At times, it feels like watching a Monster Hunter anime, with thrilling action sequences and dazzling battle animations. The game sports a wonderful aesthetic, too, with vibrant colors and high-quality cinematics. That’s all tied together by a mysterious, lore-rich story where players must uncover what’s making monsters act erratic all over the continent. It’s a sprawling narrative that explores the different ways people and societies have chosen to interact with monsters, whether through peace or violence. For those who’ve found Monster Hunter’s colonization undertones difficult to swallow, this version certainly presents some tougher moral discomfort upfront.įor Pokémon fans who have been let down by the franchise’s continually decreasing difficulty, Monster Hunter Stories 2 is an excellent alternative.ĭespite that, the game did ultimately win me over with its intriguing story - something that escaped Monster Hunter Rise. Players essentially kill (or beat the snot out of) a monster, break into its den, steal one of its eggs, and raise the baby as their own. While it’s a sweeter concept compared to the standard hunting loop, it takes a bit to get past some initial discomfort. Granted, there is some cognitive dissonance to the experience. It’s a deep system that opens up limitless possibilities for team building. The Rite of Channeling feature acts as a sort of breeding mechanic that lets players pass one monster’s trait on to another. The monster-collecting hook is addictive, giving players tons of creatures to discover. That gives the game a Pokémon-like gameplay loop where players collect and raise monsters, keeping six on them at a time.įor Pokémon fans who have been let down by the franchise’s continually decreasing difficulty, Monster Hunter Stories 2 is an excellent alternative. The main difference is that riders befriend and work together with monsters. The game is a sequel to a Nintendo 3DS game that puts players in the role of a monster rider, not a hunter. On its surface, Monster Hunter Stories 2 seems like an entirely different beast. Even with some repetitive level design, it offers up an excellent combat system, a compelling story, and a deep endgame that make it a perfect RPG for anyone who’s looking for a more laid-back hunt. Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is a friendly alternative to the franchise’s usual grind. Even though it’s a completely different experience - a turn-based, Pokémon-like RPG instead of a hacking-and-slashing action game - it explains the fundamentals of the franchise much clearer than Monster Hunter World or Rise.

It features many of the same basics, but presented in a simplified manner that’s easier to parse. Monster Hunter Stories 2 - Launch Trailerīy comparison, Monster Hunter Stories 2 is much more digestible.

It will be a free-to-play game with in-app purchases. Monster Hunter Riders will be available on the App Store and Google Play in Japan later this year and if you happen to be from there, you can pre-register now too. The cast of characters are all very colourful too and the battle effects and animations are all very flamboyantly presented. There will several different biomes you can explore such as thick forests, deserts and snowy mountains. It looks to be a very good looking game, as you can see from the trailer above. Given that this will be a free-to-play game, it's reasonable to assume new riders will be obtained through some kind of gacha system. From there you'll form a team of riders and monsters that you'll take into battle.

The story is set on a continent called Felgia where monsters and humans live together, meaning you'll be able to raise several monsters you'll be familiar with if you're a long-time fan of the series.

Monster hunter riders mobile