Just around a month before release, Capcom has revealed another trailer for its latest hunting game in February Nintendo Direct. In this fourth Monster Hunter Rise trailer, we can finally look a bit closer at how Rampage quest supposed to be work, and with it, a new monster variant called Apex. Before we get to discussing Monster Hunter Rise‘s Rampage and Apex features, though, here’s a quick summary of the two newcomer monsters:

  • Rakna-Kadaki: fire-breathing spider whose body is covered in threads. This Lava Caverns inhabitant also carries around its offspring, Rachnoid, that help their mother catching unsuspecting victims.
  • Almudron: Reclusive Leviathan who use mud to attack enemies and defends itself. Its tail oozes a strange golden fluid to dissolve the ground and arresting its prey in a mire to drag it down under.

And, of course, there are also returning monsters from older games. See them in action in the trailer below:

  • Volvidon: An armadillo-like Fanged Beast, debuted in Monster Hunter Portable 3rd. Be careful of its long tongue and paralyzing spit.
  • Basarios: A rock-hard Flying Wyvern, a veteran monster that has been around since the first Monster Hunter. The Hunting Horn set in the demo is made from its parts.
  • Diablos: The two-horned cactus-eating Flying Wyvern. Just like Basarios, it debuted in the first game.
  • Rajang: The electrifying gorilla. First showed up in Monster Hunter Dos; it stalks even the bravest of hunters to their dreams.

What is ‘Rampage’?

The Rampage is one of the game’s main gimmicks aside from Wirebugs. It is a moment when several monsters went berserk and trashed whatever they laid their eyes on. 50 years before Monster Hunter Rise’s event, a Rampage almost came close to destroying the Kamura Village. As Guild Hunters, you and your friends are tasked with taking on these hordes of monsters, preventing them from breaking through the village defenses.

Use your strongest armor and weapons, Hunting Installations (cannons, ballistae, and Dragonators), and Wyvern Riding feature. Everyone from the Kamura Village will also give you a hand, from Buddy Handler Iori with his trusty Charge Blade, Chef Yomogi and her Heavy Bowgun, to Quest Maidens Hinoa and Minoto. The villagers believe that Magnamolo is behind this phenomenon. But if you’ve played any Monster Hunter game before, you’d know that the flagship monsters are almost certainly a red-herring. This means another mysterious creature is still lurking in the shadows, causing chaos.

Apex Monster in Monster Hunter Rise

Judging from the trailer, an Apex version of a monster will show up at the end of a Rampage. You can distinguish it from normal monsters by looking at its glowing red eyes and body parts, as seen above. We can safely assume that by defeating this Apex monster, we will be able to finish the quest properly and save Kamura from total ruination.

Interesting to note, there was also an Apex monster variant back in Monster Hunter 4. A monster called Gore Magala spreads a virus named Frenzy Virus. Causing dark purple discoloration all over the victims’ bodies and making them dangerously ferocious. And within a matter of days, the virus will kill monsters that caught it. But when a monster manages to overcome and suppress the effect, they transformed into an Apex State, making them completely powerful with iron-hard skins. You’ll need a special Wystones item to deal damage to it.

The Japanese version of Monster Hunter 4 actually calls Apex “Extreme” instead. While in Monster Hunter Rise, Apex is originally named “Nushi,” which roughly translates into “leader of the pack.” With that in mind, I’m pretty sure both Apexes will have different gameplay mechanics behind them. Capcom will be launching the game on March 26, 2021, with a handful of limited edition bundles. How much stronger do you think this new Apex will be? Let us know what you think, and stay tuned for more Monster Hunter news in the future.