We know that for a long time, Monster Hunter It was totally a niche franchise, not least because it had very peculiar mechanics and didn’t give players so much information, something that ended up pushing away many newbies who weren’t in the mood to delve so intensely into a game that they didn’t know if they would even like it. This changed a bit with each release, reaching the height of popularity with Monster Hunter World, a game available on several platforms and that was much simpler to understand and play than its predecessors.

After that, it’s clear that a great curiosity was created about what the next title in the franchise would be like, after all, it wouldn’t be an easy task to succeed what has become Capcom’s biggest success in recent years. Even so, the ad for Monster Hunter Rise surprised a lot, since it was a game with a clearly smaller scope and that would be an exclusive, at least in the console world, of the Nintendo Switch. Even the promised PC version took almost a year to arrive, so it remains to be seen: what has changed, what remains the same and which edition is the most suitable for each type of player? You can check this out in detail in our review below!

Who needs plot when we have giant monsters?

Something that needs to be said even for those who have doubts about the PC version of Monster Hunter Rise is that, in terms of plot and content offered, there is nothing new or unprecedented that we have not seen in the original edition available on Nintendo Switch. Of course, this portable version received several content updates throughout 2021, but all of this will be on PC from launch.

This includes changes to weapons, bug fixes, quests, monsters, events and even collaborative content with other game franchises. Of course, the game will still receive support and updates with new things for a long time to come, but it’s great to know that PC gamers will be able to enjoy such a complete version of Rise from day one.

Hunting just got better without the limitations of the Nintendo SwitchSource: Capcom/Disclosure

We can also wait for the release of the expansion Sunbreak simultaneously on Switch and PC, something that will likely become the norm for all new content released for the game. For the curious, it is worth remembering that this DLC was promised for 2022, but the concrete date has not yet been confirmed.

Essentially, if the game’s content or story was of any importance to you deciding which version of Monster Hunter Rise would buy, you can rest assured that there will be no differences or platform preferences going forward.

What everyone wants to know

What we have no doubt is that many fans of Monster Hunter Rise are extremely curious to hear about the game’s visuals and performance on PC, as these weren’t exactly the most enviable aspects of the Nintendo Switch version. Although this portable edition of the game was quite impressive, we were already expecting to see something better on computers, as the technical limitations would no longer be an obstacle.

In this version, we can already say that there have been a lot of optimizations for the PC, which includes support for Ultrawide monitors, support for 4K, high resolution textures and no kind of limitation on the frame rate. With a PC that had 16GB of RAM, a GTX 1660 graphics card and an AMD Ryzen 5 3600 processor, I was able to play smoothly at the highest settings the game offered and maintained total stability at 60 fps (a rate I crashed for own account in settings).

Because of this, I have nothing to complain about the performance itself, as I didn’t experience any kind of stuttering or annoying crashes. Of course, it’s always good to remember that this won’t necessarily be everyone’s experience, since unlike the Switch version that worked the same on all consoles, here we’re talking about a game that will run on many different hardware combinations. So, it’s good to take a good look at the minimum and recommended requirements to see if your PC is compatible with the game.

The only negative element I noticed is something that was already happening on the Switch and that I was sure wouldn’t be present on the PC: the shadow effect that sometimes forms a strange texture on the characters’ skin at certain angles. At the time I was playing the portable version, I thought this was caused by the console’s limitations, but clearly it’s something that ended up being carried over to this port. I don’t doubt it’s something that can be fixed in an update, but it’s good to keep in mind that this little problem may show up for now.

Other than that, a nice aesthetic addition is that you can apply some filters on the game image, making it black and white, with a japanese style, looking like a movie or old and much more. It’s something more superficial, but it can spice up the gameplay of those who have zeroed the title on Switch before.

