After spending over 600+ hours in Monster Hunter Rise, I felt like I invested a good amount time for a proper review.

Monster Hunter Rise is a very debatable game in the Monster Hunter franchise. Having played Monster Hunter World previously, comparisons are inevitable. While I still love Monster Hunter as a franchise and would recommend Monster Hunter Rise, I cannot ignore the disappointments I experienced along the way.

Sunbreak is a great expansion and significantly improves the overall experience. Personally, I did not encounter any save file issues, though it is worth noting that a large number of the player base reported their issue relating to their save files. Graphically, Monster Hunter World and Monster Hunter Rise are often compared. However, it is important to note that Monster Hunter World was developed primarily for large consoles, while Monster Hunter Rise was designed for portable hardware. While the visuals could have been improved, I do not consider the graphics to be one of the game’s major flaws.

Despite how enjoyable Monster Hunter Rise can be, it is also deeply flawed and in some ways, disappointing.


Going into Monster Hunter Rise, I expected a faster, more experimental Monster Hunter experience that still respected the franchise’s core design. I was excited to see how the Monster Hunter Portable Team could innovate, especially after the success of Monster Hunter World.

While Monster Hunter Rise introduced many new mechanics, personally, not all of them suit my style of game. It often feels like it prioritises speed and constant aggression over deliberate positioning and decision-making, which fundamentally changed how hunts play out.


There is no denying that Monster Hunter Rise offers a large amount of content, especially when combined with the Sunbreak DLC. Monster designs are strong, creative, and memorable, and the environment provides variety of lifeforms. Weapon design, combined with Wirebug mechanics, introduces flashy and powerful new movesets that feel exciting and fluid. Compared to Monster Hunter World, these new mechanics are undeniably polished and satisfying to use.

The game is also far more accessible for newcomers. Tutorials are more user-friendly, making it easier for new players to understand core mechanics. Multiplayer is smooth and easy to access, and performance is generally well optimised across platforms.

Buddies or your felyne companions have received a major upgrade as well. Palamutes and Palicoes utilitise their arsenal better than before, with noticeably improved A.I. compared to older Monster Hunter titles. Turf wars remain entertaining, and the soundtrack is beautiful as usual. Some of my favorite tracks in the series are found in Rise and Sunbreak.

That said, the game’s weaknesses are hard to overlook.


Hitbox quality feels like a step backward, continuing a trend of inconsistency across newer Monster Hunter releases. Monster behaviour is still a trending issue. Attacks often feature overly precise tracking, frequent attack spam, and unavoidable attacks that can punish players unfairly. In some situations, mistakes feel unrecoverable.

Evading, a core defensive mechanic in Monster Hunter, feels significantly less reliable. Many attacks are clearly designed to be countered rather than dodged, making traditional evasion almost non-viable in many encounters. This raises the question of how often a player is actually evading anymore versus relying entirely on counters.

Input registration issues further compound these frustrations, especially in a game that demands precise timing. The presence of 30 FPS cutscenes is also unnecessary and disrupts immersion for no clear reason.

RNG systems feel excessive, even by Monster Hunter standards. On top of that, the Spiribird system stands out as one of the worst mechanics introduced in the franchise. Being forced to collect temporary stat boosts before hunts disrupts pacing and feels unnecessary rather than strategic.

Anyways here's my pros and cons.


Pros :

• Strong and memorable monster designs.
  
• Large amount of in-game content.
  
• No pay-to-win.
  
• Extensive mod support.
  
• Beginner-friendly.
  
• Palamutes, Cohoot, Palicoes. These FELYNE friends are our best friends.
  
• Turf wars. Get ready to grab your popcorn lads.
  
• Multiplayer.
  
• Better overall optimisation.
  
• Excellent soundtrack.
  
• Skippable cutscenes.
  
• Buddy (Palico and Palamute) behaviour(s) has been improved compared to older Monster Hunter games.
  
• Improved story. I love Sunbreak. #Fiorayne
  
• Weapons and wirebugs. The new movesets compared to Monster Hunter World is flawless.

Cons :

• Downgraded and inconsistent hitboxes.
  
• Monster behaviour is very flawed. Overly accurate tracking. The punishment is unrecoverable, sometimes.
  
• Overreliance on counters over evasion.
  
• Input registration issues.
  
• 30 FPS cutscenes.
  
• Excessive RNG.
  
• Spiribirds system negatively impacts hunt pacing.

Monster Hunter Rise is a fun game, but one weighed down by significant issues. I still recommend it, especially with the Sunbreak DLC, which adds a substantial amount of content and improves the experience overall. However, compared to Monster Hunter World, I find myself spending far less time in Rise.

While I enjoy the game, I sincerely hope the Monster Hunter Portable Team addresses major issues surrounding monster A.I., input registration, and weapon counter bugs in future titles. Looking back, I would personally return to Monster Hunter World before revisiting Monster Hunter Rise.

Despite its flaws, Monster Hunter Rise remains a good game, but not one I would consider among my favorite Monster Hunter entries.

Thank you for your time.