Game News Monster Hunter Rise: Will Sunbreak be able to reignite the flame? We played it on Nintendo Switch!
Published on 02/06/2022 at 09:02
Capcom’s monster hunter saga has been delighting fans of the discipline for almost 20 years, whether alone or online with friends. And Monster Hunter has come a long way, especially over the past few years. With the arrival of the World episode which clearly democratized the license and made it much more accessible to the general public, Rise, on Nintendo Switch, drove the point home. So here comes the time for the long-awaited expansion, Sunbreak, which we were able to play recently. Impressions, rainbow in hands!
As with many, many hours have been spent in Monster Hunter Rise. Taking up a lot of elements from Monster Hunter World, this portable installment far exceeded expectations with a deep, but also subtle game system, both in the number of weapons available and thanks to many classic monsters in the series, new for some and cleverly modified for others . And let’s not talk regarding the never-ending quest to improve its equipment to better meet the demands of tough fights once morest gigantic critters, sometimes even several, in high-level games. It was therefore time for a major extension to arrive in order to renew the experience.. And if the basic pleasure remains, there are several interesting elements in Sunbreak to, a priori, want to put your hands back on your console (or his PC since the title has since been available on this medium too).
Play with others, but also solo, but as a team…
As any hunter knows, it is possible to travel the world of Rise alone or with several friends, up to three, to take down the monsters in the different regions that surround Kamura, the village in which the story of this game takes place. episode. With Sunbreaka new “multiplayer game” option will be available, the Follower Quests (Paragon missions with us). Understand that a character not controlled by a player can accompany you, like your Chumsky (your dog) or your Palico (your bipedal cat). What does it change, will you tell me? First the atmosphere and the exchanges since this hero is part of the story and speaks to you during expeditions or brawls. Then, it acts on its own, which forces you to learn how it works to better optimize attacks, withdraw it if necessary, or take advantage of its powers. A good idea in itself which should make it possible to understand more and more the universe while enjoying a “new way of playing”.
To adapt is to survive!
Another important element, really, the Switch Skill Swap. Again, you have to know the game to fully understand, but the idea is actually very simple: you can change skills (talents / skills) during a fight without having to return to the camp. As you will have understood, this will allow you to adapt more easily to certain situations, in a group or alone, but also to create new combinations of weapons or talents in order to manage your enemies and the fights that go with them. Note that this talent change is accompanied by a new dodge to be used followingwards to avoid finding yourself in a bad position, the “dodge transfer”. Bulk, Monster Hunter Rise expands, gains depthand during our games, we clearly saw it, even if some monsters were able to calm our passions very quickly.
Seregios, Lunagaron, Malzeno, Garangolm…
We were able to face the Lunagaron in preview and if we can’t go into the details, know that the beast gave us a lot of trouble, but that the famous transfer of talent proved useful and even helped us avoid a crushing failure, even though we fell through several times. Proof that this new system has its uses and that there is therefore nothing “gadget” regarding it! But back to our sheep, finally to our monsters rather. The Lunagaron therefore had its small effect as it is fast and well animated, but it was ultimately the Seregios that overcame our talents. If the start of the fight went well, our slowness made him enraged and his successive high-speed dives show that the enthusiasm of the players will be severely tested. New monsters will be present, but also note that the story continues through particularly worked decorations with slightly modified fauna. While some places are obviously coming back, others are benefiting from very different color schemes, from purple like Vampire Savior / Darkstalker (as if by chance), or downright new architectures that contrast with those of Rise and really make you want to go explore. Especially since certain atmospheres or themes follow one another in the same mission. Which means that the colors, the fauna and the flora or even the general atmosphere evolves as you explorewhich is far from displeasing to us and further improves the overall atmosphere during the hunts.
With its 14 weapons, new movements (attacks, dodges, etc.) associatedthe story that continues in a new land, Elgado (in search of an ancient and menacing dragon), and the additional companions during the hunts, it seems obvious that Sunbreak will speak to those who already know Monster Hunter Rise and is likely to make you want to resume the adventure. As for those who think they have it all figured out, the extra monsters or gameplay subtleties (substitute talent transfer, new silk bonding techniques for connoisseurs) might be able to offer some renewal. But to find out if all this will hold up over time, go to June 30, release date of Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak on Nintendo Switch and PC.
