Monster Hunter Rise officially launches later this week but there's still so much we don't know. The next major iteration of the Monster Hunter franchise first came to light in 2020. Many players rejoiced at the prospect of the series returning to its Nintendo roots. The community grew exponentially following the release of Monster Hunter World. The release of World on consoles and PC helped ignite the general interest in Monster Hunter but it's nothing compared to a proper Nintendo-based Monster Hunter title.

The time for game demos is over. Players won't need to carefully take stock of any 30-mission limits this weekend. There are only a few days before Monster Hunter Rise officially becomes available to the public. Here's everything you need to know for the upcoming release of Capcom's next big Monster Hunter game. Rise launches officially on March 26, 2021.

MONSTER HUNTER RISE

Monster Hunter Rise looks like a brand new Monster Hunter game but at its core, it's still from the same franchise. Players who entered the franchise with World might need a while to get used to the different aesthetic but Rise promises the same brand of action and adventure.

Being a Monster Hunter title, all the beloved elements present in all mainline games remain. Hunters can choose any of the 14 weapons available. Players don't grind for weapon proficiency or any weapon points in Monster Hunter Rise. Similar to other games, the Hunters get better with each weapon from experience and practice. Additionally, there won't be any shortages of massive monsters for players to hunt or capture.

The paint-job may change but the engine under the hood remains the same. Rise definitely offers many new things for players to enjoy but the core gameplay remains the same. Now, what exactly can Rise offer that its predecessors couldn't?

NEW “NEW WORLD”

Rise takes place in a brand new world centered around the Japan-style Kamura village. It's a vast departure from MH World's vast unexplored biomes but there's a good reason for that. MH World had players exploring several areas trying to navigate through a new continent while investigating strange occurrences regarding massive monsters called Elder Dragons.

Players will be tackling a different kind of problem in Rise. Kamura village faces against an unexplained stampede of monsters known only as the Rampage. It is unclear at this point just what causes the monsters to attack but you can be sure to work through that mystery in the game's campaign. The story trailer dialogue indicates that the Rampage may be caused by the game's flagship monster, the Magnamalo.

Of course, we won't know until we play through the game later this week.

LEARNING FROM THE PAST

In many ways, Rise departs from a lot of World's established next-gen upgrades to the franchise. However, Capcom doesn't merely shed parts of its innovations. Rise offers some revamped mechanics that were ultimately helpful for all Hunters involved. One major introduction for handheld Monster Hunter is the all-new Wirebug. The new grappling tool functions similarly to Monster Hunter World's Slinger. Additionally, it also functions like Iceborne's Clutch Claw.

Hunters in Rise will be able to swing from bugs or grapple onto monsters. Rise also allows players to ride and partially control huge monsters with an elaborate rig of Wirebug cables. Above all, there are a lot of new toys for Hunters to learn and enjoy in Rise.

Older games that share the Rise aesthetic used to operate on fragmented maps. This was done away with in World where each hunt would take place in a massive interconnected biome. Rise adopted this massive quality-of-life upgrade and also ditched the archaic paintball mechanic which was used to track monsters previously. Whether Hunters hail from World or 4 Ultimate, there will be a lot of old and new things to experience.

NEW FRIENDS

Veteran Hunters spent hundreds to thousands of hours hunting with their own loyal Palico. The bipedal feline support characters assist during hunts by dealing out extra damage and using various support items. Rise takes it a step further with the introduction of Palamutes.

Now, players get to dive into hunts with a loyal canine alongside the longstanding Palicoes. Palamutes offer many of the same benefits as Palicoes with the exception of serving as mounts. Hunters can ride their trusty canine friend into battle and that has changed the game entirely. You can now get around massive maps quicker with the help of your dog buddy.

Preorders of Monster Hunter Rise give players a special layered armor that turns your Palamute into a Golden Retriever. There can be no better argument to be made for preordering this game. There are still a ew days left for people to get in their preorders to get the special bonuses.

THE FUTURE OF RISE

All the pieces slowly fall in place for a proper Monster Hunter release. Nintendo Digital Preorders have completed their transactions and several players have begun preloading the game ahead of its release. Additionally, Capcom confirmed that it now has plans to bring Monster Hunter Rise to PC.

“We received a lot of requests for a PC version of Monster Hunter Rise, particularly from overseas players, and so we have decided to develop a version for PC, which we aim to release in early 2022. This is still under development, so I’d like to share more detailed information when the time is right.”

It doesn't look like Capcom intended to bring Rise to PC in the first place. Fortunately, several fans generated enough of a buzz to make the developers reconsider. Naturally, Capcom already knows the benefit of release a game on PC. Monster Hunter World still remains one of the company's most successful games because of its availability on Steam.

Now, we stand four days away from the official release of what looks to be one of the most exciting Monster Hunter titles to date. Prices vary between physical copies and digital downloads but you can get your own copy of rise for around USD 60. It's time, once again, to return to the hunt.