Monster Hunter Rise: New Details Revealed Through Japanese Interviews

Monster Hunter Rise interview screenshots4

Following the announcement of Monster Hunter Rise and Monster Hunter Stories 2, both exclusively coming to Switch in 2021, Capcom gave a joint interview to multiple Japanese outlets. Famitsu, Dengeki, 4Gamer, Game Watch, Game Spark each published interviews on October 7. With Monster Hunter Rise Producer Ryozo Tsujimoto and Director Yasunori Ichinose. Here's a summary of everything we learned on Monster Hunter Rise through these brand new interviews.

Monster Hunter World is only on consoles and PC, and a lot of players still want to play on portable. Monster Hunter Rise is here for that. As such, MH Rise was specifically developed with the Nintendo Switch's portability and characteristics in mind.

Monster Hunter Rise interview screenshots1

The biggest new feature in Monster Hunter Rise is how hunters use a special insect called Wirebug to move at high speed and climb on walls, rocks etc.

Monster Hunter Rise includes the 14 per-existing weapon types of current MH, with no new weapons. However, each weapon has new special moves using the Wirebug. Mastering these new movements will be the key to defeat some of the new monsters.

The title Monster Hunter Rise comes from the fact the game has a focus on nimble movements thanks to the Wirebug, and how you can run up walls, and thus "rise".

The Wirebug might look like a reference to old Capcom game Bionic Commando. but it isn't. It's not what they had in mind and it's a pure coincidence.

The idea of the Wirebug was born from trying to break the usual routine of Monster Hunter, bringing in more freedom in each subjugation, and strengthening the relationship between the hunter's movements and the monster's movements.

Monsters can't attack the Wirebug or do anything that would restricts the players' use of it.

The Monster Hunter Rise development team started thinking about which engine they'd use (the RE Engine was picked) and planning the game's concept right after finishing Monster Hunter Cross (Generations), which released on November 28, 2015. This means Monster Hunter Rise was in development since 2015. While doing the planning phase, the MH Rise team provided support for the development of Monster Hunter Double Cross (Generations Ultimate), and they also exchanged ideas with the Monster Hunter World team.

Monster Hunter Rise has a Japanese atmosphere because it's been ten years since the last MH game which did, Monster Hunter Portable 3rd. They wanted to do it again. Yasunori Ichinose was also the director of MH Portable 3rd, and he really likes those kind of Japanese themes. The new monsters in Monster Hunter Rise are based on Youkai to go with the Japan feel of the game. They noted they're not making everything in the game 100% Japanese-themed though.

The new companions, the Palamute, are much more aggressive than Palicos. One way to defeat certain monsters is to properly coordinate with your Palamute. If you prefer cat-like companions, you can still pick a Palico.

Monster Hunter Rise will reward players exploring every nook and cranny of the map like JRPGs do.

Right now the development team is focusing on finishing the game's main story content, and endgame content that'll keep players busy for a long while. They're also planning to release Event Quest updates after release. For now, there are no plans for doing a big extension like MH World Iceborne.

The Monster Hunter Rise Amiibo will unlock special equipment. Amiibo from other games too will give you special items.

Tsujimoto said he wasn't told the details regarding the Monster Hunter Hollywood movie, but if possible he'd like to do a collab event with it someday.

They were also asked how big Monster Hunter Rise will be:

Ryozo Tsujimoto: "We often get asked that during interviews. I always avoid answering a specific number of hours. But I can say we consider MH Rise to have the same amount of content as a typical MH game. The volume of Monster Hunter Rise won't be very different from the rest of the series".

Overall, there's still a lot more info, new monsters, story elements etc in Monster Hunter Rise they can't reveal yet. Ichinose most notably brought up how the game's Japanese trailer includes the words 百竜夜行 which is a pun on Japanese idiom 百鬼夜行, Hyakki Yagyo, designing a horde of Yokai.

That's all the info from the latest Monster Hunter Rise interviews.

Monster Hunter Rise launches worldwide on March 26, 2021 on Switch. Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is coming on Switch worldwide in Summer 2021. You can preorder MH Rise on Amazon to help out DualShockers: Regular Edition, Deluxe Edition.

