I’ve been playing a lot in Monster Hunter Rise since it was released. Equally, an unhealthy amount. It’s easily my new favorite in the series, which serves as a great leap for new players and a place for veterans to hone their skills. But even though I enjoyed going ahead with the new Wirebug and going with my dog companion Palamute, Rise still makes me uncomfortable from time to time. Rise monsters are easily some of the most creative and awesome beasts of all games, making it even more annoying when you drive blades through their skins and make hats with your wings.
I understand what Monster Hunter is, the clue is the name after all. I wish there were more ways to interact with the beasts in the series than to kill them directly. That made me think, wouldn’t a “Monster Hunter Snap” game be wonderful?
This hypothetical derivation of Monster Hunter would, of course, follow Pokémon Snap’s approach to the Pokémon universe. Pokémon Snap was a natural evolution of the series, which gave players a way to go out with Pokémon without having to make them fight. This has always been something my partner pointed out to me while watching me play Pokémon: “I love this Pokémon, why do you have to fight it?”; “I just wish I didn’t have to fight all the time, I think I’d really like Pokémon otherwise.” – It is clear that there is a lot of space for Pokémon games without having to lean into combat as the main focus. The revelation of Pokémon Legends: Arceus earlier this year is another indicator of this change, as it offers more exploration and free play, as well as the usual battles.
The Monster Hunter series has already begun to take steps toward a more empathetic view of the monsters that inhabit its world. Monster Hunter Stories allows you to hatch monster eggs and make friends with monsters, being more like the Pokémon series in dealing with monsters. It still involves fighting, but from a much friendlier angle than the stab, kill, and cut loop that appears in the main series. Monsters like the Rathalos, Mizutsune and Tigrex have become icons over the years, with different personalities that make them feel like real animals.
Imagine the task of photographing two monsters while fighting, having to set up your shots to get great pictures and at the same time keep a safe distance
The stories offer players a new way to interact with these creatures, forging bonds and adding a twist to the way the series usually sees its monsters. The least known Monster Hunter diaries he also took a new direction, emphasizing village management and Animal Crossing-style interactions with Felyne’s characters.
Going deeper into the ethos of the stories for the monsters could really work in a Monster Hunter Snap game. Capturing photos is already part of Rise, there are even missions that specifically ask you to photograph monsters in certain ways, such as catching a Bombadgy while gas and wheel expire. Monster Hunter monsters already exhibit unique behaviors and follow strict routines, paving the way for players to come in and photograph them. Imagine the task of shooting two monsters as they fight, having to set up your shots to get great pictures while keeping yourself at a safe distance. The new Wirebug adapts perfectly to a photography game, as it allows easy access to cliff tops and hidden areas. You can bet that there would also be a running cat in the photo booth where you will develop your images.
You could be a researcher in charge of writing the first volume of Hunters Notes, filling it in as you photograph each monster as the day goes on. This would be a way to have the progression tied to something other than sets of armor and weapons. Most of all, I just want an excuse to spend more time admiring such beautiful places that I usually visit as quickly as possible. These venues are also often full of weird and interesting flora as well as smaller creatures hiding behind the scenes. I would love to get all over planet Earth and slowly document each area, perhaps visiting sites from various Monster Hunter games. The many games in the Monster Hunter series are rarely tied, which means the general universe can feel a little indefinite at times. What better way to establish this world than by letting players explore it in their own time, documenting differences between regions, and learning new things along the way?
More than anything, I would like non-combat derivations to become more than the norm. It makes sense that as games become more complex, with better visual fidelity and artificial intelligence, that the ways we interact with them also become more complex. This is an issue that has recently been discussed by genres such as military shooters, which offer deeper explanations. Because you are doing the things you are asked to do. Nintendo has always been better at this than most, and with Monster Hunter having a big part of its history tangled with the platform owner, it would be interesting to see the series expand to attract a more diverse set of players. . The Switch has sold very well and has excellent gyroscopic controls that could really shine here. I bet an MH Snap game would be a lot easier to sell than the main games that are often intimidating.
The last two main Monster Hunter games have seen incredible sales, which have finally brought the series to the general Western public. Of course, Monster Hunter is currently a very hot property (hey, you’ve seen the movie, right), and I hope that success will allow Capcom to be a little more daring with possible derivations. With New Pokémon Snap underway, it will be interesting to see how well it sells and if that could be another sign for developers like Capcom that there is a hunger for this type of game.
After so many Monster Hunter games, it’s definitely time to build the world a bit with smaller, weirder titles. The stories are a good start, as is having the new entry in Rise through shared compatibility. I’ll honestly take every opportunity to jump back into the Monster Hunter universe, but please, Capcom, consider making Monster Hunter Snap.