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If you’re starting Monster Hunter Rise, you might be wondering what the best weapon is and which one you should use. Fortunately, we have a weapons guide breaking down all 14 weapons types. But if you’re a newcomer, we understand that you may be looking for a weapon that’s also easy to use, even if it’s not the most ideal choice in the game overall. Don’t worry; we have insight into the best weapons for starting players, which we detail below.

There’s No Such Thing As A “Best Weapon”

First, it’s important to stress that there is no such thing as a singular best weapon in Monster Hunter Rise, at least not in a general sense. Each is rich in nuance and depth, making them all completely viable to use, should you have the patience and skill to learn how to use them properly. Try not to think about Monster Hunter’s weapons falling into categories of what to use and not use. Rather, understand that the arsenal available to you can be leveraged to your benefit if you’re willing to give them each a fair chance.

What Should You Use If You’re A Newcomer?

That said, when it comes to weapons that new players should use to properly ween themselves on the intricacies of Monster Hunter, the best ones are those that have easy-to-memorize combos and offer high damage output with relatively little necessary commitment for performing their individual attacks while allowing for fast evades mid-combo.

Heavy weaponry like the Great Sword, Hammer, and the various Lances are slow on the windup, so you’ll want to avoid those if you’re still trying to get your bearings. You can make an impact with these weapons as they offer high damage with combos that are none too complex to memorize at the outset, but they take time and patience to master–not to mention the high risks involved if you can’t manage through how they severely impact your mobility.

Other weapons like the Switch Axe, Charge Blade, Insect Glaive, and Hunting Horn are highly technical and mechanics-rich, meaning they have many complex systems to grasp to get the most out of them. And with ranged weapons, you’ll generally want to avoid the Bow and Heavy Bowgun, as they require just as much skill as the most difficult to use melee weapons.

That leaves us with the following weapons: Sword & Shield, Long Sword, Dual Blades, and Light Bowgun. These provide the most pleasant experience for new players, so they come highly recommended. Weapons like the Sword & Shield, Long Sword, and Dual Blades are super quick to attack with, and allow you to maintain high mobility when brandished so that you can easily get in to strike a foe and get out of the way rather speedily.

Sword & Shield is historically what Capcom recommends to new players, as you can’t go wrong with its ease of use and overall functionality. The shield as a side-arm is also a nice benefit, making it easy to bash enemies or pop into a defensive posture to mitigate damage.

The Long Sword is actually the weapon your character starts with, which suits the game’s Japanese-inspired setting. However, it’s also a solid starting weapon, mostly because of its diverse array of attacks, including swift piercing thrusts and wide sweeps. But as a highly technical weapon with a heavy DPS (damage per second) focus, it inevitably becomes harder to master the longer you stick with it. We only include it here since it’s not as confusing to use at first as the other technical weapons mentioned above.

Dual Blades, on the other hand, are perfect for people who want to use the quickest weapon Monster Hunter has to offer. While the compromise is a lower overall attack strength, the amount you’ll be striking a monster mostly balances that out. There’s also the special demon mode to consider, which temporarily increases your power, allowing you to pile on the pressure continually. Like the Long Sword, some intentionality and strategy is demanded to really get the most out of the Dual Blades. However, it’s still a great, versatile weapon, even if you don’t necessarily know what you’re doing from moment to moment. It also helps that you can quickly dodge out of its many attacks mid-combo, so you always have an opportunity to get out of harm’s way.

Finally, there’s the Light Bowgun, which is great for new players who are intimidated at the concept of getting too up close and personal with their prey. The biggest challenge with this weapon comes from making sure you’re well-stocked with special ammo, which shouldn’t be too tough to maintain, so long as you make sure to have sufficient funds to spare in order to buy what you need outright. But don’t worry, you always come with an unlimited supply of base ammo, so you’ll always have something to shoot, and you can always pause mid-hunt and go back to camp to craft more ammo types with the resources you gather on the field.

To counter the drawback of needing to keep an eye on your ammunition, the Light Bowgun has a supporting weapon called the Wyvernblast, bombs you can plant on the ground that detonate when attacked, whether by you or the monster you’re hunting. Use these in conjunction with the various ammo types you can fire with the Light Bowgun, and you should have a relatively easy time of things. Just be sure to keep your distance!

And that’s about all you need to know about the best weapons for newcomers in Monster Hunter Rise. For more in-depth guides, be sure to check out the ones in the list below.

Call of Duty: Warzone still has a zombies problem, and it’s getting worse. Activision continues to tease some kind of zombies event for the battle royale game, again through swag that it’s sending to media and influencers.

CharlieIntel has received a care package that seems to suggest that zombies are now taking over the Superstore location on the Verdansk map. “Clean up on aisle four. Bring more than a mop,” reads a line from the teaser. “The place for killer deals. Their latest customers shop long after they drop.”