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Activision Blizzard Closes Longtime Office Out of France

Perhaps no other major publisher in the video game industry has had a more tumultuous past 18 months or so than that of Activision Blizzard. After laying off roughly 800 members of its staff in early 2019, the publishing giant has now closed another wing of its company this week.

Reported by Bloomberg, Activision Blizzard told employees this week in its office located in Versailles, France that it would be closing the location down. As of 2019, this office was said to house around 400 employees in total and was a space in which Activision Blizzard handled marketing, localization, and other tasks associated with the publisher's presence in Europe.

This Versailles office has had ties to Blizzard as far back as the 1990s. Before merging with Activision, Blizzard was owned by the French company Vivendi. As such, this headquarters had long been a solely Blizzard-run operation before Vivendi merged with Activision nearly ten years ago. While the office seemingly hasn't functioned in the way it once did for quite some time, its closure brings about the end of an era in many ways.

As of this writing, it is not known just now many employees may be without jobs as a result of this move, but more information is said to be disclosed in the coming week. Fortunately, it sounds as though Activision Blizzard has spent the past year or so restructuring this office to ensure that some workers were moved on to different areas of the publishing company. All the same, our best goes out to all of those who have been affected.

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Cartographers Heroes is the Latest Roll Player Spin-off Board Game

Cartographers Heroes, board games, Thunderworks

Fans of the Roll Player series of board games got some great news from Thunderworks games. The latest spin-off Cartographers Heroes is available to back now on Kickstarter. As you might expect from such a popular product, it's already blown past its funding goal. After all, this is a sequel to one of the best roll-and-writes in the hobby. Check it out.

Cartographers Heroes adds a few new variables to the original version's gameplay. You can now change up the goals from game to game with the new scoring cards, which should improve replayability. Plus, the monster cards now have their own set of special abilities, making them a bit tougher to deal with. And, of course, there are new hero cards and map sheets to add even more variety.

On top of all that, the Kickstarter comes with three new map packs and a mini-expansion. The map packs add even more variety and each comes with their own ruleset. So, even if you've already played a ton of Cartographers, this should have tons for you to do. The new mini-expansion gives players more skills to work with. It's probably something you want to incorporate after you have a few games under your belt. That said, it should make for a fuller experience once your game group is ready to take it on.

Cartographers Heroes is on Kickstarter for 15 more days at the time of this writing. The project won't start shipping until next summer, so you'll have to wait a bit. However, if it's as polished as the original game, it'll be well worth the wait.

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Pikmin 3 Deluxe Bingo Battle Mode Debuted During Treehouse Live Event

Pikmin Bingo Battle

Today's deep dive into Pikmin 3 Deluxe during Nintendo's Treehouse Live event showed off all the new content coming in the game's Switch version. While changes to Pikmin 3's single-player were scant, we did get the return of one of the game's multiplayer modes: Bingo Battle, and it ain't your grandma's bingo.

Bingo Battle has the same basic rules as bingo – you want to line up four items on your board in a row. The difference is, instead of numbers you've got to collect different creatures, fruits and objects from around the game world.

The gameplay we saw today was a simple two-player match, although it got much more intense than Bingo usually does. Today's Treehouse Live players were throwing Pikmin left and right, trying to make a row out of the objects they needed. While this game mode was featured in both Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 3, this is the first time we've seen Bingo Battle played on the Switch.

Of course, it wouldn't be fun if one player couldn't get in the other's way. You'll be able to throw your own Pikmin at your enemies, launching an attack that can leave an opponent's Pikmin distracted. You can even throw your Pikmin at another player's character, throwing off their control.

If that wasn't enough, there's also a roulette wheel filled with different surprises to spring on enemy players. We didn't get a great look at all the ways you can ruin someone's game of Bingo on the roulette, but we did see one called "triple rocks," a pretty self-explanatory attack. Three giant rocks fall on your enemy, launching them into disarray while you're free to collect whatever you need.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe is releasing on October 30 and will come with all the content from the game's original release, DLC and all. A demo for the game will be available on the Nintendo eShop later tonight.

