Review round-up: Monster Hunter Rise is ‘one of the best games in the series’

Monster Hunter Rise reviews have gone live ahead of the game’s release this week.

The sixth main entry in the Monster Hunter series was announced in September 2020, when series producer Ryozo Tsujimoto said “the ‘Rise’ in the title refers to the idea of hunters running up cliffs and making use of the verticality of the environment”.

The game lets players explore elevated platforms using a small creature called the Wirebug, which can also be used to enhance attacks.

A limited-time Monster Hunter Rise demo launched in January.

Capcom will release three Amiibo that let players unlock special layered armour alongside the game on March 26, when Nintendo is also launching a special edition Monster Hunter Rise Switch console.

At the time of publishing the game has a Metascore of 86 on review aggregation site Metacritic, based on 56 reviews. Critics are largely positive in their write-ups, with many labelling it one of the best entries in the series to date and praising its ability to cater to new and veteran players.

Monster Hunter Rise will be released for PC in 2022.

Further reading

Japanese CEO gives staff the day off to play Monster Hunster Rise

March 26 is 'MonHun Day' for workers at tech company Mark-on

Monster Hunter Rise review round-up

• GameSpot review in progress (9/10) – “The moment-to-moment combat is as impeccable as it’s ever been and puts Rise on a pedestal as one of the feathers in the Nintendo Switch‘s cap.”
• IGN (8/10) – “Monster Hunter Rise mixes classic Monster Hunter ideas with some of World’s best improvements and a whole bunch of clever new mechanics of its own.”
• Polygon (no score) – “Monster Hunter: World was a game I would recommend to friends, with some caveats. But Rise’s gameplay variety and mobility — all fueled by that little Wirebug — make it a must-try game for Monster Hunter skeptics and hardcore fans alike.”
• GamesRadar (4/5) – “Monster Hunter Rise is a great adventure, providing fascinating new tools like the Wirebug and walking a fine line between arcade and fast-paced HD gameplay.”
• Eurogamer (Essential) – “With smart additions that move the series forward, this is the most accessible, deepest and simply very best Monster Hunter to date.”
• GamesBeat (4/5) – “The core gameplay loop of hunting monsters so you can make stronger equipment in order to hunt more monsters is captivating, and Rise has put that formula into a package that works great on Switch.”
• Nintendo Life (9/10) – “New mechanics, monsters and a gorgeous setting make Monster Hunter Rise a new high-water mark for the franchise.”
• Destructoid (9/10) – “Rise should delight fans both new and old, as long as the former group is willing to work a little bit for it.”
• Metro (9/10) – “A fantastic tour de force for the Switch and arguably the best Monster Hunter game ever, with a huge range of features and monsters, both new and old, and great co-op gameplay.”
• Siliconera (9/10) – “Monster Hunter Rise is without a doubt one of the best Monster Hunter games I have ever played, if not the best outright.”
• VG247 (4/5) – “Ultimately, Monster Hunter Rise is a solid, standalone entry to the series which pulls back on the scope of recent games on more powerful platforms, but doesn’t skimp on the fundamentals that made the Monster Hunter name.”
• TheGamer (no score) – “It’s a shame that the Switch holds the game back in small ways, but this is a contender for best in the series. If post-launch support is as good as it was for World, this game could easily rise above the rest.”
• RPG Site (8/10) – “I’m sure that one day Monster Hunter: Rise will be my favorite game in the series, but the road to reach that destination has only started. As for now, we’re left with an entry that ticks almost all of the boxes, but with some glaring exceptions. Monster Hunter: Rise is a great game; but it can, and should, be a fantastic one.”
• Game Informer (7.75/10) – “Monster Hunter Rise showcases its commitment to engaging combat with interesting new mechanics, but these changes aren’t enough to differentiate it from previous titles.”