Monster Hunter Rise gets a crossover with Amaterasu from Okami

Monster Hunter Rise is getting a crossover with Okami as part of its Capcom Collab series.

In a tweet earlier today, the official Monster Hunter account confirmed that Amaterasu, the canine Sun Goddess from the PS2 adventure game, is heading to Monster Hunter Rise later this week. The crossover is the second collaboration to borrow from other games within Capcom's catalog.

Amaterasu will feature in the game via the 'Ammy Costume', an armor set for the player's Palamute, the canine companion that acts as a rideable mount and assists players in battle. Players have been able to kit out their four-legged friends in armor in the past, but the Amaterasu gear is a significant visual overhaul. The Palamute is slightly different to the cat-like Palico companions, which function in a support role in Monster Hunter Rise.

Okami, which originally launched in 2006, is inspired by Japanese mythology and folklore, and tells the story of Amaterasu, a sun goddess in the form of a giant white wolf, who saved the world from darkness. The beautiful art style leans on Japanese culture even more, with a cel-shaded design based on the watercolor and woodcut styles of traditional ink illustration.  The game was remastered for PS3 in 2012, and eventually released on PC, PS4, and Xbox One in 2017, with a Nintendo Switch port arriving the following year.

The arrival of Amaterasu is the second in a series of Capcom Collab crossovers for Monster Hunter Rise. Last month's partnership introduced an armor set inspired by Tsukino, antagonist Kyle's Palico from Monster Hunter Stories 2. Capcom revealed that as well as its second collab, due to arrive on July 30, players will have at least three more drops to look forward to; Capcom Collab 3 is due to arrive in August, while collaborations four and five will launch sometime in the autumn. There's no word on exactly what they'll include, but presumably long-time Capcom fans will continue to be well catered-to - perhaps a spooky Resident Evil-themed crossover, just in time for Halloween?

Okami and Monster Hunter are both beloved Capcom franchises, but if you're looking for some newer classics, here's our list of the best games 2021.