In today’s Monster Hunter March Digital Event, Monster Hunter Rise director Yasunori Ichinose showed up for a (pre-recorded) questions and answers session. Fans all over the world shared ideas on what to ask him through the official Monster Hunter Twitter account. Personally, I found most of the questions featured in the event to be somewhat boring. However, there are interesting tidbits hidden in the interview. Here are key takeaways from the director Yasunori Ichinose Q&A segments:

  • The main story seems to be concluded via a title update. Does this mean the base game Village Quest will have a cliffhanger ending? Or will the update be more of a “continuation” like Iceborne?
  • Apex monsters will give additional types of equipment.
  • And Rampage can be ended by simply finishing some of the Sub-Assignments. Unfortunately, monsters just disappeared when beaten. No carving spree in Rampage.

Watch the full 16 minutes of the Q&A segment with Yasunori Ichinose below. You might find something interesting yourself. And in case you need a transcript of the video, just keep on reading.

Q&A Segment with Monster Hunter Rise Director Yasunori Ichinose

Question 1: Will there be DLC and Title Updates with new monsters, gameplay features, balance updates, etc.?

Question 2: What were the design challenges with creating the Rampage quest type?

Once the HR cap is removed, you can gain and accumulate Hunter Rank points by clearing Village and Hub Quests. Your Hunter Rank will increase based on how many Hunter Rank points you have. By raising your Hunter Rank, you can take on newly added monsters. Also, we haven’t confirmed a release timing yet, but the second update will add more monsters and the conclusion to the story.

Question 3: How will Rampage be balanced for Single Player?

We wanted to think of a quest type that would be worthy of the name Hyakuryu Yako, “Parade of a Hundred Dragons”, by having you face more monsters than you would see in a normal quest, repelling one after another with flashy and satisfying gameplay.

The challenge was exactly that: how to show that many monsters on screen at once and make it fun for the player. From the beginning, we tested many different amounts and iterated a number of times, and finally settled on the Rampage we have now. When you play it, we hope you don’t just use the Installations to repel monsters, but also draw your weapons and attack with them as well. The key to success is to understand the flow and cycle of fighting with both Installations and weapons. We can’t wait to see you all trying it out.”

If you clear any of the Sub-Assignments, you can end the Rampage part-way through. But if you want to have the full experience, you can complete every Sub-Assignment and clear the main Rampage objective. The game will keep track of your completions so you can tell how good a player is at Rampage by how much they’ve done it. Please try it out solo, or in multiplayer to try and clear different objectives.”

Question 4: Will Apex monsters have unique weapons and armor?

Question 5: What were the challenges in creating new monsters or implementing returning monsters in relation to the new mobility options that Hunters have now?

Question 6: What is the process of creating new game mechanics?

Our goal is to add monster features that have depth and strategy, rather than try to adapt to players’ options.”

I was talking with other game designers about adding wire-based actions, which eventually became the Wirebug. When it comes to wires, you need walls and solid surfaces or else you can’t really do anything,  so to translate that wire design to the Monster Hunter universe, we attached a bug at the end, allowing you to use it anytime, anywhere.

This made the action feel quite new and refreshing. Up until now, most of the combat had been grounded, but we’ve managed to add new aerial options.”

Question 7: What is your favorite new monster?

Question 8: What is your favorite returning monster?

Question 9: What is your weapon type in Monster Hunter Rise?

Question 10: What is your favorite weapon design in Monster Hunter Rise?

Question 11: What is your favorite music track in Monster Hunter Rise?

Question 12: If you could live in any village, town, or city in the Monster Hunter series, where would you live?

Question 13: Do you or any of the MH dev team members play Monster Hunter on your spare time, just for fun?

One of the key features of this game is the seamless maps and Wirebugs that let you get to just about anywhere. So please run around the map (with your Palamute) to figure out the shortest or best routes. There’s not just one, but many paths containing various Endemic Life and hidden things whether you’re enjoying the Quests or just exploring the map.”

We’re less than a month away from launch, so please enjoy the demo as you look forward to the game’s release. Thank you for your time.”