Summary

Monster Hunter Wildswas announced at The Game Awards in 2023 and given a release window of 2025, leading to a resurgence of players toward previous games in the franchise.Monster Hunter Riseis the latest game in the series, but many fans have opted to return to 2018’sMonster Hunter World.Worldfeatures more visually dense environments and shares a more remarkable resemblance toWildsthanMonster Hunter Risedoes. In spite of this,Risecould be the better choice for players who are looking to get theirMonster Hunterfix before hopping intoWildsin 2025.

Monster Hunter Risehas some limitationswhen compared toMH World, but it also has a number of advantages. LikeWorld,Risefeatures open environments for players to hunt creatures in, as opposed to older entries, which had maps broken into separate zones. As a game that was initially made for Switch,Riseis less visually impressive than its predecessor, but the trade-off here is that its environments are wholly explorable with far more dynamic traversal options.

A charging Anjanath in Monster Hunter World

Monster Hunter Rise Could Be A Lot Like MH Wilds

Risealso has overhauled movement and a high-speed mount in the form of Palamutes, both of which help to build on the player’s ability to explore the world. These movement changes and added mounts go hand in hand with the game’s faster hunts andRise’s overall sense of speed and convenience.

Monster Hunter Rise’s Wirebugsallow players to navigate environments in ways never before possible in the series. With Wirebugs, players can launch themselves into the air omnidirectionally. This pairs well with the addition of climbing and wall-running, allowing players to go truly anywhere inside the boundaries of the map.

Monster Hunter Rise Tag Page Cover Art

The game’s Palamute mounts have similar mobility options and provide greater speed while moving across the map. Wirebugs aren’t confirmed forMonster Hunter Wilds, but the reveal trailer showed off a bird mount that could hop between rocks and glide through the air, reprisingRise’s focus on aerial mobility and expanded traversal. This isn’t the only thing thatWildsappears to be pulling from its predecessor, though.

Rise’s Rampages Could Have Inspired Monster Hunter Wilds

Indeed,Monster Hunter Riseadded a new Rampage quest-type mode. In Rampages, players defend their village against waves of creatures. The mode pulls on mechanics from tower defense games, allowing players to place units and different tools for fending off monsters. This was one of the first times the series asked for players to contend with a whole horde of creatures at once.

In theMonster Hunter Wildstrailer, the player can be seen navigating a stampede of small monsters.Wilds' increases in creature density seem to be pulling some inspiration from Rampages, and it is possible that the player may be forced to contend with multiple large monsters at a time in the game.

How Monster Hunter World and Monster Hunter Rise Compare

Monster Hunter Worldpresents players with superior graphics and more in-depth and interactive environments.Locales like Wildspire Wastefeel alive and are filled with life-like monsters. These details are ones that players are excited for the return of inWilds, andRiserepresents a step back in these regards.

Despite this,Rise’s focus on traversal and entirely explorable environments seems to be an influence onWildsas well. The nextMonster Hunterhas lessons to learn from both games, but given the substantial upgrade to player movement and the newfound freedom it introduced to combat inRise, it seems likely thatMonster Hunter Wildswill take more inspiration from it with regard to combat.

Monster Hunter RiseandMonster Hunter Worldare both great games with plenty to offer players. Thereveal ofMonster Hunter Wildsmade it clear that the next entry in the series will include elements from both games. For those who can look past a graphical downgrade, though,Monster Hunter Risehas faster-paced hunts, more customization, and more advanced traversal, making it an incredibly apt game to play between now and the release ofMonster Hunter Wildsin 2025.