Portability vs performance

Knowing more about the content, visuals and performance of the game on PC, of ​​course you may be wondering whether it is worth buying this edition or staying with the Switch edition. This depends on a few different elements, as players who prioritize stable performance, more detailed textures, and an online connection that doesn’t necessarily rely on Wi-Fi will definitely do better with Monster Hunter Rise on the computer.

Those who like the option of portability, who don’t want to buy the game again or who don’t care so much about textures or occasional frame drops, may not have as many reasons to stop enjoying the game on Switch. It is worth remembering that the game will not have cross-play or cross-save, that is, you will not be able to play with people who have the Rise on another platform and you won’t even be able to take your save data from Switch to PC and vice versa.

It’s wonderful to play Monster Hunter in portable mode, but PC stability is not to be thrown awaySource: Capcom/Disclosure

This is another aspect you have to take into account, as if your friends are planning to continue playing on Switch or if they’re going to pick up the PC version, it’s good to be aware of this before making your choice.

A Monster Hunter for All Audiences

As we mentioned at the beginning, the franchise Monster Hunter has gotten simpler and simpler with each new iteration, something has become even more evident with Rise, whose mechanics, weapons and missions are much more accessible than we’ve seen in other titles in the series. While it’s not something that appeals to veterans who like more of a challenge, it’s an element that might please newbies or those who are looking to finally get into this world.

Even because the maps are much more contained and with a much greater vertical exploration than world, you won’t spend as much time wandering around, looking for clues, or getting fed up when a monster flees. This along with the fact that you have a dog that works as a mount and creatures that appear very clearly on the map, make the whole experience very straightforward and blunt.

Players who are tired of walking in Monster Hunter World will be grateful for the existence of their new canine friendSource: Capcom/Disclosure

The quest hub, that is, the village where you and other hunters meet to get quests, feed, buy items, craft armor and weapons, is also very easy to navigate. As the area is much smaller than in world, you won’t feel so lost, but of course there are numerous tutorials that pop up on the screen to explain the details of everything, something that we advise you to read carefully if you are a total newcomer to the franchise.

Overall, this simplicity helps more than it hurts the experience, but we still think the combat could be more of a challenge. As many of you may know, quests can be played in single player or multiplayer, with group quests specifically made to be more difficult. The problem is that an experienced hunter can still kill any creature with ease entirely on his own even in these conditions. It’s something that’s certainly not going to change in this game in the future, so we can only hope that this feedback from critics and fans will make Capcom keep that in mind for sequels that are sure to come in the years to come.

It is worth it?

It’s always difficult to analyze a port, especially a game that I’ve played for more than 100 hours in the original version and that doesn’t offer that many changes. In a way, it really felt like I was just enjoying it more Monster Hunter Rise again, which can be both good and bad at the same time. On the bright side, we have the fact that the game has always been and remains fantastic, but now there is more stability and more beautiful textures. In the part that we can consider negative, there is the simple element that there is nothing new for those who have already zeroed the game on Switch and there is no cross-save in case someone preferred to migrate the save data to the PC.

At the end of the day, we can’t deny just one more hunt, can we?!Source: Capcom/Disclosure

Overall, it’s still an essential game if you haven’t played it before, so there’s no doubt that it’s worth it in this situation. If you already have it on the Switch, it’s more a matter of seeing if it’s worth spending the extra money on that version, something you can do more for improvements or to play with your friends who don’t own the Nintendo console. Anyway, Monster Hunter Rise it’s sensational and you just can’t pass up a new chance to try out a weapon you’ve never played with before.

Voxel Score: 95

Strengths:

• The textures are much more beautiful and detailed.
• Performance is pretty stable, even at the highest settings and in intense battles.
• Possibility to play online via cable instead of relying solely on Wi-Fi, ensuring a much more stable connection
• All updates released on Switch are now available on the PC version

Negative points:

• At times, the shadows create strange textures on the characters’ skin
• There’s no cross-save or cross-play between the PC and Switch versions, so you won’t be able to bring your save data or play with people from other platforms.