It’s an exciting time to be a mobile gamer. Not only are we seeing a wave of major console and PC ports making the jump to our phones — with titles like Sifu, Dungeon Crawlers, and Saints Row: The Third slated for later this month — but Netflix has just done it again.
In another major surprise release, Monster Hunter Rise has shadow-dropped on the Netflix app. And in our opinion, it’s something to get excited about.
Unlike the original Red Dead Redemption port, which launched on Netflix Games alongside standalone paid versions on the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store, Rise is a true Netflix exclusive. For now, you can’t buy it anywhere else. To say this is a huge, unexpected flex is probably an understatement. We certainly didn’t see it coming, and as far as we know, the broader gaming community didn’t have this on its radar for today, either.
It isn’t just an announcement, either. Provided you have an active Netflix subscription, you can download and play the game right now.
Here are the full details directly from the Android listing:
“NETFLIX MEMBERSHIP REQUIRED.
Hunt the ferocious beasts that threaten your village in this multiplayer action game. Make good use of the spoils as you brace for the next battle.
Monster Hunter Rise is a thrilling multiplayer action RPG filled with finely crafted lethal weapons and monsters that exceed your wildest imagination. Head out on hunting quests from your home base in the Japanesque village of Kamura. Travel with cute Buddies who can help you in combat, make use of the natural world and use Wirebugs to move freely around each open environment.
Climb sheer rock walls, soar through the air and experience the thrill of turning the table on a monster just as a fight is starting to get hairy. Use the materials monsters leave behind to craft stronger weapons, armor and items. Experiment with different combinations of equipment and Switch Skills to open up new possible fighting styles.
Hone your fighting skills as a solo player, or join forces with up to three other players online for strategic multiplayer combat. As you keep hunting, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the world around you and develop a natural sense of how to incorporate equipment into your play style. Creating your own custom build is what this game is all about. Happy hunting!
These features and improvements are new to the mobile version of the game:
- Challenge and Event Quests previously available as paid or temporary downloadable content can now be unlocked as you progress through the game.
- The new Recovery Button automatically selects the most effective item from your inventory during a fight, depending on the hunter’s health and status. This lets you focus on more urgent decisions in the heat of the action.
- Reconstructed touch controls work intuitively on smartphone and tablet screens, including each weapon’s unique control scheme. Visuals are designed to look natural on all supported devices, for a variety of screen sizes and ratios.”
Early impressions
We’ve already spent a little time with the Monster Hunter Rise port, and here are our quick takeaways so far.
First, manage your storage expectations. The initial download is just 432MB, but the game requires a separate 8.3GB installation once you fire it up. Additionally, the Sunbreak expansion is not included; this is strictly the base game.
The rebuilt touchscreen controls work surprisingly well, featuring dynamic interfaces that shift depending on your weapon of choice — proof that the developers really put in the work to optimize the game for smaller screens. But if you’re a purist, you’ll be happy to know that controller support is available at launch. Naturally, this remains our preferred way to play.
When it comes to visuals, you get three distinct options. These include a Performance mode, a Default setting, and a Graphics Preset designed for higher-end hardware. A quick word of advice: Skip Performance mode. It significantly lowers the resolution and visual effects to hit higher frame rates on lower-end phones, but it looks awful in the process. You’re better off emulating a much older Monster Hunter title from previous console generations than playing Rise on its lowest settings.
Stick to the higher settings, however, and the game looks pretty good. In our testing, Monster Hunter Rise runs perfectly on devices powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. We have yet to test how well the game performs on lower-end units and MediaTek-based phones. In fact, the mobile port looks remarkably similar to the Nintendo Switch version. We’d even argue that on a modern smartphone’s OLED display, it looks better.
Finally, the core hook of the franchise is intact. Multiplayer is available at launch. You can immediately team up with up to three other players to hunt down beasts, which remains the single most addictive mechanic of the series.
Netflix seems to have hit it out of the park with this release, adding yet another major title to its mobile catalog. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have monsters to hunt.
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