Monster Hunter Rise producer Tsujimoto Ryouzou and director Ichinose Yasunari discussed the game in an interview in the 22 October 2020 issue of Weekly Famitsu.
Game Concept
The two are first asked about the concept behind Monster Hunter Rise. Tsujimoto says that the catchphrase for the game is “anytime, anywhere, anyone”. They received a lot of feedback from fans saying that they would like to play Monster Hunter on a portable console, and as such they kept this in mind while working on MH Rise, using it as the main concept in development. Ichinose says that they began development with the idea of keeping the gameplay of Monster Hunter intact while changing the gameplay cycle.
Game Title
The interviewer next asks about the title. Tsujimoto says that the game emphasises swift and nimble action, and they wanted a title that would evoke that. Being able to freely climb walls and cliffs is a big part of the game, and “Rise” was derived from this, as well as the idea that they would like hunters around the world to rise up in excitement for the game.
Development Period
Tsujimoto says that development on Rise began immediately after the development of Monster Hunter X (Generations), with them considering the game engine and starting on planning, and Ichinose says that planning went alongside the supporting of development on Monster Hunter XX. Monster Hunter: World was also developed at the same time, and they exchanged opinions in order to determine what to include in Rise.
Wire Bug
Next, they are asked about the concept being the wire bug. Ichinose says that they wanted to put in an element that would be connected directly to the main parts of the action system, and also something that would make interactions between players and monsters stronger. Aside from that, they wanted movement to feel good. He says that in Rise, the player can go to basically any place that is visible, and so he thinks that players should find exploration and travel to be fun.
The interviewer points out that the wire bug also seems to give the player a wider range of movement in the air, and asks if they had problems balancing this. Ichinose says that they adjusted the monsters’ movements to make it so that players cannot just easily jump in. On the other hand, there are monsters where the player has access to a wider range of strategies if they can use the wire bug right.
The Monsters
They next discuss the monsters. Ichinose says that the world and monsters of Rise are Japanese-themed; though Monster Hunter Portable 3rd had a similar theme, they felt that enough time had passed for them to give it another go. In order to give the monsters easy-to-understand identities, all four of the monsters revealed so far are themed after yokai (monsters from traditional Japanese folklore).
(In the Japanese trailer for Monster Hunter Rise, the four new monsters revealed so far have Japanese-themed names and titles derived from yokai: The Magnamalo, originally named Magaimagado, has a title with the Japanese word “on” in it, which is used in onryo. Aknosom, originally named Akenoshirumu, has “kasa” in its name, taken from “karakasa-obake” (an umbrella monster). Great Izuchi, originally Osaizuchi, has “kamaitachi” in its title, while Tetranadon, originally Yotsumiwadou, has “kappa“. What is called a “Rampage” in the English trailer is “Hyakuryu Yakou” in Japanese, a term derived from “Hyakki Yako“.)
Ichinose says that the Magnamalo’s design is derived from the ghosts of fallen armoured samurai and “onibi” ghost lights. As it is the main monster of the game, they will slowly reveal more about it in the future. The Aknosom is a combination between a crane and karakasa obake, and he says that its transforming crest should leave an impression, and that it moves unlike any other bird-type monster from previous games. The Great Izuchi is a kamaitachi-themed monster that constantly moves in a group of three, and whether or not to target its minions first is an important choice to make. The Tetranadon is mainly based on kappa and frogs, but also has other animals mixed in, and moves like a sumo wrestler.
Palamutes
Finally, the interviewer asks about the Palamutes. Ichinose says that they attack alongside the player, depending on the player’s movements. While they will attack on their own as well, they will attack more if the player does as well. He says that they had received feedback from players who wanted a dog companion, and are glad that they were able to make it happen.
Monster Hunter Rise will be released for the Nintendo Switch worldwide on 26 March 2021
