playing online
– The system may be excessive at the start
– Its variety in terms of weapons, more was expected
