WHIMSY RULES THE DAY
Nintendo Switch effort rises to an unexpected level
Monster Hunter Rise Nintendo Switch
I can hardly believe a game this large, that runs this smoothly, exists on the Nintendo Switch.
The Switch is easily the weakest console on the market today — no ray-tracing effects or smooth framerates. The hand-held hybrid has been host to some remarkable ports of complicated titles, most notably in the Doom series. But when it comes to original titles, it's been less of a technical showcase.
Monster Hunter Rise is an original, made-for-switch Capcom title that shatters expectations. It's an even bigger experience than Monster Hunter World on PC and other consoles. This is grand news for any hunters who joined the bandwagon with World, currently Capcom's bestselling title.
This is achieved through Capcom lowering texture details and environmental asset fidelity for much of the hunting grounds, which seem to be larger than any found in Monster Hunter World. But the game retains much of the luxurious animation work and streamlined action that elevated the series beyond its niche core audience. Also, you get a customizable dog you can ride, along with the series-standard cat warriors called Palico.
It helps that the art style leans further into high fantasy Japanese mythos, utilizing Capcom's RE Engine that has powered the company's successes in Resident Evil and Devil May Cry. Gone are the saturated, filmic filters and gritty textures of World. Instead, whimsy rules the day, even when it comes to the game's chimerical monster designs. There's less fur, but everything moves as beautifully as it ever did.
I never even noticed the graphical downgrade, because I was too busy marvelling that I was running through a beautifully lit bamboo forest on my wolf like I was Princess Mononoke on the hunt, while my cat followed behind. Did I mention the two pets are customizable?
Animation has been a key part of the game's mechanics, as attack windups inform your own next move. Since Rise is moving toward more fantasy, the team seemed to have more fun creating wild, imaginative attacks.
Online, the game holds up well, at least when the servers were live for the review period. I was shocked at the absence of Nintendo's famously shoddy Switch online experience in my Rise sessions. We had four players, all armed with our own dogs, with special effects exploding everywhere around us, and the game's performance never took a hit.
But take that with a grain of salt: The game's real test will come when everyone in the world can access it.
This year is looking pretty dry for big title releases as the world continues to grapple with the pandemic, and huge titles are seeing delays. The Nintendo Switch in particular has had a bit of a dry spell, but Rise comes in like a kaiju out of the tide. This is probably the best Monster Hunter game to date, and an easy, early contender for 2021's best game.