Monster Hunter Riseis the latest entry in Capcom’s long-running action-RPG series, and even though the game launched over a year ago, there’s an expansion on the horizon that can be compared to theIceborneexpansion forMonster Hunter: World. For those that skipped out onWorld/Iceborne, then just know thatIceborneis massive, adding dozens of hours to the monster-hunting experience.

Sunbreakis the name of the new expansion forMonster Hunter Rise, launching this week for Switch and PC. It adds several entire new biomes, new/returning monsters, a new home base, a new rank of quests, and lots more for fans to look forward to. However, for those that are new to the series and might want to jump intoMonster Hunter Risefor the first time, it can be intimidating.

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Monster Hunteris a series that’s been known for not having the best boarding system for newbies, but, with some useful tips and tricks, beginners can find themselves enjoying the series and get a good idea of how all the systems and mechanics come together. With that said, new players can use this handybeginner’s guide to get started inMonster Hunter Rise.

How Monster Hunter Rise Quests Work

There are two locations where players can take on new quests inMonster Hunter Rise. There are Village Quests, which can be started by speaking to Hinoa inKamura Village. She’s hanging out by the Merchant cart with a bull-like monster. Village Quests are single-player only but can help new hunters familiarize themselves with the game without having to connect online.

By going over to the Gathering Hub, players can speak to Minoto to take on Hub Quests, which players will want to complete in order to eventuallyget to High Rankand see the story play out. These can be done alone, but players can also join up with up to three others hunters.

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Most quests will involve hunting a specific monster in a certain biome. There will be a time limit for all quests, so keep that in mind when playing. Hunting a monster means that players will need to eitherkill or capture the monster in question. Capturing monsters is a bit advanced, but can help hunters get more rewards or different monster materials.

Once hunters start the quest, the large monsters in the area will all appear on the map. If a player has yet to encounter the monster, there will be a question mark on the map instead of the monster’s picture.

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Carve the Monster

Once a monster has been killed and the quest is complete, don’t forget to actually carve the monster for materials by going up to it and pressing A. The whole point ofMonster Hunteris to defeat a monster, get its materials, and then craft new weapons/gear with those materials, and then rinse and repeat.

Hunter’s Notes are Your Best Friend

IfplayingMonster Hunter Riseon Switch, press the + button, and then the R button twice to get to the Hunter’s Notes section. Here, players can check out the monsters they’ve encountered so far. The more times the monster is killed, the more info will get added to the pages.

The Hunter’s Notes are a great way to find out which materials are dropped by which monsters and, if players want an advantage in battle, there’s info on their resistances/weaknesses as well.

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Eat Before Quests

Players can head to the Canteen (there’s one in the Gathering Hub and another outside the hub entrance in the village) to eat some Bunny Dango before going on a quest or expedition.Eating Dango will increase certain statsand can provide unique bonuses that are helpful on a hunt. Choose the three types of Dango and then players can pay using cash orKamura points.

The effects from the food will only last for a single quest, so make sure to eat before every single meal.

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Figure Out Your First Weapon

With 14 different weapons available for players inMonster Hunter Rise, there are a lot of ways to go about fighting monsters. Newbies might want to start out with an easy-to-use weapon like the Sword and Shield and Dual Blades, but if someone wants to pack a heavier punch at the cost of movement, theGreat Swordand Hammer are great picks, too. And then there are more behind-the-scenes support types like the Hunting Horn and Bowguns. There’s no wrong answer for which weapon to use for a beginner.

Players can train with all the weapons at the Training Area inMonster Hunter Rise. To access it, press the + button, hit L to tab over to the next screen, and then hit the Move Around Village option. The training area can be fast-traveled to. Otherwise, players can access it bygoing to the Buddy Plazaand interacting with a boat in the back section.

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The Training Area will have a fake monster for players to beat. And while attacking it, the game will show players their combos on-screen, as well as all the possible moves. Combos will not appear on-screen like that for regular hunts, so use this area to get a good handle on yourpotential favoriteMonster Hunter Riseweapons.

Collect Everything During Quests

Even though the main goal of most quests will task players with killing a monster, that doesn’t mean there’s not enough time to slow down and smell the roses. There’s an abundance of crafting materials around each biome inMonster Hunter Rise, and even if players don’t need anything, it’s best to just take what you can get. Stuff can also besold for decent Zenny at the shop, so it’s always worth having a full bag.

It’s also worth noting that players will spot glowing little bugs in each stage that can be collected by getting close to them. These are Permabuffers, and they’ll increase a hunter’s stats for the rest of the quest. Based on the color of the wisp, players can increase their health, stamina, attack, and defense. So verify to collect some of these before jumping into a big monster fight.

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Upgrade, Upgrade, Upgrade

By speaking with the Smithy, players will be able to do lots of things related to their weapons and armor. Here, they can forge new weapons using materials,forge new armor sets, and upgrade weapons and armor pieces. If players ever feel like they’re barely dishing out damage on a tough boss monster, it’ll be good to make sure that the equipped armor is in good shape, and the weapons being used are upgraded as much as they can be.

Monster Hunter Riseis available for PC and Switch.

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