While not officially confirmed yet, several details (including comments from series producer Ryozo Tsujimoto) now point to the existence of a new entry in theMonster Hunterfranchise coming in 2023, with some sources indicating the new title may very well beMonster Hunter World 2. TheMonster Hunterfranchise is one of the most successful in Capcom’s stable of titles and new content forMonster Hunter Riseis only on the roadmap up through April, so it begs the question of what may come next forMonster Hunterafter the release of theSunbreakexpansion on current-gen consoles.
Considering thatMonster Hunter Risewas a spin-off ofMonster Hunter World, and thatMHWwas the most accessible in the series' history up untilRise,Capcom would do well to take some of thebest features ofRiseand implement them in the next mainlineMonster Huntertitle. Of course, not all the changes made byMonster Hunter Risewere improvements to the longstanding series' formula, and the next title in the franchise (Monster Hunter World 2or otherwise) would benefit from course-correcting some of the missteps made byRisein order to appeal to a wider audience.
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Mechanics from Rise the Next Monster Hunter Should Borrow
Perhaps the most dramatic improvements thatMonster Hunter Risemade overMonster Hunter Worldwere the new mobility and map navigation options. It’s almost impossible to imagine a future MH title where players are not given access to the wirebug after its implementation inRise, as it significantly changes both map navigation and combat encounters. Similarly, theaddition of Palamutes makesmap traversal much less cumbersome and having two animal companions in combat proved to be superior to just one. Leaving these features out ofMonster Hunter World 2would be a massive step backward.
In addition to the implementation of two new fauna that aid in map traversal, themap design used inMonster Hunter Riseis an improvement over what was seen inMonster Hunter World. Both the size and complexity ofRise’s maps are dialed down fromWorld,resulting in maps that are easier to navigate, less confusing, and more populated with monsters to slay and flora to collect. Even though the smaller map size and complexity of map layouts inRisemay have initially been a result of technological limitations, havingMonster Hunter World 2feature maps that are smaller but denser would make hunts more immersive and enjoyable.
Changes Rise Implemented That Monster Hunter World 2 Should Abandon
Fans of the Monster Hunter franchise are no strangers to endgame grind butRiseencounters some issues when it comes to pacing and how that grind plays out after completing the main story quest line.CompletingRise’s main storytakes around 20 hours whereasWorld’s takes closer to 50, but both games feature potentially hundreds of hours of gameplay after completing the story quests and continuing with Master Rank hunts.Monster Hunter Worlddoes a better job of pacing out the main story against the endgame content, creating a less cumbersome grind in the process. WhileRise’s pacing results in players getting to the Master Rank hunts faster, the endgame becomes a slog in the process.Monster Hunter World 2should adopt a more balanced approach to pacing.
When considering the ways that the nextMonster Huntertitle could improve and iterate on the changes made inRise, it’s difficult to not have Rampage Mode brought to mind. While some players might have enjoyed the way that Rampage Mode incorporated tower defense into theMonster Hunterfranchise and broke up the monotony of hunts, others felt that the mode was unnecessary and interrupted the flow of gameplay in a way that felt unnatural to the series. TheMonster Hunterseries is known for having side activities that break up the general gameplay loop, and it would be a mistake forMonster Hunter World 2to incorporate Rampage Modewithout a serious overhaul to the mechanics.
Monster Hunter Riseis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
