Monster Hunter Rise director Yasunori Ichinose has revealed that the main story for the game won't end until the second major update. This news came as part of a Monster Hunter Rise live stream that also included new gameplay details and extra info about the game.
What has Yasunori Ichinose said about Monster Hunter Rise updates?
During the stream's director Q&A segment, Ichinose was asked whether Monster Hunter Rise would get supplemental DLC packs. In response, he said that Capcom had already detailed the first major Monster Hunter Rise update, which is coming in late April. That update will remove the Hunter Rank cap, allowing you to raise your Hunter Rank to take on even more monsters. The second major update for the game doesn't have a release date yet, but Ichinose says it will add more monsters and a conclusion to Monster Hunter Rise's story.
Ichinose also revealed some extra details about Monster Hunter Rise's Rampage gameplay mode during the stream. According to Ichinose, Rampage will be playable single-player, and will scale in difficulty based on how many players are taking on the mode. There will also be Sub-Assignments within each Rampage run, and completing one of these will allow you to end a run early. However, Ichinose says that if you want the full Rampage experience in Monster Hunter Rise, you'll have to clear all Sub-Assignments and main objectives in a run.
What else was revealed about Monster Hunter Rise?
The presentation showed off new gameplay in the Rampage mode and went into more detail about what you can expect from it. Rampage is effectively a base defence mode that pits you and a combination of human and AI allies against a rampaging horde of monsters. You'll need to use combat, a series of strategically-placed traps, and several buffs and bonuses in order to take them down. Each monster has a color-coded icon which dictates how it behaves: red monsters are aggressive towards hunters, green ones are projectile-based, and blue ones head straight for gates or barricades.
In addition to these monsters, you'll also face Major Threats, which are essentially minibosses within each monster horde. Sometimes, you may come across an Apex Monster, an incredibly strong beast that will pose a tough challenge for even seasoned hunters. Ichinose has confirmed that Apex Monsters will give their own special quest rewards for forging or upgrading special items, so it's well worth taking them down. You'll be able to level up each Rampage stronghold, unlock new traps, and call in Kamura Village inhabitants to help you, too. It's shaping up to be a pretty fun addition to the Monster Hunter gameplay experience.
The full stream also revealed some fun tidbits like Ichinose's favorite Monster Hunter Rise weapons and whether or not the staff play the game during downtime (spoiler: they do, sometimes for hundreds of hours). It's well worth watching the whole thing if you're a Monster Hunter nut, because there's also full, unadulterated gameplay footage from a couple of the game's monster quests. Monster Hunter Rise hits Nintendo Switch on March 26th, with a free demo returning with more content March 11th. Don't forget to check out yesterday's Monster Hunter event if you missed it, too; it's got lots of juicy details about Monster Hunter Rise and Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin.
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