MONSTER HUNTER RISE Review Summary

Last updated: 2026-03-28
  • Wirebugs enhance combat dynamics significantly.
  • Fast-paced and engaging gameplay experience.
  • Diverse monster roster adds variety.
  • Graphics quality disappoints many players.
  • Endgame content lacks sufficient variety.
  • Story and characters feel underdeveloped.
MONSTER HUNTER RISE header

Emotions

Archetypes

What players like:

Common complaints:

Gameplay feedback:

Performance notes:

Recommendations:

Other player notes:

Review evidence

Why players say this

What players like

Wirebugs enhance combat dynamics: Players appreciate the wirebug mechanics for adding depth, speed, and variety to combat. This system is praised for making hunts more dynamic and less punishing, offering diverse and balanced actions.

Fast-paced and engaging gameplay: The game is noted for its fast-paced, frenetic, and fluid combat. Players enjoy the quick and agile matches, which are both tactical and fun.

Diverse monster roster: The game features a diverse and colorful roster of monsters, which are well-animated and memorable. This variety adds to the in-depth gameplay experience.

Overall enjoyable experience: Players find the game fun and enjoyable, with exciting and fluid gameplay. The game is highly recommended for its overall quality and entertainment value.

Variety of weapons and builds: Players enjoy the variety of weapons and armor, each with unique characteristics. The game offers a huge variety of builds and combat styles, enhancing player expression.

Common complaints

Graphics quality disappoints players: Many players expressed dissatisfaction with the graphics, noting that they are not as impressive or realistic compared to other games in the series and previous titles.

Endgame content lacks variety: The endgame content is criticized for being repetitive and tedious, leading to boredom and a lack of engagement.

Rampage mode is chaotic: The Rampage mode is criticized for being poorly designed, messy, and chaotic, making it unenjoyable.

Story and characters underdeveloped: The story is described as lackluster, mediocre, and poorly developed, with uninspiring characters.

Falls short of Monster Hunter: World: Players feel that this game does not live up to the standards set by Monster Hunter: World in terms of graphical quality, size, charm, and overall experience.

Gameplay and performance

Wirebug mechanics enhance mobility: The Wirebug system allows for enhanced movement and combat abilities, adding depth and agility to the gameplay. Players can use Wirebugs for vertical movement, aerial evasion, and various combat maneuvers.

Variety of weapons and playstyles: The game offers a wide range of weapons, each with unique characteristics and playstyles. This variety allows players to choose and customize their combat experience.

Monster Hunter-like gameplay: The game is similar to traditional Monster Hunter titles, featuring combat with powerful monsters that have complex attack patterns. Players hunt and battle various monsters.

Customizable skills and armor: The game features a variety of skills and armor sets that players can customize. This allows for unique skill compositions and builds.

Detailed combat mechanics: The game includes detailed combat mechanics, offering a variety of challenges and customizable combos. Players can engage in complex combat scenarios with different monsters.

Smooth and stable performance: Many reviews highlight the game's smooth and stable performance, with no bugs or crashes. The game runs perfectly and beautifully on various hardware.

Mixed graphics quality: The graphics are generally considered average or lackluster, especially when compared to other games in the series. Some players find them clean and well-optimized, while others criticize them as poor or unimpressive.

Optimization and load times: The game is praised for its fast load times and well-optimized performance. However, there are also reports of optimization issues and high system requirements.

Frame rate performance: Players report varying experiences with frame rates, including issues with stability and drops. Some note smooth 60 FPS performance, while others experience frequent frame loss.

Performance on lower-end hardware: The game runs well on modest PCs and lower-end hardware, making it accessible to a wider range of players.

Recommendations

Sunbreak DLC highly recommended: Many reviews emphasize that the Sunbreak expansion significantly enhances the overall experience of Monster Hunter Rise, making it a worthwhile purchase, especially when on sale.

Try during sales: Multiple reviews suggest trying or purchasing the game during sales to get the best value for money.

Consider Monster Hunter World first: Some reviews recommend starting with Monster Hunter World, especially for first-time players, due to its world design and overall experience.

Recommended for fans of the series: The game is frequently recommended for fans of the Monster Hunter franchise, particularly those who enjoy the traditional gameplay and are looking for a streamlined experience.

Recommended for both newcomers and veterans: The game is suggested for both newcomers, especially those playing with friends, and veterans looking for a familiar yet refined experience.

Buying context

Community fair range: $10.00 - $20.00.

Game completion: 50.0h.

Story completion: 20.0h.

Session length: 0.5h.

Endgame: 100.0h.

The game has a slow and somewhat boring start with significant grinding and repetitive tasks, but it becomes more enjoyable after progressing through the initial phases and when playing with friends in multiplayer mode.

Reported time to anchor: 2h.

Player profiles

Hardcore Grinder: Grinding and optimizing builds. Motivation: Mastery and completion of all game content. Stance: sale.

Newcomer Struggler: Cooperative and learning-focused. Motivation: Learning and overcoming initial challenges. Stance: deep sale.

Customization Enthusiast: Customization and fast-paced combat. Motivation: Customization and fast-paced combat. Stance: buy.

Platform notes

Steam Deck: The game has a mixed reception on Steam Deck. While many users appreciate its performance and compatibility, there are significant issues with stability, controls, graphical quality, and DRM. Frequent crashes and the inability to play due to DRM are major concerns, while control and graphical issues also detract from the overall experience.

Linux and Proton: The game has significant DRM and performance issues on Linux, making it difficult or impossible to play for some users. However, the removal of Denuvo DRM has been noted to improve compatibility and performance on Linux.

Extra review signals

Monetization: The user reviews highlight several key points regarding the game's monetization and DLC content. Many users recommend purchasing the DLC for a complete experience, suggesting that the base game might feel incomplete without it. There are also mentions of increased microtransactions, particularly for cosmetic items, which some users find controversial. Additionally, technical issues related to the DLC have been reported, such as unplayable quests and changes in controls, which have negatively impacted the gameplay experience for some users.

External guides: The game has been praised for its rich content and engaging gameplay. However, significant issues have been identified, including the lack of detailed in-game tutorials and explanations, which forces players to rely on external guides. Additionally, bugs and UI issues have been reported, along with the complexity of certain game mechanics that are not well-explained within the game.

Other review notes

Manual backup for saves: Players are asking for the ability to manually backup their game saves, indicating concerns about save data integrity.

Cross-save with Switch requested: Players are requesting the ability to cross-save their game progress with the Nintendo Switch version.

Older games on Steam: There is a demand for the release of older games from the series or franchise on the Steam platform.