Dashing through the sales charts, the Monster Hunter series has shown a large amount of growth in its times since the PlayStation. With the release of Monster Hunter Rise for the Nintendo Switch, the game saw an increase in attention due to its predecessor Monster Hunter World. In keeping with series tradition, the player and up to three friends can strike out and leave their mark on the world as renown Hunters of the village of Kamura. 

The mechanics largely remain the same and require the player to commit to memory combos and rely on reactions in order to see their way through the game’s hunts. While tough, the gameplay rewards those who seek to try out new builds and gameplay styles with 14 different weapons for players to learn and hunt with. Unlike in previous games, players are given a greater breath of movement through the games’ new Wirebug system which allows players to dash through the air. While the player is restrained to only two or three of these every few seconds, they allow skillful players to set up powerful combos. In addition to the new dodge system, players are also treated to a suite of new modular moves that can be exchanged for dozens of new play styles on the games weapons. 

While the game has a story, it is a throw away story about saving Kamura from destruction at the hands of the Rampage. The Rampage is a siege of monsters attempting to break through the gates and lay waste to everything. This adds additional gameplay elements where the player must defend the gates by setting up turrets and cannons at set locations to repel the hoard. These missions are fun and lead to numerous resources being gathered. Resources are the name of the game, you can use these to make new and exciting weapons and armor that are styled after the looks of monsters. These monsters range anywhere from the fire-breathing dragon Rathalos or the malice beast Magnamalo. 

The Nintendo Switch has the benefit of portability over other consoles and PC that is on full display in Monster Hunter Rise. Sitting back in the living room and playing a couple hunts is just as exciting as taking it into tablet mode and taking it with you to play on breaks. While the story only lasts for about 30-plus hours, the ability to increase your builds and become better allow for the numerous hours to be poured into this game. Overall, it is a highly recommenced game with each hunt made to feel exciting and leaves the player wanting more.