Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin feels like a flashback to an age gone by where JRPG’s ruled, and we couldn’t get enough of their familiar formula. Living up to an ever-growing franchise is never going to be an easy task and with contenders in the RPG genre such as Zelda on the Switch, it is never a task that should be taken lightly. Monster Hunter Stories 2 makes sure to leave no box unchecked, but does is try to check new boxes?



For anyone unfamiliar with the scene, it’s best I start of by stating that there is no need to play the first Monster Hunter Stories. Understanding the universe beforehand does help kick things off as characters will reference some monsters and characters without introduction, but it’s easy enough to follow along. Sooner rather than later you will be riding like a pro.

Let’s start off with what the game does right. I love character creators. I have several hours played in Phantasy Star Online, I have probably spent less than 10 minutes actually playing the game. Monster Hunter Stories 2 had just enough customization to sate my hunger for different eyebrows, hairstyles and faces. It also allowed me to preview some of the characters expressions, which I appreciate as you can better mold your character around them. This would be particularly good for anyone wanting to really role-play the experience. It was a solid start to my monster hunting adventure.



What of the monsters, you ask? Well, we call them monsties around here, friend. I am a sucker for design and some of my bigger criticisms of ‘monster-and-me’ games are the weaker choices prevalent in weaker titles. This is something done well in Monster Hunter Stories 2: the monsters are unique, some are elegant, some brutes, some kind-of-cute and each very distinguishable from each other. They also have a bit of a personality. The monsters also perform special actions in battle which help you get a better idea of their nature. There’s also more than a fair share of monsters in the game. This is important as it prevents that notable reskin experience, we see all too often. To make a new monstie or personal slave, you hatch your next best friend from an egg.

the monsters are unique, some are elegant, some brutes, some kind-of-cute and each very distinguishable...

This system is creative and although nothing we haven’t seen before, it does the job very nicely. You can hatch different monsters from different rarities of eggs and even the monster den system, in which you discover these eggs, can be a solid bit of fun. Additionally, the game includes a gene system that allows you to customize each monstie and make them truly unique. Overall, another win for the title.



Environments are where I started to see the cracks. It feels so utterly soulless. When you see screenshots and videos of these areas you may find my opinion hard to believe. With pops of colour and throwbacks to your old PlayStation One experiences, but that is the clue right there: poor and dated level design. Sure, exploration is encouraged as you can find trinkets and goodies all around the world, but I don’t want to explore your areas, Monster Hunter Stories 2. I just want to get through them as quickly as possible because it looks and feels like the worlds of a free MMO designed by someone who’s just trying their best. They aren’t ugly, they aren’t the worst, I just don’t care about them.

A saving grace is the ability to ride your monstie, which makes it far more pleasant, and I guess we all enjoy the idea of travelling at speed through a universe rather than slowly. I will commend the environments for one aspect: each monstie can perform a special action. By riding the appropriate monstie you can access different areas; this is interesting and gives you a reason to balance your party outside of combat.



The battle system plays out in the traditional JRPG manner. Think through a strategy with a toolset outlined early on in the story and you are good to go. The battle system is a little too safe for my liking. It’s a rock paper scissors system that hides behind another name. There are some complexities thrown in such as directions of attack and more powerful skills, but I prefer more complex systems such as those seen in Battle Chasers: Nightwar. It's okay, but forgettable.

Who’s that Pokemon! It’s Meowth! Or… No… It’s Navirou the overly confident talking cat… from Monster Hunter… Okay. Honestly the character is so bad he’s good. I loathed Navirou until I loved him. The story kicks off around this little Felyne and the child of legendary rider Red.


*Checks notes, shouts at someone at the back “You are sure this isn’t Pokemon right?”*

So in what definitely isn’t Pokemon, I checked, you are tasked with investigating and resolving the title issue, the Wings of Ruin. Your adventure begins as you learn about strange disappearances of a monster known as a Rathalos. As you dig deeper into the mystery you meet more and more helpful monsties along the way. There are also many friendly and cheerful characters that want to send you in the right direction and are happy to help however they can. The story is very safe and very predictable; I honestly felt it was more of a device to move you towards rare eggs and more gene splicing than something you would expect in a Final Fantasy story. Yet again, it was okay, but forgettable.

The story is very safe and very predictable; I honestly felt it was more of a device to move you towards rare eggs and more gene splicing...

The side quests were pretty fun, and there are a fair number of them. This led to the overall playtime becoming much longer and was a very welcome addition to the game. There are different types of side quests that prevent you from entering the age-old fight 6 boars game loop and you can get lost in these features for dozens of hours, but I struggle to believe you would, unless you're a diehard fan of the series.



In the end, Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin runs fine on the Nintendo Switch, the monsters are a highlight, and the rest of the game is okay. That’s the real problem. That’s the real shame. That’s the real missed opportunity. If there was a more standout feature or perhaps a more intense plot, I think it might have been enough to tip the scale, but with the safer design choices, the 'been there done that' gameplay elements and general gameplay loop, the result is an okay game that I will eventually forget all about. Who’s going to spend time with my monsties?



*Reviewed by Devin Rigotti on Nintendo Switch