Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak (PS5) Review

After the release of Monster Hunter Rise on current generation consoles at the beginning of the year, it was obvious that the expansion Sunbreak, I would continue later. Capcom revealed the announcement of the arrival of the expansion last March, promising much more content. Now the most powerful consoles are complete with this massive DLC.

This is what I call being an expansion to an already great game. Being a more and better, it adds many more hours of content without any waste. It’s not just extending what’s already seen in Rise, but enhancing it with new areas to explore, new cordopter moves, new beasts like Garangolm and Malzeno, and new quest types, Master Rank.

a new threat

For those who don’t know, Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak requires to have Monster Hunter Rise original to play. The plot picks up after the end of the original game, with the protagonist receiving a new call to the hunt when an Hermitaur Daimyo shows up to wreak havoc on the ruins of the shrine. After starting the fight, another unknown monster appears on the scene. This is how Fiorayne comes to our aid.

After saving the day from the creature, he shares that it came to help the city of Elgado, which is facing a new threat with new monsters emerging from a well that has opened up near the city. This is how the old man from Kamura responds positively to the request and we embark on a new adventure.

A massive new creature makes an appearance, Malezno, an ancient dragon that not only affects the ecosystem, but also absorbs the life energy of other creatures. However, it does not come alone, as two new threats have also appeared, Garangolm and Lunagaron, in a trinity known as the Three Lords.

Once we arrive at Elgado, we will be able to meet new colorful characters, who have a lot of personality. However, unsurprisingly the plot barely provides enough motivation to go ahead and hunt down monsters. Fortunately, the cinematics with the player return. These exciting sequences go a long way in making the player feel like they are part of the action.

almost a new game

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak it’s basically a new game, even introducing new mechanics. However, the game is very familiar if we have been playing since its recent release. Now, the setting of a Japan from the Edo era is set aside for a European one from the colonial era. This directly influences the type of monsters that we will find with designs inspired by legends of popular culture.

In addition to the new base, we will have two new hunting areas apart from the five in the base game, The Jungle and Citadel. New Follower Quests provide the opportunity to go on hunts in the company of various NPCs, so lone players don’t feel so lonely. Our companions managed by a quite competent AI fight just like if they were human players, getting us out of trouble at opportune moments, they will distract the monsters and place traps.

After a warm welcome to Elgado, we will be promoted to Master Rank, Sunbreak’s leiv motiv, in which we will notice that some hunts will be difficult to tackle. Capcom assumes that before playing the expansion, we were still playing Rise so the first few quests will be familiar monsters. However, that mechanic is abused a bit.

As we have already said, new additional monsters have been included in the bestiary, including variants of some known ones. Basically, they’re master rank monsters with completely new movesets so they don’t feel the same. Although they are hunts with fiercer monsters, we will have more ways to defend ourselves as a new ability to change with defensive postures. Counter moves that are performed while being hit, you can really experiment a lot with the new combinations.

Equipment for the occasion

Sunbreak also adds new abilities for armor and decoration. Blood Rite, will cause some of the damage dealt to be converted to health when hitting a monster’s weak spot. Bloodlust kicks in when in the presence of the frenzy virus, increasing damage resistance and stamina, but at the cost of slowly draining health.

These new abilities allow us to create builds with many possibilities that complement our style of play. Another new mechanic is the Switch Skill Swap. It consists of bringing two different Switch Skill loadouts into battle, allowing you to switch between both sets on the fly. However, like the new hunts, Sunbreak has a restriction that you will unlock new switch abilities until you reach Master Rank 4.

Verdict

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak it’s the perfect complement to an already great game. For those who have been waiting for Rise since its release on Switch and PC, you’re in luck that it’s only a few months away. It is an expansion that adds new content in the form of new biomes, enemies, weapons, and a new Rank that will add more hours of gameplay. However, the game can be overwhelming in terms of difficulty, but it is still very accessible.

Note: This review was made on PS5 and the copy was transferred thanks to Capcom.