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Spider-Man: Miles Morales Receives New PS5 Screenshot Showing Off an Insane Level of Detail

To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Insomniac Games today took to social media to reveal a new image from the PS5 iteration of its upcoming release of Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales.

The image in question features Miles snapping a selfie in front of a mural of the Puerto Rican flag. For those unaware, Miles is of Puerto Rican descent, which is why Insomniac is posting this image here to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

While the picture is a good way to honor the ongoing event, this is also notably one of the first in-game screenshots we've seen from Spider-Man: Miles Morales in this manner, and the detailing in Miles' suit continues to look stunning. Even though the original Spider-Man on PS4 looked fantastic in its own way, Insomniac has clearly done a ton of legwork to make the suits in this follow-up even more impressive looking. Despite being a cross-gen title, Miles Morales definitely looks like it will be making the most of the PS5's improved capabilities.

One last mentionable here is that it clearly looks as though this screenshot was taken via the photo mode within Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Considering this feature was so popular in the first game, it shouldn't be a shock to see it return here whatsoever. That said, it will be intriguing to see if Insomniac has added any new features to the mode this time around.

Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales will launch next month on November 12 for both PS4 and PS5. In other news, the game will also be receiving a prequel tie-in novel before release with an accompanying art book launching next year.

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Xbox Dunks on PlayStation With the Release of PS5 Teardown Video

With the impending launch of both the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S next month, it's only natural that both Sony and Microsoft are aiming to take some light-hearted (or more direct) jabs at one another. Given that the two are direct competitors this holiday season, both companies are looking to highlight the strengths of their systems and taking shots at their competition, with Microsoft taking a swing at PlayStation's latest video on the PS5.

Earlier today, Sony released its official teardown video of the PS5 to give viewers a look at the technical components and hardware of the PS5, along with a demo of how to change the system's orientation from vertical to horizontal. The video showcased that the PS5 comes with a plastic stand to keep the system stable in either format due to its rounded shape, and requires some light hardware know-how to unscrew the base from the bottom of the system to lay it on its side.

Naturally, Xbox took this as the opportunity to dig at PlayStation a bit with a tweet that showcased the relative simplicity of doing so with the Xbox Series X. Of course, with the system basically just being a big ol' rectangle, it's way easier to just lay it flat horizontally.

This obviously isn't the first time that Microsoft has taken potshots at Sony on social media, especially when the company took aim at Sony following the chaotic launch of PS5 pre-orders. Of course, Microsoft didn't really fare much better with the Xbox Series X and Series S pre-orders either. But either way, it seems like Microsoft was trying to channel the energy of Sony's infamous "how to share games with your friends" video that was released during the PS4/Xbox One era.

The Xbox Series X and Series S will launch on November 10, 2020, followed by the PS5 starting on November 12, 2020 in select countries and a larger worldwide release on November 19, 2020.

*Featured image credits: PlayStation/Sony and The Verge

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The Witcher Season 2 Receives New Images Highlighting Yennefer and Ciri

This week has surprisingly brought with it quite a bit of news on Netflix's The Witcher series. With the second season of the show currently filming, the powers that be over at Netflix have taken the opportunity to give fans a deeper look at what the characters will look like in the coming slate of episode. While we were shown some new images of Henry Cavill's Geralt just a few days back, new pics of some of the other characters have now been released.

Over on the official Twitter account related to Netflix's The Witcher, a series of new images for both Yenefer and Ciri have been released over the past couple days. As a whole, the images have a darker tone to them compared to what we may have seen in the show's first season.

The new pics of Ciri, which can be seen below, feature the iconic character wielding a sword. While she may have been presented as just a mere child in the first season, the future of The Witcher points to Ciri becoming more of a warrior like we know her as in games like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

In the case of Yennefer, things seem much direr for the popular sorceress. Seen in the two new screenshots released below, Yennefer is shown to be in tatters and is even wearing chains around her wrists. Her current situation depicted in these images seems to take place after the events of the Season one finale, which would explain why she looks like this. Despite how grim these images seem though, you would imagine that Yennefer won't be in this situation for long before breaking free.

