Summary
Monster Hunter Worldlaunched in 2018, but it has seen a resurgence of players in 2024 following the announcement ofMonster Hunter Wildsat The Game Awards last year. On paper, this seems odd sinceMonster Hunter Risewas released in 2021 and has a similar feature set.MH Risewas initially developed for the Nintendo Switch but still retains the open zones introduced inMonster Hunter World, and it even delivers a serious overhaul to the player’s movement. Still, the resurgence ofMHWorldreveals the ways in whichRisewas a step back and shows that sometimes minor details make all the difference.
TheMonster Hunterfranchise was changed forever by the launch ofMH World.Worldupdated the gameplay loop of hunting monsters to gather loot and get stronger for home consoles.Monster Huntergamesbefore it were primarily made for portable platforms like the 3DS. The result was that each map was broken up into zones divided by loading screens. These older entries also feature less detailed environments and a more limited variety of monster behaviors and interactions. Hunts in older games are also usually a little bit shorter, especially at lower ranks, with the intent that players can complete quests during bite-sized chunks in their day.MH Worldredesigned the series for an at-home experience on more powerful hardware, allowing it to create a living world.
Monster Hunter World Feels Alive
When compared to older entries,Monster Hunter World’s environments are much more vibrant and alive. There is a higher density of creatures and more foliage, and all the textures are more detailed. There is no more loading between zones, and the spaces have much more verticality and small offshoots to explore. EvenMonster Hunter World’s hubsare more elaborate than those of previous entries. At its core, the franchise has always been rooted in the ecology of its fantasy world, with players hunting to maintain balance in the environment and protect settlements, butWorldwas the first time that the environment and the creatures in it were granted a genuine sense of realism.
Monster Hunter World’s environments feel alive. Each has a distinct ecology, and the creatures that live there have nests they’ve made and can be tracked in the environment via clues they leave behind. The environments themselves are also dynamic, allowing players to shoot down rocks from the ceiling in caves to topple creatures, for example. Its expansion,Iceborne, added snowy environments, and some ofMonster Hunter World’s hardest hunts. As a Switch game,Monster Hunter Risewas never going to be able to recreate all the details that madeMonster Hunter Worldstand out from previous entries.
Monster Hunter Rise Takes a Step Back
Monster Hunter RisekeptWorld’s more open structure, but the Switch is incapable of producing the same level of detail as other consoles.Risewas also designed to be more in line with previous portable entries. Many of its hunts are easier and can be completed more quickly, and the newly addedWirebugslet players move swiftly around the map. Wirebugs allowed for more exploration, but the maps themselves were simpler, finding a middle ground betweenWorldand older entries.Monster Hunter Rise, due to the limitations of Switch hardware and being crafted around a portable experience, lacks the lived-in environments and slower pacing ofWorld, and it feels less immersive as a result.
Monster Hunter World’s Immersiveness Makes All the Difference
Monster Hunter Wildsmay feature dynamic weatherand transforming environments, based on the trailer, building on the foundations laid byMH World. The winged mount ofWildscould build onRise’s mobility improvements, but most of the game seems to be pulling from its predecessor.MH Riseisn’t a bad game by any means, but its smaller, more static environments are less engaging than those ofWorld.Monster Hunter World’s more detailed environments make it feel alive and make the hunts that happen in them feel more epic as a result. The superior graphics and more complex environments ofWorldshow that seemingly minor details can make all the difference.
