Monster Raising Has Never Been Better
HIGH Just about everything from previous entries is wonderfully improved…
LOW …except the plot, which is too shallow in the middle chapters.
WTF Warfare in the Monster Hunter universe would be absolutely terrifying.
Sometimes I think a series has already hit its stride… and then I’m proven woefully wrong.
While the first Monster Hunter Stories and its sequel, Wings of Ruin, were both excellent, the third entry, Twisted Reflection, greatly expands and improves upon what came before thanks to plenty of wonderful changes that make play more consistent and engaging. It’s not perfect, though…
For newcomers, Monster Hunter Stories 3 is the latest turn-based RPG spinoff of Capcom’s seminal Monster Hunter real-time action series. As the royal heir to the crown of Azuria, players must lead the Rangers, a group responsible for preserving the ecosystem of the kingdom. In addition, they’re also tasked with finding the source of the Encroachment, a phenomenon that is crystalizing flora and fauna alike.
While the first two Monster Hunter Stories titles were incredibly fresh and interesting, it would be a massive understatement to say how much of an improvement over both this third installment is.
For starters, the art direction is gorgeous, with a cell-shaded visual style that makes the world of Azuria and feel vibrant, colorful, and more lived-in than previous entries. In one instance, I marveled at how the crystalized remains of an ancient dragon was being overtaken by nature. Monsters also look closer to their mainline counterparts, yet never lose that more fantastical Stories look and charm.
There’s also now greater freedom to explore this lush world. Maps are large and emphasize verticality more than before, and I enjoyed finding hidden nooks and crannies in each locale, whether I climbed or glided to get to them. More important than the visuals, though, is that the battle system is has been majorly overhauled with a big tweak and some new additions.
In terms of fixes, Capcom has kept the the core mechanics, but the Kinship system is now used solely for riding monsters in combat, as well as for their powerful and unique special attacks. Stamina fuels individual character and monster abilities, so this change allows players to use moves more often, without having to sacrifice the ability to ride when needed.
In addition to this is a new Wyvernsoul gauge. As enemies take damage, the gauge will deplete. Once it’s completely spent and the enemy monster is ready to topple over, I can choose to trigger a Synchro Rush. This move allows me have my entire party each make a single attack for massive damage. However, this allowed the enemy monster to get right back up — as such, it’s worth considering whether the big hit is worth giving up the opportunity for lesser attacks, healing, or setting up buffs while the baddie is dazed.
In addition to those changes, there’s an expanded party system. While battle companions would come and go in Monster Hunter Stories 2, the Rangers of Azuria were with me for almost the entire adventure, each with their own well-defined and specialized tactics. At certain points in the story I could also complete short missions with these folks to learn about their histories, passions, and motivations. I loved these heartwarming side tales because I got to know about their lives, and also because they gave me a better feel for their tactics in battle.
There’s also a significant monster-raising and genetic tailoring mechanic. It’s too much to go into here, but it plays into several systems like getting new gear for my characters, or hatching monster eggs to get new, modified and improved allies in battle. For example, I could give a fire ability to a given monster, even if it wasn’t one that normally had those kinds of powers.
However, for all the improvements Monster Hunter Stories 3 has, there’s one area that’s in great need of improvement — the script.
The story is fairly minimal, and takes a clear backseat to the gameplay. While the plot is serviceable, the underlying motivations of the MHS3‘s antagonists were often an afterthought, and even the ton of side activities couldn’t make up for the slightness of the tale. I was often left with more questions than answers, particularly about the events which set the whole plot in motion.
For those willing to overlook the lackluster narrative, Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflections is an amazing adventure. The visuals, monsters, and companions made the world feel incredibly alive. The battle system is dramatically improved over its predecessors, and is leaps and bounds better than its initial outing on the Nintendo 3DS. I’m hoping Capcom stays the course with a future Monster Hunter Stories 4, as they are absolutely on the right track with this franchise.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Buy Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection – Steam – PlayStation – Xbox – Nintendo
Disclosures: This game is developed and published by Capcom U.S.A., Inc. It is currently available on X/S, PS5, Switch 2, and PC. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on PS5. Approximately 76 hours was devoted to the game (including progress transferred from the trial version), and it was completed. There is no multiplayer mode.
Parents: This game has an ESRB rating of T for Fantasy Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes. Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection features a story about war, environmental disaster, and the after effects. Several characters are afflicted with an incurable condition resulting from the Encroachment that will eventually kill them. There is a side story featuring an assassin sent to kill the main playable character. However, most violence in the game is in battle scenes with cartoony sound effects and visual effects. Some of the extra costumes in the DLC packages do have some suggestive costumes for the female characters. In addition, many characters will use expletives such as “hell” and “damn.”
Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind options.
Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: The game offers subtitles. Subtitles can be resized, but only for cutscene dialogue. All in-game dialogue and text is subtitled. This game is not fully accessible. While the subtitles can be resized, the words on screen were only slightly larger and only two options are provided standard and large. This may not be enough for players who need larger text.
Remappable Controls: Yes, this game’s controls are remappable, and players can map buttons as they please for any part of the game.
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