Monster Hunter Rise – top 10 tips & tricks

Hit the ground running with our best MHR tips.

Jim Hargreaves 26/03/21 Comments Closed

Monster Hunter Rise has finally arrived on Nintendo Switch and although Capcom has managed to condense their action RPG onto the power-selling hybrid system, Rise is just as enriching as richly layered as its evolutionary predecessor, Monster Hunter World.

Not only are there new areas to explore and new creatures to slay, Monster Hunter Rise comes packed with loads of bonus systems, mechanics, and refinements, most of which gradually reveal themselves as you progress.

There are so many pointers and nuggets of advice we could give, but we’d literally be sat here typing until our fingers erode away. Instead, we’ve compiled a top 10 list of the tips to help you get started in Monster Hunter Rise, one of the best games of 2021 so far.

1. Palamutes are one of the Monster Hunter series’ greatest additions. These canine companions accompany you on quests, and when they aren’t helping to take down monsters, they can carry you across the map at haste. They can traverse terrain by leaping, climbing walls, and even drifting for a small speed boost using the ZL button.

2. Don’t forget your trusty Palico. Although you can’t straddle their shoulders and ride them like a Palamute they’re still incredibly useful in Monster Hunter Rise. Each Palico will have randomly assigned attributes, falling under categories such as attacker, scavengers, healer, or bombardier. Choose one that suits your particular hunting needs and visit the Buddy Plaza to recruit a variety of Palicoes to call upon.

3. Whenever you return to Kamura after a hunt there will likely be villagers who want to chitchat, some of whom will give you optional side quests. These can vary in terms of their requirements, though you’ll want to cross them off as they can unlock useful features such as fast travel subcamps and Bunny Dango recipes.

4. Speaking of Bunny Dango, make sure you always visit Yomogi or the gathering hub canteen for a pre-mission meal. You can select three ingredients from the menu, each of them having a chance to grant handy bonuses such as elemental resistance and better loot drops.

5. Whether you’re a seasoned hunter, a lapsed fan, or completely new to the Monster Hunter series, get yourself over to the training area adjacent to the Buddy Plaza. Here you can learn the ins and outs of every weapon type by practicing on dummies. On-screen commands will display useful information such as weapon combos and how to pull off special attacks.

6. Memorise the best Spiribird routes on each Monster Hunter Rise map. Think of Spiribirds as power-ups (or “permabuffs”) that extend your max health/stamina bars as well as your attack and defence depending on their colour. They’re scattered around each biome and can also be found in bushes if you attack them.

7. Another major innovation that elevates Monster Hunter Rise (quite literally) is the brand new Wirebug. This tool can be used to latch onto walls and other surfaces, allowing hunters to pull themselves up into a wall run. Not only can you swing through the air like Spider-Man, the Wirebug also imbues every weapon in Monster Hunter Rise with at least two Silkbind attacks, expanding their existing movesets. By pressing ZL and B you can also recover from being knocked back immediately, zipping in the direction where the camera is facing.

8. One more tip on how to quickly navigate your environment in Monster Hunter Rise. Each map is populated by Jewel Lillies – by using Great Wirebugs (given to you by Master Utsushi as you complete his side missions) you can turn them into jump pads capable of catapulting you into the air. Try and remember where these are placed or simply look for them on your map.

9. Using custom radial menus is something you should start doing immediately. The default wheel of items is useful though it isn’t long before you’ll need to slot Mega Potions, Demondrugs, Tranq Bombs, and Pitfall Traps. Note that you can also assign shortcuts such as bringing up a full size area map.

10. Surprisingly, we haven’t talked much about the combat in Monster Hunter Rise! If you’re a beginner then here are some of the best weapons to start out with – make sure you also learn what your special Silkbind skills are. Compared to previous games, Rise isn’t quite as punishing though you’ll still need to pick up on advanced mechanics such as endemic life, wyvern riding, and how to capture monsters without killing them. Remember to frequently visit the Kamura smithy and make sure you are craft weapons and armour aligned to the game’s different elements.