Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is an enjoyable expansion full of cool new monsters but not many new ideas.

Sunbreak lacks fresh ideas and withholds its new monsters for far too long, but small changes improve upon Rise's spectacular monster hunting.

Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak is more of the same for Rise fans, which is great, but the lack of truly 'new' stuff is disappointing.

With so many good brawls in Sunbreak, it’s frustrating that it falls victim to one of the biggest villains in AAA video games: bloat. I’d much rather see Sunbreak offer a shorter campaign with more of a focus on new monsters, and give me the option to fight Master Rank versions of the original roster at my leisure. But instead, I spent the opening hours of the expansion bashing familiar foes, just so I could get to the good stuff. As such, playing Sunbreak feels a bit like unwrapping an exciting present covered in too much tape.

I’ve had a great time with Sunbreak overall. The lack of new monsters plagues the early hours, but there’s plenty to love if you keep at it. The added flexibility of the Switch Skill Swap system is a freeing and fun expansion to combat for hardcore hunters and the new creatures in the Master Rank quests – when you get to them – breathe life into the experience. For someone already invested in Monster Hunter, there’s plenty to love in Sunbreak. Just don’t expect to see a lot of new content in the opening hours.

Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak is an excellent expansion that will please those Hunters desperate for something new.

A generous expansion that ramps up the difficulty for hunters looking for a challenge.

If you grit your teeth and pay out for the DLC, you won’t be disappointed: Sunbreak is an essential expansion for any Monster Hunter fan, and – paired with Rise – may well be the best entry point for anyone eager to learn more about this fascinating series, too.

Sunbreak is a success in multiple ways, with enough that's new or different to make it a must-have expansion for Monster Hunter Rise fans. New mechanics and content are enjoyable, the challenge is turned up, and it's still an audiovisual treat. It's a welcome reminder that there's nothing else quite like Capcom's monster-slaying franchise, and even in moments where it's 'just more of the same but harder', that's still more than enough.Now excuse us as we get back to the hunt. That fashionable armour isn't going to craft itself.

While not quite perfect, Sunbreak confidently brings all of Monster Hunter Rise's best ideas to the next level.