Like Monster Hunter World before it, though Monster Hunter Rise retains the core complexities that have defined the series for so long, it also makes a concerted effort to be more accessible and welcoming to newcomers. Even so, this is still Monster Hunter, which means there’s a lot the game’s going to throw at you, and if you’re new to the series, you might feel a little lost, especially in your first few hours with the game. To help smooth out that transition, here, we’ve compiled a few beginners tips and tricks that you should keep in mind as you jump into Monster Hunter Rise.
DON’T BUTTON MASH
This might seem like the most obvious thing to anyone who’s played Monster Hunter before, but it cannot be stressed how important it is to remember this. In spite of being an action RPG in which you take on massive monsters, Monster Hunter requires thought and observation. Button mashing and wailing on enemies is a straight ticket to failure. Observing your enemies, learning their movement and attack patterns, figuring out their weak spots, deciphering their tells for the bigger attacks- you need to be doing all of it, and this stands true for pretty much every single hunt in the game.
LOOK OUT FOR VISUAL CUES
Visual cues are how monsters in Monster Hunter Rise will tell you when they’re about to attack, and what attack they’re about to unleash, which means it’s always crucial that you pay attention and keep an eye on them. On top of that, Monster Hunter also doesn’t give its monsters health bars, which means you also need to watch out for visual cues that will let you know when a monster is getting weaker and getting close to the point where it can finally be taken out for good.
FOCUS ON MASTERING ONE OR TWO WEAPON TYPES
With over a dozen different weapons, each differing from the other radically in so many ways, Monster Hunter Rise is, like its predecessors, brimming with variety. And while learning and using various different kinds of weapons is crucial, when you’re starting off, it’s best to limit yourself to just one or two. Rather than experimenting with all different kinds of weapons and spreading yourself too thin, focus on mastering a couple that you’re comfortable with the most first, and only once you’re confident in your use of those should you move on to new ones.
USE THE TRAINING AREA
When you do try out new weapons, rather than heading straight out on a hunt or a quest with that in your arsenal, it’s best to take it for a test drive or two in Kamura Village’s training area. Years of playing games may have compelled you to ignore the very existence of a training area, but it’s actually a very useful tool in Monster Hunter games. Learn the basics of a new weapon type first, understand how fast it is or what its range is or what the best combos are, and once you have a good grasp of the fundamental, that’s when you should take it out for a spin out in the wild.
BEST WEAPONS FOR BEGINNERS
All of that’s well and good, but exactly what are the best weapons for a newcomer in Monster Hunter Rise? The answer may vary depending on who you ask (and when you ask it), but generally, it’s agreed upon that the dual blades, the sword and shield, and the greatsword are the best weapons for someone who’s new to the series. Obviously, they each differ from each other quite a bit- for instance, while the dual blades have great speed, they don’t do too much damage with each attack, while the greatsword sacrifices speed for DPS. You should, of course, be picking a weapon based on what suits your playstyle best, but those aforementioned weapons should ideally be the ones you go with in your initial hours.
BE READY TO KEEP ADAPT
As important as it is to not spread yourself too thin with multiple different weapon types in the early goings, as you get deeper into the game, it’s crucial that you don’t limit yourself too much either. The more difficult hunts, especially in the late game and the postgame, can be a little tricky, and you might find it particularly hard to brute force your way through them with the weapon that you’re fond of the most. Figure out what the monster you’re hunting will be the weakest to and be ready to had into the fight with a different weapon suited to that situation.
DON’T STRESS OVER THE TIME LIMIT
Monster Hunter Rise, like other games in the series, enforces a time limit on you its hunts, and while that can easly be a recipe for disastrous stress, it’s actually not that big a deal. Most hunts in the game – even the more difficult ones later on – can easily be finished within the given time limit. While the timer is something you should keep an eye on to make sure you’re not wasting too much time, don’t let it force you to rush into things either. It’s best to take your time with hunts and do a little bit of exploring before major fights.
EAT PROPER MEALS
Again, this might seem too obvious to anyone who’s played a Monster Hunter game, but it cannot be overstated how important this is. Eating meals to prepare yourself for a hunt is a crucial part of series’ core loop, and that’s as true as ever in Rise. Make sure you’re eating the right meals that give you the right kinds of buffs, because heading out on a hunt without that boost can make a lot of difference.
LEVERAGE THE TURF WARS MECHANIC WHENEVER POSSIBLE
Monster Hunter World introduced the incredible turf wars mechanic, which would often see two or more monsters out in the wild dynamically chancing upon each other and taking each other on in fights. That mechanic returns in Rise, and it’s best to leverage it as much as possible. Of course, owing to its very nature, it might not be something that you can always control, but whenever possible, if you can get two monsters to have a go at each other, and if that helps you out on your hunt, you should definitely grab that opportunity.
DON’T IGNORE THE ENDEMIC LIFE
If you’re heading into Rise with dozens (or hundreds, or thousands) of hours of World gameplay in your belt, you might be tempted to ignore the endemic life forms you find out in the wild. But while they were mostly meaningless in World, they’re actually quite useful in Rise. From providing various different kinds of buffs to inflicting status effects on monsters to being used as consumables in combat and more, endemic life can be very useful in a pinch in Monster Hunter Rise. Be on the lookout for these while you’re exploring.
DON’T SPAM WIREBUG ATTACKS
The Wirebug is one of the most crucial new elements Monster Hunter Rise has introduced, and it’s as useful in combat as it is for traversal. Wirebug attacks in particular are a game-changer, especially for something like Wyvern riding- but as useful as they are, make sure you’re not spamming them every chance you get. You only have a limited number of uses for these before you run out, which means you should unleash them only at the best of times. A couple of well-timed Wirebug attacks can really make a difference in a fight.
WIREBUG AND DEBUFFS
The Wirebug is useful for more than just out and out offence during combat. It can also help with removing certain stat debuffs and status ailments. For instance, swinging around a couple of times using your Wirebugs is a great way to remove the Waterblight status effect, which can greatly reduce your stamina recovery.
RIDING AND SHARPENING
Sharpening weapons is something that has always been a bit of a headache for Monster Hunter fans, but with the introduction of Palamute riding in Monster Hunter Rise, it can be done in a much more convenient manner. When you’re in the middle of fights with raging monsters and you need to sharpen your weapons, make sure you get to that only once you’re riding on top of your Palamute. This keeps you mobile and makes it harder for you to get hit, which means you can sharpen your weapons in relative peace.
RUN WITH YOUR WEAPONS SHEATHED
Sheathing your weapons isn’t always practical, especially when you’re taking on a monster, but it can be incredibly useful at times. For instance, you’ll find that you’re able to run much faster with your weapons sheathed than you would have otherwise, which is something that can be particularly useful in certain situations. It’s worth keeping in mind, however, that that also means your stamina drain faster, and stamina is something that you always need to keep an eye on in Monster Hunter games.
EVERYTHING CAN BE USEFUL FOR CRAFTING
Crafting is, of course, one of the most crucial parts of any Monster Hunter game, which means that gathering resources, too, is just as important. While defeating monsters and farming for parts is the primary way to get your hands on new and useful crafting components, a lot of stuff can be found while exploring as well- and pretty much everything you can get your hands on can be useful in some form or another. Even seemingly useless items like dung can be important crafting components. So don’t discard anything you see based on its apparent usefulness, or the lack thereof. You never know when something might come in handy.