Monster Hunter Rise

Monster Hunter Rise is an action role-playing game developed and published by Capcom for Nintendo Switch in 2021, with a Windows release following in 2022. It was built using Capcom’s RE Engine and continues the series’ central hunting loop: players accept quests, track monsters, gather materials, craft equipment, and use improved gear to challenge increasingly powerful creatures.

The game takes place primarily in Kamura Village, a settlement threatened by a recurring disaster called the Rampage. The player character becomes a new hunter and helps defend the village alongside figures such as Fugen the Elder, Hinoa the Quest Maiden, and Minoto the Hub Maiden. The Rampage is connected to the mysterious influence of the monster Ibushi, while the flagship monster Magnamalo is a separate and especially dangerous threat. Kamura’s culture and architecture draw strongly on historical Japanese aesthetics, giving Rise a setting distinct from the series’ earlier environments.

Rise introduces the Wirebug, a tool that lets hunters launch themselves through the air, recover quickly, traverse cliffs, and perform weapon-specific Silkbind attacks. Wirebugs also support Wyvern Riding, allowing hunters to control certain monsters temporarily and use their attacks against other targets. Another major addition is the Palamute, a canine companion that can be ridden across the map and fights beside the hunter. Palicoes remain available as companions, and players can bring both a Palamute and a Palico on many hunts.

The game’s maps are designed around vertical movement and include locations such as the Shrine Ruins, Frost Islands, Sandy Plains, Flooded Forest, Lava Caverns, and the Jungle added later. Hunting remains playable alone or cooperatively, with separate Village and Gathering Hub quest structures. Weapon types from previous entries return, including the Great Sword, Long Sword, Dual Blades, Hunting Horn, Bow, and several ranged and technical weapons.

Capcom expanded Rise with Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak, released in 2022. This expansion adds the new region of Elgado, Master Rank quests, follower missions, additional monsters, and a story involving the Three Lords: Malzeno, Lunagaron, and Garangolm. Sunbreak also adds more hunting techniques and endgame progression, substantially extending Rise’s equipment-building and multiplayer activities.