The Dawn of Sunbreak
Once you get started on Sunbreak, you go on a trip to Elgado Outpost. This will be where you jump from High Rank to Master Rank. For those who aren’t used to Monster Hunter, Master Rank is the highest tiered rank you can reach. You will receive the new quests for the much harder monsters. This game did not pull any punches; I was healing and planning out my runs much more carefully. However, the game also provides you with new skills for your weapons to make the new challenge much more manageable.New Skills for the New Sun
For me, the best new skill was additions to charge blade. One of the first skills they give you is firing pin, which allows you to generate elemental charges from each attack you land on monsters, so an axe attack can cause a chain explosion. I was laying out charges all over monsters and blowing them up often. This helped in breaking parts off easier and gathering what I needed for new gear! Air dash is another skill that helped in aerial attacks with axe mode, which can be combined with Condensed Spinning Slash. This effectively turns axe mode into a chainsaw! I was carving up monsters like they were Thanksgiving Turkey! That kind of utility is always great for Monster Hunter, and Sunbreak did great with including this kind of option for combat. It made hunts better, more fun, and much more satisfying. And all weapons get new skills. For those who love style and innovative new ways to do things better, these additions will be great for you in regards to how you fight and use your weapons.
Monsters Breaking into Master Rank
Sunbreak brings on not only Master Rank Monsters but also Afflicted Monsters that have great gear. They become insane halfway through fights, but they aren’t too different from Master Rank monsters. Once beaten, you have a chance to get rare items to make even better forms of prior gear! Just expect a worse fight as you try. Older Monsters from prior games also make a reappearance, such as Gore and Shagaru Magala from Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, Astalos from Generations, and much more. The only downside is the newest monsters do not always feel legitimately new since some, like Espinas, reuse some moves of older monsters such as Rathalos. This is normal for Monster Hunter, sadly.
Sunbreak and its Allure
Sunbreak does do well with attracting myself as well as, I would think, many other fans. I would not say that Monster Hunter Rise feels complete without it, to be honest. It adds a lot to the game, from the subtle touches, like the new cabin that you can hang pictures in, to just getting new gear and hearing new and old music. Getting the new skills that the new monsters bring with their gear is obviously the main appeal and experimenting with it is something that new and veteran players will both love.
Possible Further Investment
If more comes out for Monster Hunter Rise, I would be interested in supporting it due to how Sunbreak makes Rise feel complete. Prior to that, the rampage quests made Rise feel out of place to me. The game just came off as lacking something. But Sunbreak never goes back to Rampage quests and just powers through as you enjoy the game for what it is. My experiences were enjoyable, and the music and rewards all kept my attention during hunts.
Closing Thoughts
I like the direction Rise is going now that Sunbreak is out. There is something that can captivate you even if you are a newcomer to the series. Before, Rise felt lacking, but now it feels whole. That said, if anyone felt they should hold back from buying Rise, you may still feel a need, to be honest. Sunbreak has improved Rise, but I can’t say it has made the game the very best Monster Hunter, only a very good one. Hopefully, continued expansions will make things even better. If you like what I write, feel free to check out more of my work here.
