Monster Hunter Rise PC review – the best way to play one of 2021’s finest

One of 2021’s finest games gets another chance to hunt on PC – but is Monster Hunter Rise on PC worth jumping into?

Monster Hunter Rise captured many of the Dexerto team’s hearts last year when it launched, just missing out on our game of the year list by a few Palico whiskers. Not to be deterred, though, it’s bounced back into our lives with a PC port that takes everything we loved about the Switch version and dialed it up to eleven.

This is Monster Hunter Rise at its most fearsome and enjoyable, and if you’ve not invested in Nintendo’s hybrid console then we’re pleased to report that this is a perfect opportunity to jump in.

Monster Hunter Rise – Key details

• Price: £49.99 / $59.99
• Developer: Capcom
• Release date: 12/1/2022
• Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC

Monster Hunter Rise PC trailer

Roaring back

How to train your dragon, before slaying it and wearing it as a hat.

Monster Hunter Rise on PC is, as you may imagine, is the same game as it was on Nintendo Switch. There are still some cosmetic DLC items missing, but this is the total Monster Hunter package – just prettier and more fluid.

While Rise remains one of the best-looking Nintendo Switch titles, its PC port features a sharper resolution, Ultrawide 21:9 support, and a number of tweakable graphic settings such as dynamic shadows, equipment shadows, high-resolution textures, and more.

The real draw though is the frame rate. While it was previously locked at 30 FPS on the Switch, players can now crank it up to a new high-point of 240, or simply remove it altogether.

It doesn’t take long to feel that difference, either. Whether you’re dodging out the way of a rampaging Barroth, climbing atop a perch with your Wirebug, or putting together a pixel-perfect combo, the fluidity of Rise on PC may make it tough to go back to playing on Switch.

Still the king of the jungle

The Wirebug is fun to use for both combat and exploration.

I’d implore you to read our full review of Monster Hunter Rise on the Nintendo Switch, but in case you’re new to the franchise, the core gameplay loop is, in many ways, simple. Players head out into different biomes to defeat a target monster in what is, in many ways, a boss fight.

Once you’ve slain your quarry, Hunters use their materials to craft bigger weapons and better armor, before setting off on the next expedition. The depth and complexity come from building the perfect equipment setup to batter whatever nasty you’re facing off with, as well as the monsters themselves.

Monster Hunter Rise contains over 70 monsters, and while many are returning favorites there are some newcomers, too. These range from new cover-star Magnamalo, to the fruit-lobbing Bishaten and the kind of unsettling Almudron. Each has its own attack patterns and behaviors, and each drops its own gear. Mixing, matching, and upgrading the items you craft makes every hunt a learning experience, and with new monsters expected in the future, it’s only going to get better.

If you’ve missed Rise so far and have played a Monster Hunter game before, then the big new addition for you is the Wirebug. Useful for exploration, dodging, and quickly returning to your feet after you’ve been knocked down, it supercharges Monster Hunter’s signature combat in a way we didn’t know we needed last year – but that feels like an absolute necessity now. It’ll also let you mount monsters to steer them into other foes and the environment, as well as unlock stylish new Silkbind moves.

Better together

Palamutes are a new addition to help speed up map traversal.

Co-op remains the best way to play. As with all games in the franchise, slaying monsters solo is fun, but playing with a squad of four is better, and a great way to enjoy the PC’s new visual flourishes and higher frame-rates as players dart in and out of the fray, support each other, and pile onto the monster.

Then there’s the Rampage, which sends a cadre of creatures at your settlement and blends Rise’s traditional combat with tower defense elements. It’s fun as a distraction and offers some solid rewards, but for our money, we’d still rather do things the old-fashioned way – with a sword the size of a car and a few buddies alongside us.

9/10

Monster Hunter Rise has lost none of its appeal in moving from a Nintendo Switch screen to a PC one. In Ultrawide, with an unlocked frame-rate, it’s the best way to play what may be the franchise’s best entry yet.

If you’re looking for deep RPG systems, a T-Rex that breathes fire, and a huge hammer to smack it in the head with, then Monster Hunter Rise is essential.