Grab your Great Swords, because monster hunting is back on portable systems. Monster Hunter Rise comes to the Nintendo Switch, letting players team up over local connections — and there are so many minor changes that make this the easiest in the series for newcomers. Capcom has included a staggering number of quality of life changes to this hardcore series, and not all of them are obvious.
Your new doggo friend the Palamute, and the handy Wirebug tool give you more abilities than ever before. You’ll be able to ride around on your animal partner, or swing around in the sky to deliver punishing air-combos on the biggest monsters. The game explains these new features in-depth with tons of tutorials, but there are plenty of small features and secrets the game won’t explain.
If you’re new or even a returning veteran from previous games, there’s a few things you really ought to know right from the beginning. Some of these major features can easily be missed for the entire game if you don’t look carefully.
#1. There are multiple Control Options that mirror the control styles from previous games. If you’re new to the series, or if you started with Monster Hunter World, you’ll want to use Control Type 1 — the Default Control Type. If you’re used to Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate, you’ll want to swap to Control Type 2.
#2. Fishing is much easier in Monster Hunter Rise. You don’t need to leave the area for fish to respawn, and Whetfish are a common spawn. You can use them to sharpen your weapons on the fly!
#3. There’s a furry secret in your room! Look closely at the poster behind the housekeeper. Interact with it, to speak with Fukashigi the Informant — this cat will offer some handy tips on your quests.
#4. In the Flooded Forest area, reach the upper levels of the tower to find a cracked wall. Use Barrel Bombs to destroy cracked walls — you’ll find a secret scrap inside.
#5. In Buddy Plaza, look behind the tree where the shrine is located. There are vines you can climb — there’s a Cohoot Nest. Check this every so often to get free rare items.
#6. While in Expedition Mode, monsters will respawn every few minutes. You don’t need to leave the zone or wait anymore — if you’re looking to farm monsters for materials, it’s much easier now.
#7. There are sub-camps located in every map where you can rest and resupply. Keep an eye out for sub-camp locations while completing quests.
#8. Communication is key, so if you’re used to the easy communication of Monster Hunter World, Monster Hunter Rise might be a difficult transition. To improve communication without using voice chat, edit your shout messages and assign them to your emote shortcuts.
#9. For even more communication options, you can plug a USB keyboard into your Nintendo Switch dock. Press [Enter] to open the online chat window.
#10. There’s way more emotes than you might think. If you’re looking to take perfect screenshots for social media, you can play with Bamboo Toys, drink tea, and much more with your animal pals when you sit down at the Canteen in the village. Just select from the “Gestures” menu.
We’re always looking for more little secrets in Monster Hunter Rise. We’ll add more as they’re discovered!
