Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin Review

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is the follow-up to Monster Hunter Stories on the 3DS, and for those who don’t know, it takes the classic Monster Hunter gameplay and turns it on its head. Monster Hunter Stories 2 is a traditional turn-based JRPG comparable to the Pokemon franchise. Instead of facing fierce monsters head-on in fast-paced real-time battles with friends, Stories takes a different approach, putting players in the shoes of a Monster Rider. These riders do not live to hunt monsters for their parts but instead believe that monsters (big or small) can be one’s friend and ally. By interacting with monsters, Riders can use them in battle and perform powerful special attacks to fend off menacing beasts. And considering that Monster Hunter’s core gameplay has remained the same for the past 20 years or so, it’s surprising to see everything work with a different battle system entirely. Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin players begin to discover that monsters are rampant throughout the land due to these mysterious glowing pits that appear everywhere. After being placed in the care of a baby Rathalos, the protagonist must work together with various characters to find out what is going on and solve the mystery of a Rathalos that could possibly bring the world to its end. It all sounds very high stakes, but Monster Hunter Stories 2’s narrative is rarely compelling. However, that doesn’t mean players won’t have a good time here. While the story can be melodramatic and cliche at times, there are witty jokes and witty banter to keep the laughs going, especially from Navirou, a Felyne who serves as the protagonist’s guide. He is absolutely hilarious, and players will probably get a giggle here and there because of his wacky antics and physical humor. However, it’s worth noting that Navirou’s English voice isn’t great, so if any player prefers the game in Japanese, that can easily be changed from the menu. It also makes the game a bit more authentic since it is a Japanese developed game. Although the narrative for Monster Hunter Stories 2 is a bit lacking, the game more than makes up for it by having an engaging and enjoyable gameplay loop that can make Pokemon addictive, thanks to having “gotta catch ’em all ” appeal. As players go to different places, there are different monsters to encounter and battles start when the monsters are captured. They all live in their natural habitat, and die-hard Monster Hunter fans will definitely want to try to collect as many as they possibly can. By exploring monster lairs scattered around the world, players will have the opportunity to collect a monster egg that can later be hatched in a town’s stable. There are caves throughout and, at first, fans will enjoy exploring them for special loot and to fight monsters for extra XP, but these monster caves, as well as some in the main areas in the game, can be a chore to explore and lacks any kind of unique design. There are times when the game will force players to go through each area, and while they are fairly straightforward, they take too long and feel like padding. Monster Hunter Stories 2 is a visually gorgeous game at times, but due to its uninspired map design, exploring the world and its little corners isn’t as enjoyable as it should be. Fortunately, there are plenty of fast travel locations to choose from, and players can almost transport to any previous location from anywhere on the map from the menu. This is a useful addition that makes it easier to hunt specific monsters or travel to areas to grind XP. It makes the whole experience a little easier and is greatly appreciated. Another way Capcom has made Monster Hunter Stories approachable is through its combat system. At a glance, it may look like rock, paper, scissors, but it is much more than that. Players will fight alongside their lead Monstie (that’s a combination of monster and bestie) against other iconic Monster Hunter monsters. The player can use three types of weapons (blunt, sword, and arrow) to deal damage to enemies, but there are also three types of attacks to make. Technical is green, power is red, and speed is blue. Green beats blue, blue beats red, and red beats green –these are the same Pokemon type. So, for example, if a monster uses a quick attack, but the player attacks with a tech attack, the tech attack wins because green beats blue. The player can use special skills by spending Kinship points, but if Kinship points are stored, players can ride their monster and perform a powerful skill unique to that monster. These moves are fun to use and flashy. It’s worth watching each move at least once to see what each monster does, and the battles themselves are a visual spectacle. Each attack looks fast and fluid, and the player can choose to increase the speed of the battle, which is a win for any player trying to grind or get through the game faster. The player can switch weapons on the fly during battle, and figuring out monster patterns is a lot of fun. The battles in the first half of the game are quite simple and provide little challenge to the players, but that difficulty will start to increase as the game goes on. Players will really need to strategize during battles, making sure to keep the right monster for the situation. If a monster uses mostly power attacks, it’s best to bring out a monster that focuses on quick attacks. And then, if the opponent gets angry and enters a state of anger, they can switch to technical attacks, which means that the players also have to adapt. One thing that is really interesting about the battle system is that it rewards players for gaining knowledge of these Monster Hunter creatures. If a player faces a Tigrex for the first time, veterans will immediately know that it uses quick attacks. However, newcomers will not be able to find the experience, because there is no game on top of the screen. It’s a very forgiving game that wants to make sure every player has a good time with it, regardless of experience with the franchise. And since it’s a standalone story, players shouldn’t panic if they haven’t played the previous game. Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin has some performance issues on the Switch, particularly when players enter any major hub areas, but other than that, the environments are really nice, and the models of the character/monster is bright and colorful. Throughout its 40-hour campaign, the game manages to keep things exciting with plenty of fun “boss” battles, a wide variety of monsters to collect and train, and a simple yet charming- captivating story that will keep players coming back for more. Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin doesn’t shake up the genre or do anything incredibly unique, but it’s a massive JRPG with a lot going for it. It’s a solid entry for the sub-series and recommended for those looking for an engaging Switch title that doesn’t require a lot of thought or undivided attention. It’s a casual game for the most part, but the back half provides some epic story moments that are enjoyable and worth watching. Monster Hunter Stories 2 launches on July 9 for PC and Switch. Today Technology was provided with a Switch code for this review. MORE: 5 Games Monster Hunter Rise Should Crossover In