Gameplay
Monster Hunter World is very much what you’d expect from your typical MonHun game. The weapons all feel unwieldy at first, you have to prepare well before going on a hunt, and you need to go on expeditions to learn the lay of the land when you unlock a new zone so that you have an easier time tracking a foe.
Actually learning more about a monster is also a very involved process, as you have to examine tracks and markings to earn points, which will offer you more info about a monster on top of hunting them.
If you enjoy that kind of slow learning process, then yes, Monster Hunter World is a lot more immersive in that way.
However, Rise adopts a much more streamlined approach. Detailed monster info is unlocked in your notes once you’ve beaten it for the first time, and you get all the information you need about drops, drop rates, and whether you have a better chance of getting the parts you need via capturing or killing. This game just wants to get you started ASAP, and it trims down a lot of the fat where tracking is concerned.
Gameplay-wise, both are almost identical, except for the big inclusion of wirebugs in Rise. The one shortfall of World was that the gameplay could start to feel very samey after you’ve spend enough time in the game. You can keep things fresh by switching up your weapons every now and then, but then again, you can do that in every Monster Hunter game.
Rise makes the player character feel a lot quicker and more dynamic in terms of movement by making use of the wirebug. You can wallrun for a short period of time, and recover quickly in midair even after a monster knocks you back.
Mounting a monster also feels less tedious, as the new wyvern riding feature lets you make use of the wirebug to weaken a monster a little, making them susceptible to mounting.
Winner: Monster Hunter Rise. There’s no doubt about it. The wirebug is a huge game-changer and just makes this game that much more fun to actually play. I also prefer how streamlined this game feels, as it’s cut out most of the tedium that could start to grate on your in World.