The Witcher season two still doesn't have a release date, but it is set to arrive at some point next year. And beyond that, it looks as though Netflix has already greenlit a third season for the show as well which could be in the early stages of pre-production right now.

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Spelunky 2 Review — A More Refined Classic

Here's the deal, dear reader; I can save you some time with this Spelunky 2 review. Sure, below you'll find what is undoubtedly insightful and hilarious commentary on why this game is so great. However, I understand we live in a busy world. Maybe you just don't have time for my shenanigans. So, there's really only a few questions you need to ask yourself before you pick up Spelunky 2.

Do you like the original game? Does the idea of discovering tons of new secrets as you explore another excellent world Derek Yu and his team have dreamed up? Well, then you'll probably get on with Spelunky 2. It is a lot more of the same stuff players love about the original while adding some fun new mechanics and systems.

That said, there's still quite a bit to talk about. After all, I can't very well give a game a 9.5/10 and just leave it at two paragraphs. My editors would kill me. Let's talk about what makes this game so good even though I'm terrible at it.

First, I think it's important to set up what Spelunky 2 is. I can't just say it's a roguelike and be done with it. That doesn't give you nearly enough context. See, what separates this game from something like Hades is that you fully restart each run exactly like you're starting over from the beginning. Sure, there are a few shortcuts you can unlock, but doing that mostly handcuffs your ability to get the items you need to beat the last boss.

So, while everyone will eventually beat Hades because their version of Zagreus continues to receive passive buffs after each run, that doesn't happen in Spelunky 2. You don't suddenly have 12 bombs or the ability to jump further. Your first run and your winning run are exactly the same. The only thing that changes is your skill and knowledge.

That right there is what I love so much about Spelunky. Yes, it's a difficult game. At least for most of the world. Sure, the only reason I've technically beaten the game (more on this later) is one run from the Spelunky gods. However, the process of learning how Spelunky works and then putting that knowledge to the test continues to be one of my favorite things in video games.

If you've never played Spelunky before, the set up couldn't be simpler. It's a procedurally-generated platformer where combat is just as important as jumping. You have a few tools at your disposal. There's your trusty whip that will slap aside most baddies. Plus, you can get bombs to blow holes through the environment to open up new routes. And, when you really get stuck, your climbing rope can get you out a hole in a pinch.

In action, each level sort of plays like a puzzle-platformer. You have to find the best route through each level while looking out for opportunities to pick up items. And there are a ton of them. Some you'll find in helpful crates, others you'll have to buy from a shop, and some you can earn by besting monsters.

Most of them are useful, but it's not immediately obvious how. That's where building your knowledge base becomes so important. You have to know exactly what each item, enemy, and trap do so that you can make the best choice in a given situation. It's a continually running math equation in your head that can only be solved when you've put in enough study hours before the big test.

Look, I'm a nerd. I like school. Spelunky 2 is like going back to college except this time instead of learning about math and grammar, I'm learning about mole rats and arrow traps. And, just like in the real world, the physics and systems you slowly master in Spelunky 2 are the same for everybody, which mixes together for a beautifully chaotic bouquet of intoxicating gameplay.

This is a brutally hard platformer, but the game is just as hard on the enemies and NPCs as it is on you. All of the game's many ways to kill you will also murder everyone else. So, if a bat flies into the path of an arrow trap, that boy dead. If a turkey runs into lava, she gone. Derek Yu has made it absolutely clear that he does not care about the well-being of literally anyone in this world.

Mossmouth, PS4, PC, Spelunky

And it's glorious. If you're anything like me, most of your runs end in a fireworks show of bad decisions and even worse execution. But you never feel cheated out of your win. The systems of Spelunky 2 are so tight that even things that first seem random are completely controllable. Thus, you can always point to what you did to screw up. The game is never the one at fault.

I know this comparison is incredibly tired at this point, but in a lot of ways, Spelunky 2 reminds me of Dark Souls in this way. Both games are so tightly constructed that you never feel cheated. Just inadequate.

When you finally do meet up with that final boss and claim your throne as the best Spelunky 2 player to ever live, you quickly realize that you've only just begun. The final boss of the main game isn't really the final boss. This game is more jam-packed with secrets than the McDonalds' secret menu. And, just like the McLeprechaun Shake, you probably won't find it without a little help from the internet.

