THE LEGEND HUNTERS

If you have played Monster Hunter, you understand me when I describe each mission as a delicious and frustrating experience that little by little coaxes you into a cycle that seems to have no end. This sense of effort with reward has remained largely intact over the years and has been responsible for making the adventure ever larger and more complex.

I have been able to see part of this evolution since I played Monster Hunter 3: Ultimate for the Nintendo 3DS in 2011 with a group of friends; a cooperative story that lasted for many years with upcoming installments on the same console and took an evolutionary leap with Monster Hunter World. That change was ambitious and set the course for the franchise's future with obvious graphical enhancements, the introduction of more vibrant ecosystems, and a higher level of exploration. Also some tedious mechanics were removed and new ones were added such as following the trail of monsters with the help of the lafarillos or the retractable claw in Iceborne.

The next chapter in the evolutionary chain is Monster Hunter Rise

A game that at first glance transforms again and returns to the Nintendo console as a temporary exclusive. Its changes are focused on making the gaming experience more dynamic without so many pauses or elaborate requirements, in general it feels that everything flows very fast and it is noticeable when the high range is reached in half the time. This makes us believe that everything is easier now or with less challenge, but rather, the reality is that there are new tools and others have been introduced in World that improve the rhythm of the game. Next I will talk about them and also about the reasons why Monster Hunter Rise should be considered as a firm link in the evolutionary chain of the franchise.

The first thing, when starting the adventure, is the creation of your character and their respective assistants, a palico and the new canine, palamute. Right away the new hunter awakens in the village of Kamura where the mysterious twins Hinoa and Minoto welcome you and inform you of the phenomenon that is happening in the village. It is about frenzy, a state in which monsters lose control and devastate everything in their path. This incident occurred years ago and although the inhabitants of Kamura were at risk, they managed to stop the attack with great effort. This time things will be different because they have your experience as a hunter in addition to your natural talent to kill monsters. As always, history is the pretext to justify the central conflict and its resolution through hunting missions. It is also common that in the course of the game the true origin of the calamity is discovered in turn.

Although it is tradition that Monster Hunter does not bet on deep stories, I am surprised by the change in the personality and design of the game; that is, the elements borrowed from feudal Japan that shine everywhere in Kamura, the supporting characters, the music and everything in general, revolves around a millennial era full of Japanese legends and culture. With this decision, Capcom shows that it is willing to take risks and that the Monster Hunter concept is very versatile. In addition, these mystical airs lend themselves to the creation of Rise's signature monster, reminiscent of the komainu, stone creatures that can be found at the entrance of some Japanese temples.

Magnamalo is the flagship monster of Monster Hunter Rise

This change aside, Monster Hunter Rise gives me the impression of being a very dynamic game from the start. Although the classic menus and mini-tutorials persist as a warning, it does not force you to stop or take longer than necessary to enter the game. For this reason the missions begin without pauses, it is only a matter of choosing a weapon and getting to work. The feeling of dynamism is everywhere, from the ability to hit points of interest in Kamura instantly and without loading times, to the freedom to roam the ecosystems at your leisure.

By the way, the changes and speed of the game may be more evident if you have been playing Monster Hunter for years, but if you are new to the game do not worry, you can go step by step until you feel ready. Of course, although everything is faster to assimilate, you must learn how the monster items, weapons, abilities, weaknesses and strengths work as well as a lot of information necessary to succeed in your hunts. For these reasons, the learning curve will depend on your experience and if you need it you can always visit the training missions.

EXPERIENCE WILL BE THE KEY

Now we go to the development of the game, in Monster Hunter everything works through missions and ranks, this means that, although you have freedom to choose the missions you want to play, they will be revealed little by little. At the same time you will add ranks that will open missions with stronger monsters. All of this sticks, but it feels less cumbersome - you'll always know which missions you need to complete in order to rank up and get the urgent missions.

This also applies to Kamura's missions and the meeting room where you will find the online mode, and if you suddenly advance very fast in the story, the system will offer you to do a special test to open new missions in the meeting room. at par. These missions hold the real challenge and it is where you will spend most of your time once you finish the story. I was very grateful that I did not have to delay unnecessary to advance at a better pace.

The online mode is undoubtedly the strongest element of Monster Hunter. In Rise you can create a room or enter another to publish a mission, from that moment you will have to wait for someone to decide to accompany you or if you have a group of friends you can enter together after the preparations. The missions are cooperative, so you will have to adjust the strategy to cut some queues or put bombs when the monsters go to sleep and detonate them correctly.

THE BATTLEFIELD

Once again, the wired bug will be the star when facing the monsters and I must say that I loved how versatile and useful this insect can be in the middle of the action. The difference is very noticeable when there is a monster that does not let you react and leaves you ready to finish off with a powerful attack. Before, you just fell hoping for the best and for the hunter to come out of a daze or get up little by little. It sure happened to you that while you were flying away, monsters like Brachydios prepared to fall on you or make an explosion to lower you for a lifetime. Now you can escape from these situations before hitting the ground, for example, if a monster blows you off, you can cancel the fall with the wired bug in mid-flight to fall back into action in an agile way.

Although it is a simple action, it is a detail that makes a significant difference, and can make things much easier. I think it was a good decision as it makes the experience less frustrating without affecting the general game mechanics, in addition, its use is limited to 2 or 3 if you find a chordopter on the way. It also has a cooling system so it cannot be abused.

My conclusion

I confess that Monster Hunter Rise has rekindled a hunting addiction that I haven't felt in years. Perhaps it is the perception that everything is more compact, so it flows with agility and invites me to go on and on without pauses. It was upon reaching high rank that I wanted to see my playing time to confirm that it had taken less than 25 hours to accomplish such a feat. And although it can be understood that everything is simpler, the truth is that many situations that caused more laps have been eliminated and it was decided to go straight to hunt monsters without pauses. Added to the action in battle that is also much faster than before.

I find the monster selection very good with some familiar faces like Nargacuga and Zinogre in addition to new additions like the Magnamalo and the Somnacanth. As always the wild behavior of the monsters is well portrayed and they offer a wide variety of attacks. The truth is that there are a good amount of monsters but you will advance so fast that little by little you will run out of reasons to continue. This creates a sense of emptiness that can change if they add downloadable content and events, as in all games in the franchise.