On March 26th, Monster Hunter’s latest work,’Monster Hunter Rise (hereinafter Rise)’ will be released. Rise, which was first unveiled ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Game Show, attracted attention by showing a wire action that reminds you of Spider-Man as a rope bug that fires a transparent rope. Then, how much is the sense of speed? An opportunity to experience this has come. From the 8th, a trial version of Monster Hunter Rise will be distributed.
In this trial version, two quests aimed at subjugating Osaizuchi and Tamamitsune, respectively, have been released, and you can meet Aoashira and Rioreia while hunting. If you choose the one you want from the two quests, you choose one of the 14 preset weapons and enter. There was not much content that was released yet, so we couldn’t look beyond the battle, but it was enough to see the build quality of hunting, which is the core of a monster hunter.
Did Ryze have a level of fun that would satisfy the hunters? Game Mecca played the trial version provided in advance to check this.
Ropeworms add speed to combat and movement
The overall framework of Rise is similar to that of the Monster Hunter World (hereinafter referred to as the World). The field is also an open field that is connected regardless of region, and there are 14 types of weapons that are the same. Since the basic weapon operation method, main skills, and operation are similar, if you are a hunter who has enjoyed the world, you can continue hunting familiarly in Rise without any additional adaptation period. However, it is not exactly the same as the world. There are minor changes to the extent that some of the actions for each weapon have disappeared, such as the loss of reload after the staff in the world at Gunlance, but the overall changes have not changed, so the hands quickly get used to it without feeling the appearance.
Based on the demo version, the biggest change in this title is a rope bug that can be used for both movement and combat. First, the element that stands out in the moving part is that it is possible to move with a high degree of freedom, such as climbing a high cliff using rope bugs continuously. If you press the ZL button and the X button while the weapon is inserted, it jumps up, and the A button moves forward. When combined with the ZR button, it bounces in the direction of aiming.
Two rope bugs are basically charged over time, and up to three can be collected by collecting rope bugs in the field. It is a method of charging the gauge, but it fills up quickly, so you can use it without being frustrated without having to collect three. In addition, large rope bugs can be installed on the goookcho in a specific area of the field, which allows the character to jump to a higher area for a large jump. It’s similar to the world’s rope movement, but it’s a bit more convenient to use and the range you can go to is wide.
It shines even in battle. Most directly, it is an insect wire technology applied to all 14 types of weapons. It is similar to the hunting technique introduced in the concept of special moves for each weapon in the Monster Hunter Cross that was released in 2015, but unlike the Cross, which collected the gauge required for using the skill by attack, the gauge fills up over time in Rise, making it easier to use in practice. It’s also easier to set the timing.
Rope bugs are also useful for evasion. If you see a monster rushing in front of you during battle, you can quickly avoid the body by shooting a rope bug in the desired direction. Of course, the traditional means of evasion, rolling, is still alive, but the use of ropeworms is more effective in terms of speed and range of movement. In addition, even the moment you are hit by a monster and fly away, you can quickly set up your posture and respond to attacks by using the rope bug fall method. However, it is necessary to use the rope bug fall method while considering the surrounding situation because it can be counterattacked if the timing or direction is wrong.
There is another example of using a rope bug. It is’Dragon Control’ that can be mounted on a monster. In order to use this, you need to use a rope bug in battle to make the monster a’waiting for dragon control’. Rise does not have a clutch claw, which is the representative element of the world, so it is impossible to use it, but the way to do it is dragon control, so it is good to use it often if you want to increase hunting efficiency.
Wall-mounted clutch claws through dragon control are more difficult to activate. However, it can be more useful in situations where two monsters are gathered in one place. If you are on one monster and another monster approaches, you can make the two collide with each other. Then, the monster on board will fall, and the second monster will immediately enter the dragon control standby state, so it is possible to ride it immediately. Here, you can attack other monsters while you are on a monster, and if you accumulate gauges through this attack, you can use the dragon control trick, which is a kind of special move, so if you can see the angle, you need to actively use dragon control. .
‘Garuk’, a wolf companion as strong as Iru
In addition to the rope bug, Garuk, the companion who appears for the first time in this title, is a leading contributor to reducing movement stress. There was also a riding in the world where you ride a monster, but it was inconvenient to use because it was automatic movement and could not be controlled in the desired direction. On the other hand, Garuk is very useful because it can be mounted and controlled by pressing the A button in a non-combat situation, and it is also possible to climb a cliff while on board. Like monster riding, it is possible to take recovery medicine or use a whetstone while riding on Garuk, and like Iru, it is also a companion who fights with a weapon in its mouth when entering combat.
The information displayed through the mini-map has also increased. First of all, in the case of large monsters, the location is displayed on the map even when they are not encountered. At the beginning of the hunt, the setting is added to check the target by flying a bird called’Bottling Owl’. For target monsters, a red arrow appears above the character’s head to indicate the direction, and the location of large monsters other than the target is also displayed. However, monsters that have not met appear as a’question mark’.
Along with this, the location of the environmental creatures that buff the character is displayed on the minimap. There are a number of environmental creatures on the field, such as the white butterfly, which temporarily increase defense when touched. There are some creatures that give you buffs like the butterflies mentioned earlier, but there are creatures that can be used as an aid in combat, like a bomb gas toad that fires explosive gas. In particular, creatures such as bomb gas toads could only be used in place in the world, but in Ryze, if you catch them and store them, you can take them out of the battlefield and use them.
These convenient features are obviously convenient, but I am worried that they are only available in this trial version. In response, the production crew said through an interview with foreign media that it contained a part that provided detailed information on the field so that the hunting route could be prepared according to the hunter’s tendency. If you want to quickly grab a target, check the location and move immediately, and if you need to strengthen before that, go through a creature with the desired ability and then move to the target monster.
Lastly, the main convenience elements of the world were also inherited. The most representative one is camp. In the world, even if you didn’t go to the village, you could use the camp as a base, and Ryze can also exchange equipment, set items, etc. at the camp installed in the field, eat food, or change companions.
In general, the monster Hunter Rise added speed and lightness to the battle established in the world with a rope bug. Lightness here does not mean that the battle difficulty has gone down, but that the character’s movements have become more agile. The graphics are a bit disappointing due to the limitations of the Switch, but it seems to be a game that is enough to thrill the hunter waiting for a new hunt.