So, while I've technically beaten Spelunky 2, I still have a long ways to go. There's this massive drill I keep seeing that I have no idea what it does. I'm still not sure if those ghost urns do anything other than bringing the ghost into a level earlier. And I can't wait to see what other mishaps I can get up to. The constant learning Spelunky 2 forces you to do if you want to see everything the game has to offer is astounding.

However, it's not all rosy. The game shipped with multiplayer disabled on PC because it's been so borked on PS4. Now, I likely would have never used multiplayer much anyways, but it does suck for the people who want it. Hopefully, when it releases, they'll have properly worked out the kinks.

That said, I don't really think it impacts the product too much. Hoping into either co-op or PvP could be fun, but not having it doesn't make the base game any worse. And that single-player experience is nearly flawless.

Like I said at the top, if you liked the first Spelunky, you're going to love Spelunky 2. It's the same game with tons of new content. There are new weapons to master and enemies to overcome. There are branching levels that keep things fresh. And, of course, there are so many new secrets to uncover.

Truly, this is the The Godfather Part II of roguelikes. A sequel that builds on its foundation in every way and serves to push the genre one step further. I still would probably choose to play Hades over Spelunky 2, but it's a real Sophie's choice for me. Either way, I know I'm going to have a fantastic afternoon playing an excellent video game. Now, if only someone would leave me a cannoli.

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John Wick Hex Hits Nintendo Switch and Xbox One on December 4

John Wick Hex launched to solid reviews on PC last year. The hex-based strategy game uses time and resource management to make you feel like the world's best assassin. Since launch, the game has since come to PS4, and now it's about to hit even more platforms. Today, the team at Bithell Games revealed the game is coming to Nintendo Switch and Xbox One on December 4. If you need a refresher of what the game's all about, check out the Switch trailer below.

At first, it might seem a bit weird to put John Wick into a tactical strategy game. However, it works very well in John Wick Hex. The story is a prequel to the films, but I won't say more for fear of spoilers. The action is tense and satisfying. Quickly, you'll feel like the Baba-Yaga himself. And, I would be remiss to not mention the excellent visual style the game brings to the table.

Bithell Games has had a busy week so far. They announced this port and have also dropped their newest game The Solitaire Conspiracy. I haven't had a chance to play it yet, but our reviewer sure did like it. And he's far from the only one. The game quickly became the fastest-selling game in the company's history. It's safe to say that the studio is really hitting its stride in terms of commercial success.

John Wick Hex comes to Nintendo Switch and Xbox One on December 4. The game is available now on PC and PS4 if you just can't wait.

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Gears Tactics Has Gone Gold for Xbox Series X and Xbox One, Will Soon Boast a Higher Gamerscore

Gears Tactics

In lieu of Halo Infinite being a launch title for the Xbox Series X, Gears Tactics has now strangely become one of the bigger first-party titles from Microsoft that is planned to hit the next-gen platform on its day of release. Fortunately, for those who may have been worried that the game would somehow get delayed prior to release, The Coalition has today confirmed that this won't be the case.

Over on Xbox Wire, it was confirmed today that Gears Tactics has now officially gone gold for consoles. This means that the strategy title will indeed hit its November 10 release date across both Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One.

While there aren't many stark differences between Gears Tactics on Xbox consoles compared to the iteration that hit PC earlier this year, The Coalition has laid out some key factors that will soon be heading to the game. On the same day of release, a handful of new achievements will be added to the game that will raise the title's overall Gamerscore offering to 1400. While Xbox users will get this update out of the gate, those who previously played on PC will also see it heading their way, too.

And for those that play Gears Tactics prior to December 4, you'll also receive a special Thrashball Cole character pack. This will include an iteration of the famous solider, Augustus Cole, who is donning his Thrashball armor. He also comes with some unique abilities to utilize in-game, too.

As a whole, if you have been holding out for Gears Tactics until it came to Xbox, you now have the luxury of being able to play it on day one with the new Xbox Series X. You can purchase the title separately once it releases or you can gain access to it via Xbox Game Pass as well.

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