Activision has been teasing the zombies event for Warzone through swag. Before this, the publisher sent hospital scrubs to reference how the undead were taking over the hospital in Verdansk. Before that, the publisher sent jumpsuits to signal zombie infection spreading to the prison on the map.

The prevailing belief here is that this is an extended tease for a nuke event. Many believe the zombie infestation will get so bad that a nuke will be set off to rid the game of the problem. In doing so, Activision will re-launch Warzone with a new, ’80s-themed map based on Black Ops Cold War, according to rumors and reports.

This is all supposed to happen at the end of Season 2, which is sometime in April.

In other news, Sledgehammer Games is reportedly getting ready to officially reveal Call of Duty: Vanguard as the new Call of Duty game coming this year. It’s said to be set in World War II, just like Sledgehammer’s 2017 game, Call of Duty: WWII.

Pokemon Sword and Shield‘s brief Easter-themed Max Raid event has ended, but a new one is now underway in the games. Unlike the past few Max Raid events, however, this one doesn’t appear to feature any Gigantamax Pokemon, although it does give you more chances to catch Ditto as well as a few other Gen 8 monsters.

According to Serebii, Ditto is currently appearing more frequently in Max Raid dens across the Wild Area, Isle of Armor, and Crown Tundra. Since Pokemon you encounter in Max Raids typically have better base stats than the ones you find in the field, this is a good chance to catch a few Ditto (particularly if you’re interested in breeding Pokemon). Corviknight, Centiskorch, Dubwool, Drednaw, Orbeetle, and their pre-evolved forms are also appearing more frequently for the duration of the event.

Before you can encounter the featured Pokemon in your game, you’ll first need to refresh your Raid dens. You can do so either by connecting your game online or by opening the Mystery Gift menu and selecting Get the Wild Area news.

Sword and Shield have been regularly holding Max Raid events since the games launched back in 2019. These typically run for the entire month and feature some normally hard-to-find Pokemon, such as Gigantamax forms. The Pokemon Company also periodically holds brief “special” Max Raid events that give players a chance to catch some Shiny Pokemon. The most recent one took place this past weekend and featured various rabbit Pokemon for Easter, including Shiny Azumarill.

A handful of Pokemon games are on the way to Switch over the next few months. New Pokemon Snap, the long-awaited follow-up to the classic N64 spin-off game, releases on April 30, while remakes of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl are coming later this year. Then, in early 2022, Game Freak and The Pokemon Company are releasing Pokemon Legends: Arceus, a new open-world installment set in ancient Sinnoh.

If you’re gearing up to save the galaxy again in Halo Infinite or explore the globe in Microsoft Flight Simulator, you’ll want to come strapped with the best controller you can get your hands (and sometimes feet) on. Xbox fans have always been spoiled for choice when it comes to picking a pad, wheel, or joystick, and the Xbox X/S generation continues this tradition.

Unlike with the PS5, players can bring all their own old Xbox One controllers to the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S and there’s a handful of new options too. That opens up Xbox gamers to an almost overwhelming number of controller choices. So we’ve gone down the lists and hand-picked our favorite controllers for a variety of budgets and games. Whether you’re looking for affordability, customizability, or a competitive edge we’ve got your back.

TL;DR – These are the Best Xbox Series X/S Controllers:

• Xbox Core Controller
• Xbox Elite Series 2
• Razer Wolverine V2
• PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller
  
• Thrustmaster TMX Force Feedback
• Thrustmaster T-Flight HOTAS One

1. Xbox Core Controller

Best Xbox Series X/S Controller

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The reigning champ. The go-to gamepad for general use on Xbox and gaming PCs. There isn’t a whole lot to say about the Core Controller (see our review) because it just speaks for itself. It’s a solidly-built, reliable, standard-setting piece that’s friendly to lots of different hand sizes and control schemes. It’s almost like the Platonic ideal of a game controller. There’s nothing extra fancy about it, because it doesn’t need any gimmicks to do what it does best. It simply gets the job done.

The one thing that I’m not thrilled about with this one is that it requires AA batteries to play wirelessly. But if you get rechargeable ones and a wall charger, you can get away with charging one set of batteries while you’re using the other and not have to keep buying those giant blister packs like it’s 1999 or something. And the core controller comes with a USB-C plug that works on PC and console, if you don’t want to have to deal with batteries at all.

2. PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller

Best Budget Xbox Series X/S Controller

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On the other end of the spectrum, PowerA’s Enhanced Wired Controller (see our review) continues a tradition of offering cheaper options that still hold up well. If you want to be that awesome friend who has a full flight of controllers ready to go whether your buddies remembered to bring one or not, you probably don’t want to splurge on four Elite controllers. That would be a power move, so don’t let me tell you how to live your life if that’s the kind of baller you are.

But for the rest of us, these more affordable workhorses are perfect for those P3 and P4 slots. They can stand up to a lot of punishment, and don’t feel as cheap as a lot of other options in this price range. They also come with a built-in share button and a mic mute switch, which is nice if your pet suddenly demands your attention in the middle of a match. The face buttons aren’t quite as tactile as the ones on the core controller, but the overall ergonomics feel great.

