Monster Hunter Rise + Sunbreak

A generous expansion that ramps up the difficulty for hunters looking for a challenge.

Capcom has done it again; Sunbreak might just be the most comprehensive update a Monster Hunter game has ever had.

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is a nigh on perfect expansion, bringing meaningful gameplay change, charming new cast members, and most importantly, more monsters to hunt. It is, for those in the know, absolutely unmissable.

As it stands, Sunbreak represents the very best of Monster Hunter Rise, recontextualizing the base game through its clever integration of the old and the new. It won’t convert die-hard fans that bounced off of Rise, but for those that loved the changes to the Monster Hunter formula, Sunbreak represents a new high water mark for the series and is an absolute no-brainer for anyone looking to dive back in.

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak adds even more content to an already packed game. The best and worst thing about this series is that it has a tight gameplay loop, and my big fear going into the expansion was that more of a good thing could be too much. Fortunately, Sunbreak changes things up just enough to reinvigorate the base gameplay.

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak adds new unique locations and monsters along with a new hub and NPCs to join you on hunts, but at its core this is just more Monster Hunter Rise. It’s a cherry on top of an already delicious cake.

It’s a lesson well-learned by writers, musicians, TV producers, and film directors: when something is successful, don’t mess with it. More of the same is a good thing. Sure, you want to tweak your product a little. Making big changes, though, tends to alienate your audience. It’s a good way to describe Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak, a major expansion for Monster Hunter: Rise. It adds quality of life features, boosts the challenge, and drops in a lot of new content while keeping the essential experience intact. And that’s a good thing.

Monsters based on western myth, tons of new Silkbind Attacks that shake up the combat, and some of the best Fashion Hunter options I've ever seen. Sunbreak is an expansion that managed to add new content to keep fans interested while maintaining all of the DNA from the rest of the series and Rise. This expansion is by no means groundbreaking. If you aren't a Monster Hunter fan and don't like grinding long hunts for parts, this still isn't the game for you. But if you enjoyed Rise, you have no reason to wait another minute. Take down some vampire dragons and set your pets up with the best-looki...

At the end of the day, Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is loaded with even more content and more ways to play said content. The changes to the weapons, to the gear and the added variety in both monsters and locale, make this an easy recommendation for anyone who enjoys the game and wants reasons to either keep playing or to come back. If you haven’t gotten your fill of hunting monsters yet, Elgado Outpost could surely use your help.

While these wrinkles might make you want to scream at times, they’re part of what makes the series such a unique experience in today's crowded gaming market. At its heart, Monster Hunter is the ur-action game — a delightfully pure boss rush that expects patience, diligence, and a fair degree of tolerance.

There are a lot of neat little touches here and there that make Sunbreak a fun all-around experience, even without the game-changer that was the Clutch Claw back in Iceborne. For Monster Hunter Rise fans still looking to grind out some armor for dozens of more hours, Sunbreak will definitely deliver on that front.

When Sunbreak was first announced for Monster Hunter Rise, surprise abounded. For the scores of new players who were unaware of the system of Monster Hunter games getting G-Rank expansion a while into their lifespan. It’s a predictable pattern, but it’s by no means a boring one. Welcome to the hunt.