Monster Hunter Stories

Genre: Turn-Based Monster-Collecting JRPG

Players: 1-2 Competitive (Local, Online), StreetPass Support

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Review:

Monster Hunter Stories, released on Nintendo 3DS in 2017 and ported to mobile devices in 2018, is a Turn-Based Monster-Collecting JRPG based on the mainline Action-RPG series, but with a more family-friendly presentation and turn-based gameplay closer to something like Pokemon than a traditional Monster Hunter title. Previously, I reviewed this game’s sequel on Nintendo Switch, and going back to the earlier title I can say that much of what I said there applies here as well – the two games are very similar in numerous ways.

Going backwards to review an earlier title may seem a bit unfair, but surprisingly I found the opposite to be true – while the sequel had to contend with direct comparisons to the far more visually-impressive Monster Hunter Rise, Monster Hunter Stories is a visual treat on the Nintendo 3DS, and I would argue that its visuals have aged far better than its contemporaries on the handheld – Monster Hunter 3 and 4 and Monster Hunter Generations. The vibrant colors and slightly cartoony 3D characters look wonderful and nicely detailed, with some really marvelous animation that truly brings this game to life. This is one of the better-looking Nintendo 3DS games I’ve played, though its visuals are marred a bit by frequent pop-in and occasional drops in framerates. These visuals are backed by a decent but not especially memorable soundtrack.

The game’s story, such as it is, is somewhat juvenile and pedestrian, involving a town of monster-riding villagers and a plot that’s set off by an attack by a savage monster apparently related to a strange corruption spreading across the land. For a game with “stories” in the title, it’s not particularly immersive, but for a younger-skewing game i suppose it gets the job done.

As for the gameplay, the focus on turn-based combat has made the Stories spinoffs a game series that some call “Monster Hunter for people who don’t like Monster Hunter”, although I don’t think that’s entirely fair. You can absolutely see many of Monster Hunter’s mechanics translated here – players still gather materials, craft,and upgrade equipment in a manner similar to the mainline games. However, players generally don’t need fast reflexes to take on the beasts they hunt. The Monster-Collecting element of this game is an interesting direction to go with the series, especially in that the game’s focus on befriending monsters rather than just slaughtering them for parts makes for another great way to distinguish this series from the mainline games. Having said that, you don’t have direct control over your monsters (called “monsties” when they’re friendly), which cuts down on much of the strategy that other Monster Collecting games like Pokemon are known for. On top of that, where Pokemon features a pretty complex network of elemental affinities, much of Monster Hunter Stories 2 comes down to its rock-paper-scissors system of “power attack”, “technical attack” and “speed attack”.

There are multiplayer features here as well, though your odds of being able to use them grow increasingly slim as I write this in 2022 as the Nintendo 3DS gets close to the end of its life. If you’re looking for more healthy competition, you may have better luck with the mobile version of the game, or possibly the sequel. However, it should be noted that the focus here is primarily on single-player.

Overall, there are parts of Monster Hunter Stories that I’m still not thrilled with – namely, the battle system. However, while it may not be perfect, Monster Hunter Stories is still an excellent RPG that looks fantastic on the Nintendo 3DS. Fans of monster-collecting JRPGs looking for something to play on their Nintendo 3DS other than Pokemon should definitely give this game a look.

tl;dr – Monster Hunter Stories is a Turn-Based Monster-Collecting JRPG that takes elements from the popular Monster Hunter series and reimagines them in a more family-friendly turn-based game. While I have some issues with this game’s battle system, overall this is an excellent RPG that still looks fantastic on the Nintendo 3DS. Definitely worth a look from monster-collecting fans.

Grade: B

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