5/5 ★ – Xelstrin's review of Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak.

Monster Hunter Rise wasn't the Monster Hunter game I wanted, but I enjoyed it enough to double dip. Thanks to Sunbreak, I've gone from simply liking the game to loving it. I just hope the Title Updates do it justice and can make me love the game even more. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗶𝗳𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗜 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗱, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗡𝗶𝘁𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀. [𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗶𝗳𝘁𝘆] ✪ Its roadmap isn't only promising so far, but it already managed to remove the doubts I had after recalling how Monster Hunter Rise started. When Rise launched, it wasn't even finished. We had to wait until the 3.0 update, two months later, just to get some kind of closure and an end-game grind. All of that is already present in Sunbreak, helping it feel even meatier than the base game, while also letting us know right away that we're getting "several" new monsters, with at least one new locale, at no extra cost. ✪ One of my favorite things to look forward to with each Monster Hunter game and expansion are their soundtracks. Sunbreak cranks Rise's up to 11, with even more extraordinary songs that helped it become my personal favorite in the entire franchise. I can feel the rush when I'm fighting Espinas, my focus is undivided when I'm fighting Malzeno, and Elgado's song, a surprisingly calm village theme, is so welcoming that I won't be changing it like I did with all of the songs in Kamura. A soundtrack you can feel is a successful one, and with Sunbreak, Rise has ascended for me. ✪ Most games end once the credits start rolling, but Monster Hunter tends to give you even more to do, and Sunbreak is no exception. One of the many things that become available are Afflicted Monsters, which not only do more damage, are much faster and have new attacks, but cannot be captured. They also provide materials that, unlike base game's Apexes, can actually be used to create new gear and improve just about every set in the game, making them necessary. ✪ Buddies have received quite a few helpful changes. For Palicos, several new abilities have been unlocked to make them even more useful in combat, regardless of type. Meanwhile, Palamutes now have the ability to carry items that don't fit in your pouch and help you find materials easier with Sniff 'em Out; a feature that lets you mark what you want to gather on the map. The new Buddy feature that shines the brightest, however, are Skill Lessons. You no longer have to give up your favorite Buddy because their skills are bad, and can now teach them skills other buddies know. The ultimate Buddies can now be yours without fighting RNG. ✪ No new Rampages have been added, rendering them obsolete and unnecessary for Sunbreak. This is just as good as it is unfortunate for me. As a lover of Tower Defense games, Monster Hunter dabbling in the idea actually felt pretty good for a time, and I truly didn't mind Rampages. In hindsight though, they were a pretty nasty time sink that took me away from what I'd much rather be doing; hunting monsters in a more personal, much less cluttered quest. ✪ Just about every game I've played with AI allies fumbles the execution, making them more of a burden than the developers intended. Fortunately, Sunbreak's Followers are a fantastic new high point that I hope return in future entries. Not only are they genuinely helpful during quests, functioning even better than players who at least have a basic understanding of the game, but they also don't ever get in your way. I've yet to be staggered by any of them, and if they fall in battle—something that hardly ever happens anyways—it doesn't count towards your faints. As for their damage output, while running Coavin's Damage Overlay, I've learned that Followers usually only provide about 5% of the overall quest damage, which is around the same as your Buddies. This means they hardly ruin what would otherwise be a solo experience beyond their presence, and are simply there to provide the illusion of cooperation while helping what would otherwise be another cast of forgettable characters stand out. ✪ Never before, in my 17 years of playing Monster Hunter, have I ever felt genuine fear or confusion. Everything about the series makes you feel encouraged to take on the massive threats you face, from the energy boosting soundtracks to the new battle cries from our hunters. However, a single quest, Gathering of the Qurio, changes all of that. I won't spoil what makes it so great to keep it a surprise, but how that quest made me feel, even long after it was over, will be something I never forget. [𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗺𝗲] ✘ Though several friends and I have been able to play the game just fine, with no crashes or hiccups, a lot of people (on PC) have been struggling even after following the provided steps. Hopefully this gets sorted out sooner rather than later, but just because it isn't happening to me doesn't mean the issue should be dismissed. ✘ Monster Hunter is usually full of pleasant surprises that you stumble upon every once in a while, simply by playing the game. Unfortunately, Sunbreak put everything it had on the table before its release, removing the element of surprise in order to play it safe. This isn't too bad since the Roadmap has already made it clear that many more monsters, quality of life updates and even at least one new locale are on the way, but the only thing that wasn't in a pre-release trailer is the "final boss", which is really disappointing to me. ✘ Once the credits start rolling, the Master Rank cap is "removed". Usually everything you've done prior to that counts towards your new MR, but in Sunbreak, you get no credit for completing quests besides your Keys until after the limit is lifted. Fortunately, I like to blitz through the Key Quests anyways to avoid spoilers, so this wasn't an issue for me. However, there are many people who like to take their time, cleaning up every quest they can before moving on to the next rank, and this expansion punishes you for that. [𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗶𝘁𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀] • Though I understand why, the lack of achievements at launch kind of sucks. I'll be doing the Guild Card Awards regardless, but the extra layer of satisfaction for such menial, borderline useless accomplishments is nice. [𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹] Sunbreak offers a lot to do, changes just enough and has more on the way at no extra cost, making it a fantastic expansion that doubles as a solid investment. I very much look forward to where this game will be after the next several updates, and am hoping for the best with high expectations. [𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼] ■ Platform Played On: PC (Steam) ■ Playtime: About 60 hours ■ Buy Now or Wait For Sale: If you liked MHRise, buy now. If you're not sure, wait for a couple Title Updates. ■ Visuals: It's no Monster Hunter World, but it'll do. ■ Story: It's Monster Hunter, so not great, but not terrible either. ■ Chapter/Mission Select: Every mission can be replayed, but urgents with Fio can only be redone if you join someone else's quest. ■ New Game+: No, but there's also no point, really. ■ DLC: Entirely cosmetic. ■ Photo Mode: Yes ■ Optional Content: Well over 100 quests, with more on the way. ■ Update Frequency: No updates since launch, but Title Updates appear to be bi-monthly after August. ■ Accessibility Options: None. ■ Plan to 100%: Absolutely.