Monster Hunter Stories was released for the Nintendo 3DS in October 2016, late in the console’s life cycle. The Nintendo Switch had already been launched. This turn-based RPG spin-off of the Monster Hunter franchise pushed the 3DS hardware to its limits due to the game’s ambitious scope, which included large-scale environments and ridable monsters. The 3DS struggled to maintain a stable frame rate and draw distance for these features. Despite these limitations, Monster Hunter Stories received positive reviews but did not achieve widespread success. The success of Monster Hunter: World revitalised the franchise, prompting Capcom to green light Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin on Nintendo Switch for a release in July 2021. Like its predecessor, it pushed Nintendo’s hardware to the brink, but now that it has a PlayStation 4 port, it can finally look and run its absolute best.
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is a turn-based role-playing game set in a vast world inhabited by monsters. Players create a character who is a descendant of a legendary monster rider and must team up with monsters to fight battles and progress the story. It is a lot like Pokémon, but eschews the modern-day setting and embraces a tribal-inspired take of the fantasy genre. The story follows a traditional hero’s journey template, but is made engaging by the well-developed characters and the world of Monster Hunter setting. The game features creatures and locations that are familiar to fans of the franchise, offering plenty of moments for them to point at the screen in excited amusement.
Not long after, the hero inherits Ratha’s egg, a creature destined to destroy the world, from Ena, a Wyverian. According to legend, the egg hatches into a Razewing, a prophesied harbinger of destruction. Throughout Monster Hunter Stories 2, the player character forms connections with various monsters known as Monsties. Riders, unlike hunters who slay monsters, build partnerships with them. While the game offers a lore-based reason for this practice, functionally there are similarities between the two groups in terms of interacting with monsters.
There is a party-based structure where each member possesses a unique monster companion thematically linked to their personality and village of origin. The narrative progresses through episodic arcs focused on individual villages, similar to the episodic structures found in many anime series. While the format may be considered formulaic, the game maintains engagement through well-crafted cutscenes and visually appealing characters. On PlayStation 4, the visuals look especially appealing during cutscenes thanks to the boosted resolution and frame rate, which is a locked and fluid 60fps.
Wings of Ruin features a silent avatar protagonist. To address the lack of voiced communication from the hero, the game reintroduces Navirou, a Felyne companion from the first Monster Hunter Stories. Navirou’s role as a constant voice for the protagonist has been a point of contention for a good reason. His explanations are redundant during key scenes and his humour is unappealing. He often reiterates information that other characters express. A silent protagonist navigating situations with occasional awkward pauses would be preferable to Navirou’s presence.
Lore inconsistencies related to Navirou’s abilities have raised questions about his role within the established Monster Hunter universe, since he effectively breaks the rules several times as the plot unfolds. The core argument is that Wings of Ruin could have chosen between a fully silent protagonist or a voiced one, and that Navirou’s role as an intermediary disrupts the narrative flow and introduces flaws in the logic of the narrative.
Wings of Ruin is a turn-based JRPG featuring dragons in a prominent way. Unlike Breath of Fire, where players transform into dragons, the heroes in Monster Hunter Stories ride various types of these creatures. The franchise emphasises a large variety of believable monsters and Wings of Ruin is no exception. The core gameplay resembles monster-catching RPGs like Pokémon, with players capturing and raising creatures. However, this game incorporates elements from its mainline series, such as diverse biomes with unique monster inhabitants.
The combat system utilises a rock-paper-scissors mechanic, with players controlling their characters and engaging in battles against monsters. While the narrative may suggest a non-violent role for riders, these battles result in the defeat and dismemberment of the creatures. Interestingly, armour can be crafted from the remains of these monsters, and this does not appear to negatively impact the player’s relationship with their companion Monstie (monster+bestie). Developing a bond with the Monstie is a key element of gameplay, despite the player’s role in defeating other monsters. The combat system also incorporates a degree of randomisation through the Monstie’s AI, which determines its actions in battle, keeps things exciting, and prevents complacency.
Monster Hunter Stories 2 utilises a type and element system for its creatures, similar to other monster-collecting titles. Gamers must strategically choose which creatures to bring on their journey and make tactical switches during battles. These creatures possess a degree of autonomy in combat, their actions not always guaranteed. Over time and through selective breeding mechanics, players can gain a better understanding of their preferred behaviours. Wings of Ruin offers the option to directly command these creatures’ attacks within the battle menu, but while this feature provides a familiar RPG mechanic, it contradicts the established concept of the creatures being independent entities.
Monster companion attack patterns are not directly revealed, requiring them to learn through trial and error. This may have been intentional by the developers to add an element of discovery during battles. However, players can freely switch between Monsties during combat, mitigating any penalties for experimentation. The combat system also features a main character who can wield three different weapon types. These weapons exploit enemy weaknesses based on a rock-paper-scissors mechanic, similar to the three basic attack types (power, technical, and speed) that also function in a rock-paper-scissors style.
The turn-based battles become fast-paced when exploiting enemy attack patterns and predicting their moves. There is enough information to make informed decisions and avoid explicitly revealing the best course of action. This creates a sense of risk and reward to strategise and gamble on their choices. Battles, particularly boss battles, can become very complex and require careful planning.
Unlike the mainline Monster Hunter series, Wings of Ruin features character progression similar to traditional RPGs. However, character level alone is not sufficient to overcome powerful enemies. Upgrading equipment remains the primary method of character improvement. As with other franchise entries, this game offers a variety of stylish, unique armour and cool weapon designs.
Monster Hunter Stories 2 incorporates visual cues from monsters into these weapon and armour designs. For instance, heavy gear may evoke bulky mechas or ninjas. This variety is plentiful and is on par with the best of the series. The visual style retains the anime aesthetic of its predecessor but with improved fidelity due to the more powerful hardware. Characters have a smooth, round appearance and emote expressively, even the customisable protagonist. Environments are visually appealing with vibrant colours and diverse landscapes.
Dungeons are disappointingly procedurally generated monster dens. These levels share a common limited aesthetic pool, and often have a maze-like layout with branching paths leading to dead ends or treasure chests. While some paths offer opportunities for specific monster types (e.g., climbing walls for climbing monsters), these typically reward resources rather than high-quality Monsties. Hints from a companion character remove much of the challenge from egg selection. Compared to the larger handcrafted zones, these monster dens lack the same level of design detail and care, and feel repetitive due to the shared visual style and randomised layouts.
