Monster Hunter Rise is a fantastic game. An evolution of world with some really cool new mechanics. However, it can also be a demanding game, requiring patience from the player to truly grasp some of the mechanics and depth. With the PC version finally here, this will mainly be geared towards series newcomers. Although, casual players from previous entries may find some useful tips. 

Kamura Village and the Hub

Unlike Monster Hunter World, quests are now split between the Village and Hub, which brings it more in line to the classics. This wasn’t a change I wasn’t too fond of, as it made the game a touch too easy when playing through the story. Stick with it though. Rise will tell you to do both, but focus on the Village quests. The Village quests are kind of like an easy version of the monsters that you will find in the Hub quests. Use this as a chance to learn the game’s mechanics, as well as low ranked monster patterns. The Hub will eventually become your primary source of hunts as you complete the main story and move into Plus Ranks. Once you complete all Village quests in a certain difficulty rating, this will allow you to complete a single special license that allows you to fast-track Hub progression. 

However, even though the Hub will eventually become your main place, you don’t want to ignore the Village. In fact, the Village has A LOT to do. Often you will see characters around the Village with speech bubbles. This usually indicates that there is something to unlock. These special requests should be done as soon as possible. Engage with as many systems as you can early on, as they can often unlock useful items and mechanics. The Argosy, Meowcenaries, Trading missions, and lucky tickets all provide a great source of free or cheap resources that will keep you stocked up. After every two or three hunts, you really want to be doing as much as possible.

Picking your weapons 

Monster Hunter Rise has a ton of different weapon classes and they can often change the game in dramatic ways. The best starting weapons I find to be are either the longsword or dual blades. That being said, don’t be afraid to try out some of the more technical weapons. 

When you have either picked a weapon or want to try something new, Kamura Village has an awesome training room that will allow you to spend time learning the basics of each weapon or sharpen your skills if you need a refresher. The training room will also display your button presses and potential combos you can perform. It’s worth spending some time here before going into hunts. 

Wirebugs 

One of the biggest new features in Rise are the Wirebugs. To start, the Wirebugs are a tool to move around the environment. They can go over mountains and get the flank on a monster. Combining this with the hunter’s new wall running abilities makes traversal a breeze. Simply aim with the trigger and then fire, and you will launch yourself towards the Wirebugs. To wall run, simply hold the sprint button and move into the direction you want to go. 

The utility isn’t just for extra mobility, but also provides some useful benefits in combat. If a monster gets a hit on you, it will most like send you flying. A quick tap of LT + A will get you on your feet again, whilst LT + Y will launch you into the air. Each weapon also has a special kind of attack, known as Skillbinds, which can be changed back at Kamura. Make sure to read up on your weapons skill binds. Get accustomed with the Wirebugs as soon as possible, as they will help a lot.

Palamutes!

Palamutes are one of the most exciting additions to Monster Hunter Rise. Alongside your traditional Palico, your Palamute will be your new best friend. They are to help you in combat and provide some much needed mobility. By hoping on their back, you can much more quickly get around the environment. That’s not all they can do though. 

Whilst on the back of your Palamute, you are free to do a variety of actions: drink some potions to heal/buff up or even use a whetstone to sharpen your weapon. Not only will this help you get back into the fight much quicker if the monster is retreating but you can also use this in combat. Normally using the whetstone will leave you vulnerable unable to move but the Palamute remove the risk. Your Palamute is your new best friend. 

Exploration

When you get dropped into a hunt, you will often need to find the monster and chase them. It might be tempting to go ahead and start the fight straight away, but take a couple of minutes to gather. Things like herbs, Endemic Life, and mining points can help a lot. Collecting honey will allow you to upgrade your ten starting potions to mega potions for even more health.  Even if you don’t feel like you need them, it’s better to take a minute now than later. 

Not only will this help you in that hunt, but may save you a lot of time doing resource gathering in the long run. After gathering resources once, their spawn point will then appear on the map. Eventually, as you get used to the game, you will come up with routes that you will take that will maximise your gathering efficiency on the way to the monster. Endemic Life, however, is an immediate buff that can significantly help you in the fight. 

Don’t be discouraged by failure. 

Monster Hunter‘s traditional time limit of fifty minutes per hunt, as well as the three faint limit, is back. Whilst this may sound like some harsh conditions, they are wonderfully balanced in the context of the game. If you find yourself coming close to the fifty minute time limit though, you may need to consider your options to boost your efficiency. For first time hunts against bigger more dangerous monsters like Magnamalo, it is perfectly normal to come close to that timer. 

Still failing is a huge part of Monster Hunter Rise and you should not feel discouraged at all. Failing a hunt after forty or so minutes might not feel good at all, but if you’ve paid attention you should be better off in your next attempt. Consult your Monster Field Guide to identify the monsters weak spots, elemental strengths, and weaknesses and adjust your loadout accordingly. Every death is a learning experience. If you are still having trouble, don’t be afraid to ask the Monster Hunter community online; in my experience they were a really helpful bunch. Plus, if you are in a Hub quest, multiplayer is always an option. 

Quick-Tips

• Set-up your radial menu for quick access to essential tools.
• Press the start button after killing or capturing a monster to skip that final animation. This gives you a little more time to gather resources. You can also skip the final victory animation by pressing B whilst in midair.
• Capturing a monster is often much faster than killing. Bring traps and tranq bombs, especially to tougher fights. The game will often give you visual queues to indicate when a monster can be captured, so pay attention. Voice lines, limping, and a blue icon under the monster icon at the top right will indicate it can be captured. 
• Don’t worry too much about grinding for gear in low ranks. High rank is where you’ll want to really start the grind. 
• Always eat Dango before going out on a hunt. It will provide some buffs that will improve your chances significantly.
• Hunters now have a voice which can tell you when big attacks are coming. Listen out for them. 

Good luck! 

Monster Hunter Rise is a huge game and hopefully these tips will help newcomers get better accustomed to the game. Have fun and good luck to the new Hunters!