Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin
MONSTER HUNTER STORIES 2: WINGS OF RUIN is an approachable spin-off.
I’ve always been a distant admirer of the Monster Hunter series, with its lush worlds and vicious beasties, but no matter how many times I’ve tried—be it the early PSP forays or the more recent Monster Hunter World— it’s never clicked for me. As much as I want to love the series, I’ve been unable to get past the five-hour mark. There are so many systems to learn and aspects to juggle that it can be overwhelming. Monster Hunter Stories 2 has been my way in.
A spin-off of the main series,
Stories focuses on, er, story, and uses a turn-based battle system and monster-catching mechanics in place of the usual hunting action. While it’s a sequel to Monster Hunter Stories, you won’t need to know anything about the first game—which is handy, as it was only ever available on 3DS and mobile. You play as a rookie ‘Rider’, the grandchild of a great hero called Red. Setting off to investigate a strange red light that’s making monsters go berserk, you soon find yourself entrusted with a Rathalos egg and unravelling the mysteries of an ancient prophecy alongside your comedy cat sidekick Navirou. To do so you’ll fight huge monsters, raid their dens for eggs, and then raise their stolen offspring to do your bidding.
It’s got a touch of Pokémon to it—you can have a squad of up to six Monsties (that’s what a Monster is called when it’s your pet, and no, it’s never not silly when you say it) that you can switch out depending on how a battle is going. Only one can fight beside you at a time, so you’ll have to consider your choices carefully. Fights at their most basic are based on a rock-paper-scissors mechanic where speed beats power, power beats technical, and technical beats speed, but eventually you’ll also be taking weapon type, items, and elements into consideration.
Thankfully the turn-based combat gives you plenty of time to consider your options, and this is where the series clicked for me. Instead of having to dance around a flailing beast, considering which body parts to strike with which weapons and praying the hits will land, I was able to methodically go through what I wanted and have the space to understand just how all of the amazing layers of Monster Hunters’ battles work together before striking.
Stories distills all of the elements that make monster battles so satisfying into something far more approachable. You could brute force your way through on basic attacks, but the moment you figure out how to deflate a fluffy Poalumu’s collar like a balloon is joyful. There’s a satisfaction in foiling a monster’s plans before they come to fruition.
PUKEI-MON
It’s also great being able to have that poison-spitting, wyvern horror you just fought eventually fight alongside you with a much less scary nickname. Thank you Pubert the Pukei-Pukei. Teaming up with Monsties and seeing how they fight with you makes it easier to understand how to battle against their nastier brethren. I do feel a pang of guilt every time I raid a nest for eggs, but that’s quickly replaced by the nervous excitement of wondering what might be inside.
There’s an element of randomness when picking up eggs, as each nest can host several kinds. The pattern will tell you what type is inside, but you’ll also get hints for the quality of its stats based on weight and how it smells. It’s worth looking out for golden ‘rare’ monster dens when out exploring for better eggs. Don’t be shy about gathering as many as you can, as eventually you’ll be able to splice their genes into each other to handcraft more powerful Monsties. No doubt there are perfect stats and bonuses to aim for with each, and a perfect team composition, but like a Pokémon trainer with a favorite starter, I poured all of the strongest skills into my best-buddy Pubert, and managed to get through.
Monster Hunter Stories 2 looks cute, but retains the amount of depth the series is known for. It’s not as expansive or as fast-paced as Monster Hunter World, but it works. Stories 2 is the accessible series entry point and has inspired me to return to other games to test my skills.
Raid their dens for eggs, then raise their offspring to do your bidding