Monster Hunter Stories

Monster Hunter Stories from 2016 was a marked departure from the series' established formula. Instead of the action hunting that defined the main entries, it offered a classic turn-based RPG in the style of genres that made other Japanese franchises famous – the player doesn't become a hunter here, but a so-called Rider, who finds monster eggs, hatches young ones called Monsties from them, and raises them as combat companions. Instead of weapons forged from hunted monsters, the player here travels alongside their mounted companion and explores a more open, story-focused world with it.

This fundamentally changed the whole combat concept: battles are turn-based, built on a rock-paper-scissors-style system of advantages between attack types, and the player leads their own mounted creature alongside their Rider, instead of fighting a giant monster alone with a sword in hand. The game also received a much more pronounced story with its own characters and narrative arc, a big shift for a series known more for minimalist quest-giving – the narrative here leads the player from village to village and is built on the relationship between the Rider and their Monstie, rather than a sequence of isolated jobs. Development was handled by studio Marvelous under the Capcom banner, which explains why the gameplay differs so much from the rest of the series – this effectively created a standalone spin-off aimed also at players whom classic action hunting never appealed to, but whom the world and monsters of Monster Hunter still attracted.

Why play: Stories is an ideal choice for players who enjoy turn-based RPGs and want to sample the world of Monster Hunter without having to master the main series' demanding action combat. It also works great as an entry point for younger or less experienced players, thanks to its friendlier pace and a story that holds your hand noticeably more than the traditional entries. Fans of the main series, however, should expect not to find their usual action hunting here – it's a different game with the same monsters, not a lightened-up variant of what they're used to.