Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak in the test – is it worth 40 euros?

Over a year after the release of Monster Hunter Rise (which was also a huge success), the game is getting a giant paid DLC after numerous free updates. The Sunbreak expansion has big shoes to fill, while the Iceborne DLC for Monster Hunter World has been loved by critics and fans alike for its impressive scope. Sunbreak promises a similar amount of content with new maps, monsters, armor and quests, but does the expansion really build on the glory of its spiritual predecessor? We’ll answer that question in our Monster Add-On Pack review!

Monster Hunter Rise’s setting had a very Japanese feel, easily recognizable by our village of Kamura, which oozes Far Eastern influence. But even the hunting areas and even monsters were not safe from the rising sun. However, our trip to Japan ends with Sunbreak, the setting in the expansion is strongly based on the European Middle Ages. Castles, walls, treasure chests and chubby armor are the order of the day!

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This is also the case in our new home Elgado, which faces the same danger as every village in the series: the destruction of human civilization by various monsters. In addition, there are the three ruler monsters who have the areas around Elgado under control. We only find out why the beasts seem to work in a coordinated manner as the DLC progresses. Pleasing: Similar to Iceborne, the story in Sunbreak is packed more interestingly than in the base game – key moments are brought to the fore with the help of exciting cutscenes, while knight Fiorayne in particular experiences a lot with us. For the first time in the franchise, the NPCs at our side actually hunt with us!

The new trailer quests are a real highlight in the expansion. Previously, NPCs only boasted about heroic deeds, we never saw any of that. Now for the first time we experience live and in color how the hunters go into battle with us. And it works surprisingly well! Not only do they dish out damage, they ride monsters, set traps, and heal us in sticky situations. Also, they cannot faint. If one of the companions collects too much Kloppe, he lies on the ground and we can save him. Sound boring? Not all of the companions have all skills, they are always balanced – some hit hard, while others serve as a support unit.

Of course we continue to beat up the evil monsters. In the best case with the help of even more evil monsters!

Source: Computec Media GmbH

We unlock the different characters by doing pre-made quests together with them. Once they join our side, we can take our favorite companions on a variety of select missions. The only thing that would be nice now is if we could tackle every single task in the game with the companions. So even players who just want to play offline would experience the full Monster Hunter experience including fellow combatants. However, it is very pleasing that the companion quests increase our master rank, which is also relevant online. Let’s continue on the next page.