And what we mean by that is we were privy to a video presentation for media of the game and its many moving parts from both
The Big N and
The Big C. And while we can't share said preso with you in full, we managed to pull apart its juiciest monster bits and re-present to you in digestible form just what you should be getting excited about here.
We also did this through our resident
Monster Hunter expert,
Pikamus, who saw between the scales to really pull all the vital info to share. Here's some of what he found.
Graphics. If you’re coming from the last Switch Monster Hunter, Rise is a night and day difference. The town feels more alive, the biomes have much much more detail, while the heroes and the monsters sport infinitely better animation. Shading is also vastly improved. We can’t wait to check this out in more detail -- and seeing the impressive RE Engine make its way to the console is an added eye-candy bonus. Obviously if you’re coming from Monster Hunter World, it's not as technically impressive, but it sits somewhere in between the last Switch joint and World. Which is great because it shows Capcom is really investing in how the series looks on all platforms.
No loading screens between areas. This is a first for Switch and handheld Monster Hunter games and gives it all a more open-world feel that isn’t simply a string of connected rooms and environments. Exploration has always been a part of the series and it's something that was pushed to the fore in Monster Hunter World. Plus, this is further proof that Capcom is looking to push the Switch hardware as far as it can go with Monster Hunter Rise.
Click here for our full Monster Hunter Rise breakdown of what to expect.