At the moment, Monster Hunter Rise is still undergoing development for the Nintendo Switch. The title was revealed during the Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase that took place earlier this month, and fans still have a lot of unanswered questions.
What fans do know for sure, however, is the fact that Magnamalo will be the flagship monster of the title. Through the game’s official Twitter account, Capcom gave the fans a closer look at the monster by revealing new concept art.
Thanks to Magnamalo’s arched back, horns, and tail, a lot of fans were instantly able to compare it to Zinogre, another quadrupedal monster from Monster Hunter World: Iceborne.
However, those three features are where the similarities end, as Zinogre is a Thunder-based elemental monster, while Magnamalo seems to be a Fire-based one since it appears to have purple flames coming out of its mouth.
Magnamalo’s aesthetic design is also different from Zinogre’s, as its facial features seem to be based on Japanese oni masks. The Monster Hunter Twitter account made this connection even more obvious by including a fire emoji and an oni emoji on the tweet.
https://twitter.com/monsterhunter/status/1308834785318633474?s=20
The monster appears to have a bunch of sharp, spiky edges as well, which will surely be a pain in the butt once players get to fight it. Not only that, but Magnamalo also has a scorpion-like tail as well as a sharp row of claws attached to its forelimbs.
That being said, even though Magnamalo is the flagship monster of Monster Hunter Rise just like Valstrax was in Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate and the Gore Magala in Monster Hunter 4, it’s not the only beast you’ll encounter in the upcoming title.
Capcom actually already revealed a few other new monsters in their Monster Hunter Direct video. These new monsters include Tetranadon, an amphibious monster that resembles a Kappa, and a powerful wyvern called Great Izuchi.
In addition to adding new one-of-a-kind monsters to the game, Monster Hunter Rise stands out from the previous entry in the Monster Hunter franchise because it has new features and mechanics that are similar to that of Monster Hunter World.
For instance, the upcoming title will have traversal mechanics that will allow your character to run up walls. Not only that, but the game allows you to zip around by using Wire Bugs like a grappling hook.
Monster Hunter Rise also features an all-new companion, the Palamute, which you can ride on top of to easily journey through the land and quickly get to where you’re supposed to go.
In particular, the Palamute seems to be a big selling point for Monster Hunter Rise. This doesn’t come as a surprise, though, since the Palamute is basically a big dog and who doesn’t love dogs?
As a matter of fact, the new merchandise for the game will feature a Palamute plushie, and the companion will even have its own Amiibo figure. Although, the Palico and Magnamalo will also be receiving their own Amiibo as well.
Monster Hunter Rise is scheduled to be released for the Nintendo Switch next year, March 26, 2021.