Capcom’sMonster Hunterseries is still going strong with its sixth mainline installment,Monster Hunter Rise,becoming Japan’s most-downloaded Switch game in 2021. In a surprise announcement at the September 2021 Nintendo Direct, Capcom revealed the massive expansion for the game coming in summer this year, titledMonster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak. The base gameMonster Hunter Risewas well-received by fans of the franchise and was praised by critics for feeling inclusive and easily accessible for series newcomers as well.
Players welcomed the news of a new expansion, as Capcom promised to improve gameplay and combat mechanics, as well as add “unique new monsters and hunting locales, and a new difficulty level in the form of Master Rank quests.” After players saved Kamura Village from the Rampage in the main game, they must nowexplore the outpost inMonster Hunter Rise: Sunbreakcalled Elgado, near a kingdom that is experiencing its own monster-related problems. With new characters, settings, enemies, and other exciting updates,Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreakis looking to shake things up. One important change is the new mythological inspirations for its creature designs.
RELATED:13 Tips To Make An Overpowered Character In Monster Hunter Rise
The New Monsters And Their Inspirations
In March, Capcom hosted a live-streamed event to reveal more about the upcomingMonster Hunter Rise: Sunbreakexpansion. This vast new DLC has plenty of juicy additions for players to enjoy, like new quests, storylines, characters to meet, and most importantly new monsters. Thenew enemies inMonster Hunter Rise’s expansionwere one of the things that players were most excited to see, and thankfully the presentation had some more light to shed on these mysterious beasts. Since the teaser trailer launched during The Game Awards, Capcom had been fairly silent about the upcoming DLC, and players were anxious to know more about the summer expansion.
In addition to a few returning monsters, gamers were given a better look atMonster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak’s main monster bosses: The Three Lords. Garangolm, Lunagaron, and Malzeno certainly look like formidable foes, but players were a little surprised to see the direction that the developers had gone in for the creatures' designs.
Lunagaron, first glimpsed inSunbreak’s teaser trailer, has one of the most obvious origins. The wolf-like creature is giving off major werewolf vibes, but with aMonster Huntertwist. The creature is shown stalking the moonlit landscape, with a voiceover during the teaser trailer describing the Lunagaron’s “entranced roar” as it “shows its true form” under the light of the moon.
Although werewolves are a widespread phenomenon in European folklore and literature, it was a creature popularized by films like theUniversal Classic Monsters media franchise, which launched it into the mainstream and popular culture. Another one of the Three Lords that appears to have similar inspirational origins is Garangolm. This elemental ape-like monster is basically the game’s answer to King Kong — the famous film ape with a penchant for tall buildings and swatting planes. First appearing in the 1933 film of the same name, King Kong has captured the imagination of Western audiences ever since.
Dragons may benothing new to theMonster Hunteruniverse, with Elder Dragons taking on many different shapes and sizes across the generations, butSunbreak’s flagship monster, Malzeno, looks unique. This gigantic menace looks like something either ripped directly out of the pages of Arthurian legend or from a Disney movie with its two protruding horns resembling Maleficent’s dragon form. The rumored abilities and first looks at its appearance also suggest a slightly vampiric nature — another cultural figure from European folklore that also found its way into movies, books, and games, but was largely made mainstream through Universal’s 1931 film.
The Departure From Previous Monster Designs
Over the years and across its multiple entries, theMonster Hunterfranchise has had a variety of different monster designs, from the large to the small, the winged to the water-dwelling. As a Japanese game franchise, it’s no wonder that a lot of the monsters' designs take their cue from supernatural entities and spirits in Japanese folklore called Yokai.Monster Hunter Riseembraced this theme wholeheartedly, with Feudal Japan as an obvious inspiration, referenced in everything from the armor designs, Irimoya-Zukuri roofs, and the Yakushima-like forest.
Many previous enemies have been informed by Japanese myths and legends, like theGreat Izuchi, which may appear to be a raptor-like creature, but it also bears a striking resemblance to the Kamaitachi — a weasely supernatural being that stalks its victims in packs throughout the mountains of Japan, attacking with its long and intensely sharp nails that curve like sickles. The vast majority of monsters featured in the games so far have their roots in Japanese culture, so it’s interesting to see more Western influences creeping in — a change that will no doubt please a sizable portion of theMonster Hunterfan base.
Monster Hunter Riseis available now for PC and Switch. TheSunbreakexpansion will release on June 30.
MORE:Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak’s Citadel Map Opens the Door For a Variety of Monsters
