The original Monster Hunter Stories was a colourful take on Capcom’s
beloved series that didn’t get the love it deserved. Swapping real-time action
for traditional turn-based strategy, players who were previously put off at the
thought of slashing away endlessly at monsters finally had a way of getting accustomed.
If only it wasn’t left stranded on the Nintendo 3DS and released late into that
console’s lifecycle. Luckily, none of these problems exist for this follow-up
on Nintendo Switch, which combines all the best Monster Hunter ideas with a slower pace
and much larger emphasis on – you guessed it – story. Couple this with the core
hook of creature collection, and you have a charming strategic spin-off that’s also
a less intimidating entry point into the Monster Hunter universe.
The first thing to mention is that Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, rather kindly, requires no knowledge of the previous game’s
events. Players familiar with the 3DS original will enjoy the odd Easter Egg or
character reference, sure, but overall this is a fresh start for newcomers
wanting to collect and do battle with a range of menacing beasts. This you do
as a budding young tribesperson aiming to be the best rider out there, teaming
up with your cat pal Navirou and mysterious girl Ena to learn the secret behind
an evil force known as the black blight.
For as gorgeously animated and vibrant as Monster Hunter
Stories 2’s cutscenes are, the story here never reaches beyond this basic
premise until the final few hours, and is more so an excuse to have you travel
through 5 different regions. This presents an opportunity for you to explore various
dungeon-like monster dens, most of which allow you to top up your creature
collection by stealing and then hatching a coveted monster egg. Small tweaks to
the JRPG formula like this help separate Monster Hunter Stories 2’s gameplay
loop from the likes of say, Pokémon, while still having it be familiar to fans
of turn-based JRPGs. This is ultimately still a game about collecting monsters
and training them up to be stronger, after all, but with a heap of Monster Hunter’s
style thrown in.
The monsters themselves are unsurprisingly the stars of the
show, with classic creatures like Pukei-Pukei, Khezu and of course the Rathalos
all out in full force. The latter is only available for you to access at
certain points due to their role in the story, but over 200 others are littered
throughout the lands and yours for the taking (should you feel brave). The fact
you can ride on the back of each monstie while exploring areas makes the
pursuit to hatch and train them even more addicting, knowing that each will
boast a special ability like roar, rock break or vine climb, that can help you
reach awkward areas. This is the very first time we’ve seen such monsters presented
in Stories’ trademark cutesy style on a HD console, and the wait has largely
been worth it.
In terms of battle themselves, the mechanics are incredibly
simple but surprisingly deep. The core of combat revolves around a rock, paper,
scissors-like system, where three attack types – Power, Speed and Technical are
strong or weak against the other. Couple this with the need to switch out your
rider’s weapon type depending on the monster limb your targeting, and there’s a
good degree of strategy sprinkled in – far beyond what the game’s anime aesthetic
would initially lead you to believe.
Doing well in wild or rival rider battles also sees you build
up what’s called kinship, which either you or your lead monstie can use to
unleash special skills or combine together to deploy one screen-shaking manoeuvre.
This is one aspect that Capcom has taken fully by the reigns, designing
large-scale battle animations that look unique depending on your equipped
monster and are always a visual treat for the eyes. It’s especially so when you
have an AI partner by your side and they also achieve maximum kinship. Sure,
you can ramp up the speed of battles and miss out on such amazing sights, but
why would you?
Then, if that wasn’t already enough, Monster Hunter Stories
2 also forces you to stay engaged far beyond simply spamming A, thanks to QTEs
that can trigger whenever monsters clash with the same type of attack. Simply
put, a surprising amount of thought has gone into the way battles play out. And
while very rarely will you find yourself truly challenged to the point of
fainting, such dynamism is appreciated when you do want to grind out higher
levels for your current group of monsties.
Less exciting is Monster Hunter Stories 2’s frame rate,
which can sometimes takeaway from the beautiful environments you explore by dipping
well below 30 fps. This issue is most evident whenever you’re in large open
areas populated by a lot of independent monsters, though there is some
precedent for this in simple hub towns, too. It’s a bit of a shame considering
that Stories 2 opts for a less realistic art style than Monster Hunter Rise
back in March. That game played extremely smoothly running in Capcom’s RE
engine, yet here the ride is just a tad rockier in terms of stability. However,
it in no way detracts from the thrill of turn-based battles and becomes isn’t
so much an issue when exploring the more compact monster dens.
Thankfully, on a more positive note, Monster Hunter Stories
2 has plenty to keep you hooked after finishing the some 20-hour long campaign.
From sub-quests that task you to venture out into previously overlooked areas
to an in-depth gear system where you can create new weapons and armour using
slain monster pieces, visiting each region’s hub town is always worthwhile. The
stats and experience you accrue from engaging with these optional mechanics
aren’t as in-depth as those you’ll find in a mainline Monster Hunter game like
Rise, yet all are a competent way to extend your playtime. Plus, fully levelled
riders seeking a harder challenge can always seek out Royal Monsters that
populate the endgame, or can hop online to place their monster squad through
the paces.
Overall, Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is a colourful
turn-based spin on Capcom’s beast-slaying franchise that has a lot of heart. It
may not elicit the moments of dread and high excitement the main series is so
good at capturing, but as a way to onboard new players who want to know more
about what Monster Hunter has to offer it succeeds. It’ll also scratch the itch
of JRPG veterans wanting an alternate way to “catch them all” with just a bit
more story and visual flourish. Despite small technical hitches, this is
comfortably the Nintendo Switch’s second big Monster Hunter hit of the year.
