It’s an age-old question that wars have been fought over: cats or dogs? Well, an overwhelming majority of the Monster Hunters Rise playerbase have voted in favour of canines.
Famitsu, a popular and long-running Japanese video game magazine, recently surveyed 5,455 people regarding their experience and thoughts on Monster Hunter Rise. It was an extensive investigation that probed everything from players’ first weapons to which animal companion they preferred – where the Monster Hunter dog faction asserted their dominance.
A whopping 3,701 votes were cast in favour of the Monster Hunter dogs, while only 1,584 people voiced their support for the cats. That boils down to roughly 70% of the players proudly revealing that they are dog lovers.
Released on March 26th in 2021, Monster Hunter Rise is the latest game to join the franchise. There have been plenty of updates for Rise lately, such as the many revealed in Nintendo’s Monster Hunter digital event just last week.
They also introduced a new animal companion to accompany players on their quest to battle monsters: the Palamute, which are the Monster Hunter dogs people preferred in the poll. The Palico, who are part of the Felyne species (a walking, talking cat breed that do jobs to support the players), have been part of the franchise for some time.
Single players were able to select up to two animal companions to assist them on their journey, while those in multiplayer mode could only stick with one so the party wouldn’t be too overpowered.
In regards to the new pets, Monster Hunter Rise director, Yasunori Ichinose said, “If you’re someone who gets hurt a lot, you can take two Palicos with you. Or you can decide to take two Palamutes with you because you’re a dog person.”
You can pretty much guess what a large percentage of the player base did.
I will pet my doggo in Monster hunter till the end of time
— Pepega On Main (@Select9_) April 29, 2021
What are the dogs, and why do most of the players love them?
The dogs in question, more specifically the Palamute, are the newest breed of Canyne companions to be introduced in the game. From their looks to their moves, it’s safe to say that the Palamute are extremely good doggos.
One of the reasons they are so loved is their speed. Players are able to hop onto their favourite doggo and effortlessly ride them anywhere. What’s more, their stamina doesn’t decrease while they’re travelling, making the Palamutes a most praiseworthy adventuring buddy.
The Monster Hunter dogs’ other key characteristic is their prowess in combat. They come equipped with a unique set of skills and attacks, and are most definitely an asset when you’re out on the hunt.
In contrast, the cat companions in Rise, the Palico species, are primarily healers. The cats can buff the player and place pesky traps, making them the perfect companion for those struggling to defeat certain enemies in-game.
But regardless of whether you’re a dog or cat person, Monster Hunters Rise has certainly kept the community engaged with all this debate. For those that are interested, the full results of the survey are right here.
