Summer Game Bang! - Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak was one of the two major pillars of the June 13th Capcom Showcase (the other was Resident Evil, but I’ll get to that in another article). Sunbreak, if you’re not familiar, is an expansion for the hit Monster Hunter Rise on Nintendo Switch and PC. The expansion is due to release at the end of June, so this is probably our last serving of new information before we get to take on the new monster-hunting adventure for ourselves. The news began, as most news does this time of year, with a new trailer:
There’s a lot to unpack here, but I’ll start by talking about the new area: the Jungle. The Jungle area isn’t exactly new territory, it was a part of Monster Hunter 2 and Monster Hunter Generations, but we aren’t just getting a straight rehash for Sunbreak! The Jungle will be sporting some brand-new endemic life species to bring it in line with the rest of Rise’s environments, not to mention how much fun it’s going to be to explore with Rise’s wirebugs! There’s going to be a lot to see and explore across the Jungle’s crumbling ruins and sunny beaches.
As lovely as new landscapes can be, we both know that’s not what you’re interested in. You wanna know what mean monsters you get to try out all your shiny new gear on! It’s ok, you aren’t alone. I, too, want a lengthy list of powerful predators that I can introduce to the weapon of my choice (sword & shield, btw). Astalos (Monster Hunter Generations) and it’s electric personality was featured pretty prominently, but I’m pretty sure had been confirmed previously. Another returning monster is the colossal crustacean Daimyo Hermitaur (Monster Hunter 2, Freedom 2). The last of the familiar faces returning for Sunbreak is one that really gets my motor running: Gore Magala (Monster Hunter 4)! I think this is a great way to round out an impressive returning cast of monsties, Hermitaur in particular as it isn’t a dragon or some derivation thereof.
The Sunbreak trailer announced some pretty exciting new monsters, too. Espinas, a pointy pastel wyvern from the Asia-exclusive Monster Hunter Frontier, is making its western debut. Espinas promises to be a difficult encounter, with its ability to breathe fire, poison, and paralyze hunters. Another newcomer is the Pyre Rakna-Kadaki, and explosive twist on the massive spider introduced in the Monster Hunter Rise base game. I’m a sucker for non-dragon monsters, and Rakna-Kadaki was already a personal favorite, so when combined with my favorite attack type (blast), this is something straight out of my dreams!
Capcom also laid out some of their post-launch plans for Sunbreak during their Monday showcase. The first free update will be coming in August, and will include both a new monster (Lucent Nargacuga) and a new map (Forlorn Arena). The first update will include more than just those two additions, but we’ll just have to wait to see what Capcom has in store. In addition to the August update, Capcom has promised at least three more updates in Fall 2022, Winter 2022, and 2023. There will be no shortage of new species, subspecies, and powered-up challenges to keep players busy after finishing Sunbreak’s campaign.
In one final juicy morsel of Monster Hunter news, there will be a demo for Sunbreak on Nintendo Switch and PC. The demo will go live sometime Tuesday, June 14th (that’s today!). The demo will feature multiple hunts at varying difficulty levels, and include access to new weapon skills, new maps, and more. The demo will feature online multiplayer, and will also feature a rather robust set of tutorial exercises to acclimate new players to some of Monster Hunter Rise’s unique gameplay quirks. There’s never been a better time to jump aboard the Monster Hunter hype train, and I’ll see you online when Sunbreak launches on June 30th!