Monster Hunter Rise is an incredibly immersive game. There’s a rich setting filled with fine details for players to explore, which is impressive for a Nintendo Switch game. But, can players traverse the world seamlessly and at will? Is Monster Hunter Rise open world? Here’s the lowdown on whether MH Rise is linear or a sandbox title.
Is Monster Hunter Rise an open-world sandbox?
Monster Hunter Rise features five sandbox maps open to exploration. The game’s areas are self-contained, rather than being joined into one connected setting. While unconventional, MH Rise essentially has five open-world locations.
Fans of the series should be familiar with this world structure. Although it still isn’t quite the unified setting that many fans are hoping for, it’s a big step up from the old Monster Hunter games. Past titles split maps up into sub-areas, which meant players often had to sit through multiple loading screens when pursuing a monster.
Each of the five Monster Hunter Rise open-world maps showcases a different biome. There’s a volcanic lava world, frosty location, flooded area, and more. If Capcom were to connect these locations in one big open world, players could potentially find it jarring. In order to counter that, it’s possible that there could’ve been less variety in the MH Rise locations list.
It’s only possible to speculate on that, of course, but maybe sticking to the established formula could have been for the best?
Still undecided on whether or not to purchase Monster Hunter Rise for Nintendo Switch or Switch Lite? Check out GameRevolution’s review to find out how this latest entry moves the series forward, even if only a little.
It’s also worth bookmarking these MH Rise beginners’ guides. Here’s how to make the lock-on camera automatically track enemies. Additionally, check out this weapon tier list.
