“Monster Hunter Rise” on trial: Fantastic and frustrating

If a new video game is so excitedly anticipated, many people take the time to release it, which should be a special cultural event. “Monster Hunter” is such a case – and even a mystery to some gamers. Anyway, the challenge of “cracking” the game is huge.

The action roll-flaming game series is gaining cult status in Japan. Many corporate bosses gave their employees a day off so they could play the latest Monster Hunter Rice in detail at the start of the sale. The number of fans in Germany has increased since “Monster Hunter World” three years ago hunted down Isuzu and Rattlos for the next gen consoles. The Premier for the Nintendo Switch is not only graphically more prosperous, but slightly more accessible than its predecessors.

However, the avid beginner should be warned: if you do not feel like engaging in a complex combat system with multiple special attacks, you will throw the combat into the corner after the first few hours of exit. Extensive monster hunting with chases, 14 different weapons and two animal comrades is initially a book with seven Japanese stamps.

But there is a simple reason why “Monster Hunter Rice” is so popular and will sell five million copies worldwide in a few days: the game is addictive – if you master it.

“Monster Hunter Rice”: Hunting monsters with dogs and cats

To kill gigantic Dyrex dinosaurs with a huge hammer, it is worth reading dozens of text boxes in the tutorial or (better) watching videos on the game website. Swinging in the air with new silkworm activities like Spider-Man and controlling the stunning monsters remotely with one of the new features, the “Wvern Ride” is spectacular. It prompts you to collect parts of slain creatures to create powerful swords, axes and shields. Lastly, not least, it’s fun to watch cooked cats make tango skaters – then crush them to eat them.

Fighting cats standing next to monster hunters have found another four-legged companion in “Rice”. On the back of a bridle dog, you can now ride comfortably in the rushing world of sports. In the center is the village of Kamura. As hordes of monsters threaten feudal Japanese nonsense, hunters sometimes enlist forces to kill tall creatures.

Hunting, fighting, collecting – again and again

With the Switch online subscription (20 euros per year, 4 euros per month) players can battle with three comrades. Then the panel automatically adjusts the level of difficulty to the group size – unfortunately there is no such option in single player mode. The monster hunter missions in the five areas here are sometimes very challenging and can only be mastered with a lot of training.

In the new “riot”, the village must be defended against a massive invasion, including tower guns and custom traps. The new game mode is a welcome change from the hunt-fight-gathering ritual for the remaining 40 to 50 hours of game time. A day off is clearly not enough for that. To defeat all the monsters in “Rice”, hunters are busy on many weekends.

The “Monster Hunter Rice” from Capcom is available for the Nintendo Switch, approved for 12 year olds and over, and costs 60 euros. The version for PC should appear in 2022.