3. Xbox Elite Series 2

Best High-End Xbox Series X/S Controller

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The Xbox Elite Series 2 (see our review) is the fancy sports car of Xbox controllers. It’s going to cost you, but you’re paying for premium components, customizability, and luxury feel. The thumbsticks, D-pad, and triggers are swappable, so you can pick the parts that feel best for you. It also comes with a rechargeable battery that can last up to 40 hours, so you won’t have to go hunting for batteries like you might with the Core controller.

It even comes with four additional paddles on the back that can be programmed to do things like change the function of your face buttons when held down. This is especially awesome if you’re using it on PC for games like Final Fantasy XIV where you might have more abilities than a standard controller can handle. All of that comes with a price tag more than twice that of a Core controller. But you get what you pay for.

4. Razer Wolverine V2

Best Tunable Xbox Series X/S Controller

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Priced at a nice mid-point between the Core and Elite pads, the Razer Wolverine (see our review) is the overall best third-party pad for Xbox. This isn’t like that janky off-brand controller you used to hand to your little brother during Halo night back in the day. Razer has gone all-out to make sure that it stacks up to, or even surpasses, the official hardware Microsoft has put out.

Like you might expect from Razer, this thing is highly customizable. The face buttons are fully remappable, and there’s even a hair trigger mode you can activate on the fly using physical switches. That means your LT and RT will register an input with only a slight tap, rather than having to push them down all the way, which is a huge edge in fighting games and shooters. This is an ideal option for competitive players who don’t want to drop a fortune on something like the Elite controller, but need more features than what the Core controller can offer.

5. Thrustmaster TMX Force Feedback

Best Upgradable Xbox Series X/S Controller

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The next Forza game might not have a release date yet, but there are already plenty of great driving games on the Xbox and PC best played with a proper steering wheel set-up. Thrustmaster always impresses me with the ruggedness and feel of their components. When I buy something from them, it feels like it came off of an industrial assembly line in a car factory, not out of a toy store. The TMX provides seriously realistic force feedback with its fine-tuned internal motors and the non-slip wheel grip feels great.

It only has two pedals, so you’ll be shifting gears with the attached paddles instead. But it’s also relatively cheap for the quality you’re getting at just $200. You could definitely spend a lot more than that on a racing set-up. I also really like the button layout and styling on this one, because it looks more like something you’d see in a professional race car as opposed to on a standard controller.

6. Thrustmaster T-Flight HOTAS One

Best Xbox Series X/S Flight Stick

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Microsoft Flight Simulator looks incredible on the Xbox Series X and modern PCs, and for the proper experience you’re going to want to play it with a stick and throttle. Thrustmaster brings an excellent all-in-one controller to your virtual cockpit with the T-Flight HOTAS One, which is simple enough for even brand new pilots to get the hang of quickly but also satisfying for seasoned aces.

This is a one-piece controller, which is ideal for console play, and it has a very modern, streamlined look that won’t seem out of place sitting around your living room. The switches and buttons on both the stick and throttle are raised and shaped in such a way that you can easily find them without looking down, which can be trickier on other sticks like Logitech’s where all of the buttons kind of feel the same. It also has a Share button built right into the base for capturing the scenic vistas you’ll be swooping over, which most made-for-PC sticks usually don’t.

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Leana Hafer is an avid PC gamer. Talk action-RPGs, strategy games, and more with her on Twitter at @AsaTJ

Major League Baseball, otherwise known as MLB, is behind the decision to bring Sony San Diego’s MLB The Show 21 to Xbox, according to PlayStation.

This news comes by way of Inverse, who spoke to PlayStation about the decision to bring MLB The Show 21. The upcoming installment in the franchise is coming to Xbox for the first time ever after being exclusive to PlayStation since 2006. Not only is The Show coming to Xbox when it releases on April 20, but it’s also launching day-and-date on Xbox Game Pass, which has an audience of at least 18 million subscribers.

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“As part of the goal for this year’s game, MLB decided to bring the franchise to more players and baseball fans,” a PlayStation representative told Inverse. “This decision provides a unique opportunity to further establish MLB The Show as the premier brand for baseball video games.”

Microsoft confirmed last week that MLB The Show 21 will launch on Xbox on April 20, as both a traditional purchase and as a part of the Game Pass library, which is the same day the game launches on PlayStation consoles. Those with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will be able to play the game on Android phones and tablets via the Beta version of Xbox Cloud Gaming too.

MLB The Show 21 features cross-play, which means Xbox players and PlayStation players will be able to play with each other, and thanks to cross-progress, players can play take their progress data to any platform.

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MLB The Show 21 will launch on April 20 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. While waiting for that later this month, check out this video of the game running on Xbox Series X and then check out this MLB The Show 21 next-gen trailer.

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Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.