The Monster Hunter franchise is one of those series that I was always curious about, yet never quite dived in. I had heard people gush about how much fun the Monster Hunter games were, but I was always a little concerned that they’d fall in the category of “more fun with friends” rather than fun for single players. When Monster Hunter Rise was announced for PS5, I decided to dip my toes in and check out the latest entry in the franchise.

You play as a Hunter from Kamura Village, who begins their career hunting monsters, capturing monsters, and protecting the village from a rising threat. As in other Monster Hunter games, you can focus on either single-player Village quests which advance the main story, or Hub Quests, which are multiplayer-focused quests that scale in difficulty depending on the number of players.

One thing that I immediately disliked about Monster Hunter Rise, is that most quests have a time limit. Even though the time limit seems to be forgiving, I’m not at all fond of being restricted via a time management mechanic. It serves to make quests/play sessions short if you want them to be, but it is annoying if you’re someone that wants to take your time and explore.

From the very start, you have access to all 14 weapon types. Some are slower, some are faster, and some are more useful for capturing rather than killing. As an example, the blowgun has ammunition that can tranquilize monsters. When used in conjunction with traps, you can capture monsters and collect items that you can’t normally get just by slaying them.

For large monsters, you’ll have to break various parts of them to weaken them. On the other hand, smaller monsters can usually be taken down much more quickly. In Single-Player, your hunter will be accompanied by a Palico (a cat-like ally) as well as the new Palamute companion which has a variety of utility options.

Both Palico and Palamute allies have skills as they level. Palico allies can specialize in various ways. Some can be gatherers to gather items on your hunts, while others can be specialized to heal etc. Palamutes on the other hand are both combat-focused and can be ridden as a mount. The mounted mechanic is vital since your character walks very slowly, and if you run too much your stamina will suffer.

I like the versatility and freedom that all the weapon options give you. You can choose a playstyle that works for you, and there’s a low cost to experiment considering you have one of each weapon type at the start. The combat in Monster Hunter Rise isn’t as stylish as other action games I’ve played, but it feels more strategic and measured. Since you’re often fighting monsters larger than you, it makes sense to take a more cautious, careful approach to combat.

Truth be told, I’m not a fan of the health/stamina resource management in Rise. Stamina refills over time, but the more you sprint/do things that cost stamina, your overall max stamina decreases. Eating food before a hunt is vital to provide buffs, which you can do at camp. You can also collect Spiribugs out in the wild to increase stamina and health, as well as provide other benefits.

The environments are beautiful, and there are lots of things to find and collect for crafting. I’m not fond of the time limit mixed with how slow the character runs, but riding your Palamute does compensate a little. Additionally, you can use wirebugs to leap forward or climb higher. This mobility element is also vital as areas have verticality to them.

Wirebugs are also connected to combat, as each weapon has “silkbind” attacks which allow you to take control of a monster and ride them. While riding them, you can attack other enemies, drive them into walls/rocks, and generally even the odds if there is more than one large enemy around. Controlling the monsters felt a little weird to me, but it makes sense considering you’re forcibly commanding them on their back.

Upgrading weapons and armor is a bit of a grind, as you need to collect monster parts by carving (or capturing) monsters. I’ve heard from other Monster Hunter fans that Monster Hunter Rise is a grind-fest, but I didn’t get far enough into the mid-late game to know for sure.

I did find the sheer number of tutorials, mechanics, and concepts somewhat overwhelming though. I don’t necessarily think Monster Hunter Rise is a good option for beginners, but I don’t have an alternative since this is the only experience I have with the franchise. Fighting large enemies feels cinematic, and I can tell there’s a lot of skill and challenge involved here.

However, I can’t help but feel that my concern might have been warranted. Playing Monster Hunter Rise with friends would make it a lot more fun, because some of the content in Monster Hunter Rise is designed around multiplayer and becomes a lot more difficult with a single hunter. I think this will be a game I take my time playing, to see if it grows on me over time.

As it stands now, because this review should have been out already, I feel somewhat lukewarm about it. If you like the franchise, I can see Monster Hunter Rise being more of what you already enjoy. There are a lot of moving parts here, and some truly cinematic sequences that make me wish I could experience it like a veteran fan.

At the same time, the controls don’t feel natural, the mobility feels weird, and I can’t help but wonder if playing on PC would make things more user-friendly. There are attempts made to be able to cycle through items easily, but I can’t help but wonder if hotkeys would be simpler. Overall, if you’re a Monster Hunter fan, you’ll probably enjoy Monster Hunter Rise. Though I would warn that the opening hours are a little boring.

If you haven’t tried a Monster Hunter game yet, I’d watch a few YouTube videos first and see if it is your thing. This isn’t something that has a low barrier of entry, but I can see why some folks like it. On an accessibility level, I can see there being a lot of issues for folks with mobility/dexterity problems, but there are some things you can adjust and tweak that might help.

Monster Hunter Rise is a game that looks intimidating, but if you devote the time to it and aren’t constrained by trying to get a review out, you’ll probably find a lot to love about it. The visuals are beautiful, the voice acting is well done, and the monsters look stunning. I just wish I was a little better at it so I could view it as a veteran would.

A PlayStation 5 Review Copy of Monster Hunter Rise was provided by Capcom for this review.

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Monster Hunter Rise

$39.99 USD

6

Score

6.0/10

Pros

• Lots of Customization
• Cinematic Battles with Giant Beasts
• Awesome visuals and monster designs
• Great options for Single and Multiplayer

Cons

• Not Beginner Friendly
• Accessibility issues for people with Dexterity problems
• Amount of Content is overwhelming
• Mobility needs work
• Controls do not feel user-friendly