Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Reviews
Still, it doesn’t take away from the fact that for those up to task, Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak delivers. You could say it’s just more of the same but that would be doing this expansion a disservice. Like Monster Hunter World’s Iceborne expansion before it, this is essentially a full game served up as DLC. With its generous number of gameplay improvements and hunting opportunities, it’s an absolute must-have for series veterans. And while it’s still not the most accessible game on the whole, it’s undoubtedly the best starting point for aspiring hunters.
Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak is a worthy successor to the base game and improves on it in almost every way.
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is a great expansion to an already good game. You'll appreciate all the changes and new features added, but it won't give you a challenge until much later.
While Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak remains a must-have for players keen on experiencing the complete post-launch content, the initial release content is lacklustre. The impressive new wyverns and elder dragons offer excitement, and the gameplay tweaks are noteworthy, but the glaring omission of Rise’s signature “Rampage” mode, and the requirement for hours of gameplay before accessing substantial new content, leave room for disappointment. Ultimately, the expansion falls short of matching the exceptional main campaign, despite its redeeming qualities.
A lack of accessibility is a cause of concern and if you don’t like retreading old ground, you’re better off waiting for a sale, given the expensive prices. Due to the absence of accessibility settings, it’s best to avoid it altogether. You’re not missing much.
With a chunky new campaign that presents a significant spike in difficulty, and a whole new endgame to grind out, along with a plethora of new optional quests, new gear to craft, and a new wave of best-in-class monsters to hunt, Sunbreak might not present much in the way of surprises, but it’s a terrific addition to an already fantastic game that continues Capcom’s trend of complimenting the series base experiences with stellar expansions. For new players, the more logical difficulty curve that Sunbreak presents, with a meaningful endgame challenge now correct and present, means there has never been a better time to jump into Monster Hunter Rise. Similarly, for lapsed players who were eventually put off by how trivial things had become, Sunbreak provides the perfect excuse to jump back in. Whatever angle you’re approaching Sunbreak from, sharpen those blades – you’re going to need them.
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak offers just more of the same at first glance. New monsters, a new difficulty, new maps and a new campaign to follow. Those who dare to sink their teeth into this behemoth of a game will quickly notice however, that there have been tweaks and changes to not only empower the players even further by reducing busywork and introducing new, flashy skills, but more critically empower the monsters. This adds some much-needed challenge to the game, even if the overall difficulty is still on the lower end of what fans of the series have come to expect. The follower quests need to be especially highlighted as a clever and fun replacements for the unpopular rampage quests.
Review in German | Read full review
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak has content that transcends much of what we've heard about DLC in general. The feeling we have here is that we are playing something totally revitalized and renewed, which manages to hold our attention and create an engagement that only those who have experienced dozens of hours of hunting will know how to take advantage of it. Even so, I do not withdraw the statement that this is content for the few. Deserving to be part of this experience is the first of many rewards that await us in an expansion that uses and abuses the term “massive”. Sunbreak is big, and it's not just about the monsters, it's about the journey before, during, and what awaits us after. This is a must-have add-on package for veteran and experienced hunters alike, and an enticing invitation for novices.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is a good expansion and continues the tradition of giving players a lot for their money. With events, free DLC and monsters that will get added over the game’s life, players won’t ever feel cheated when it comes to spending money on this game.
So, what do you do when you've already successfully made a new and impressive entry of the vaunted Monster Hunter series that absolutely does wondrously well on the humble Switch?!? Why, you make it bigger, badder, more varied, and even more compelling to play whether you're taking it on solo or with a group of friends...
If you played and enjoyed Monster Hunter Rise, Sunbreak is an easy recommendation that further expands upon and deepens the base game in meaningful ways. There’s loads of content on offer here that will keep you busy for at least 30 hours (and well beyond that if you’re the type of player who wants to pursue weapon and gear upgrades). Sunbreak delivers in every way and is an absolute delight to play, and it’s a must-own for fans of Monster Hunter Rise who are looking for the next chapter in their journey.
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is a monster of an expansion and proves the series will remain a mainstay among international audiences.
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is pretty much everything a Monster Hunter Rise player could ask for, with its array of improvements and additions big and small which go from new monsters, new characters, new abilities for the weapons, as well as the Master Rank, the Switch Skills and other elements that players will be delighted to discover. Truly an unmissable expansion that does wonders for an already excellent game.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak makes a decent effort to improve the endgame, but it’s the subtle improvements to combat and some worthwhile QoL changes that stand out in the expansion.
Sunbreak is exactly what it needs to be: modern and fluid enough to attract new players, and tough enough to keep veterans coming back. Stick with it, and you'll be rewarded for your effort. If you're seeking a quick, low-stakes fix of fun, however, you might want to look elsewhere.
All in all, we are very satisfied with Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak. It's everything we expected. New monsters, new moves and new challenges. At the same time, Sunbreak is not so difficult that you have to use the Swap Scrolls, just like you could play Rise without fully mastering the wirebugs. We also like that there are traps in the area again for players to use. If cross saves was finally a thing, this expansion was perfect very close.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
"Monster Hunter Rise" was already one of the best games on the Switch without "Sunbreak", "Sunbreak" now offers more content, more challenges and more fun. And it doesn't even stop there, because the developers have announced that more variants of existing monsters will be added in upcoming updates. If you haven't tried it yet: Now is the ideal time to dive into the bottomless "Monster Hunter" franchise and lose yourself in it.
Review in German | Read full review
I have a long-time affection for the Monster Hunter series. Ever since Monster Hunter Freedom on the PSP back in 2005, I have hunted more Rathalos than you can shake a Gunlance at, I have carved more tails than you can count and it has all been glorious. There is something great about joining up with three friends and stripping a huge dragon, using its parts for better gear and getting deep into all the intricate systems that litter the fabric of Monster Hunter.
Sunbreak focuses on improving nearly every aspect of its base game. Hunting monsters continues to provide immense satisfaction years after the release of the original Monster Hunter titles.