Bishaten out of ten.

Monster Hunter Rise is coming to Android and iOS through Netflix, new store listings have revealed today. The game, which originally launched on Nintendo Switch in 2021 and later came to PC, Xbox and PlayStation - and that I thought was superb, even in its most barebones release state - seemingly got a 'soft launch' today on both Apple and Android storefronts.

The pages note that a Netflix Membership is required in order to download and play the game, but it's important to note that it will be stored and run natively on your mobile device. We've already seen Capcom scale the build up from Switch to PS5 in the past five years, so going the other way and getting the ambitious game running on mobile hardware seems like the logical next step for the publisher. Either way, it's impressive.

The mobile game will have some minor differences to the version you've played elsewhere, including, per the store listing:

• Challenge and Event Quests previously available as paid or temporary downloadable content can now be unlocked as you progress through the game.
• A new Recovery Button that 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.

I'll be trying this out when it launches properly because I'm curious what touch controls on a full-fat Monster Hunter game feel like. I'm also curious about the timing of this; Capcom is choosing to release a bonafide, mainline Monster Hunter game natively on mobile games just as Tencent's Monster Hunter Outlanders gets ready for launch (it's coming to mobile devices on 29th October). That game is sold as a "fully featured" open-world survival game, replete with the expected gacha mechanics, of course, so it's odd to see both games barging into the fray in the same month.

Just yesterday, Capcom announced that Monster Hunter Rise has officially sold 20 million units worldwide. Is that why the publisher has opted to allow its game to be added to Netflix's game streaming catalogue? What does this mean for the game, and other potential Capcom collaborations, in the future? Phoenix Wright, anyone? For what it's worth, Rise is now on pace with World, which is estimated to have sold 22.4 million units. Last year's upstart, Wilds, is on about 11 million - though Capcom hopes the Switch 2 version and the upcoming Ascendance DLC will shore up those figures somewhat.

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