Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin Review (Switch)

very good
key review info
  • Game: Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin
  • Platform: Switch
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  • Reviewed on:
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin artwork

Unlike traditional Monster Hunter games that focus on action gameplay style, Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin adopts a much different approach that requires strategy and patience. The sequel to Monster Hunter Stories, which was launched on the Nintendo 3DS back in 2016, Wings of Ruin is exposed to a wider audience thanks to Capcom's decision to make it available on both Nintendo Switch and PC.

While Wings of Ruin features the same gameplay loop as the original Monster Hunter Stories game, it does a better job at trying to accommodate both newcomers and veterans of the series. You're going to learn everything you need to know to be successful in Wings of Ruin thanks to the in-depth tutorial spanning several hours.

Each mission in the first part of the game introduces a new concept that players might or might not be familiar with from the previous Monster Hunter games. Even veterans of the series will need to get acquainted with some of the gameplay features introduced in Wings of Ruin if they didn't play the previous game.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is a “Rock, Paper, Scissors” game at its core, but that's just the first layer of its gameplay mechanics. Just like in the previous Monster Hunter series, you'll be hunting monsters that will become increasingly more powerful as you approach the end of the game.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin
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However, this time around, you'll have an NPC helping you and an army of Monsties. These so-called Monsties are in fact the same monsters that you hunt, but since you have stolen their eggs and hatched them at your base, you are now controlling them via a kinship bracelet. Each map in the game has one or more Monster Dens and some of them contain rare eggs that allow you to hatch more powerful Monsties that will help you in fights.

It's a gameplay mechanic strikingly similar to Pokemon where you find eggs, put them into an incubator, and hope to hatch a very rare Monstie. You can even name all your Monsties or release them in the wild if they don't have the stats you're looking for.

Apart from Monsties and NPCs, you'll also be able to use three out of the six weapons available in the game. Monsters that you hunt may be weak to certain elements, but also weapon types. You can switch weapons and Monsties during fights for free, and whenever you and your Monstie execute the same type of attack (Power, Technical, Speed), a Double Attack occurs. The latter not only does a lot of damage but also prevents the monster's next attack.

Forging new weapons and armors is one of the main highlights of a Monster Hunter game, but in Wings of Ruin, this concept is less important than the fights (with all the tactical decisions you must take). In Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, you'll forge suits of armor rather than pieces, so you'll be able to completely focus on the story instead of trying to hunt certain monsters over and over again for that missing ingredient required for an armor piece. Not to mention that in order to forge new weapons and armor, you will not need specific materials, just some parts from a certain monster.

Despite the fact that all Monsties hatched are level 1, the game offers a huge amount of bonus experience to these Monsties if you have them in your party. It's a nice quality-of-life improvement that ensures players don't have to grind every time they switch to a new Monstie.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is more about the story rather than exploration. Although the first part of the game isn't that interesting, the game picks up in the latter part with some surprising twists. The writing is fun and full of dad jokes, but it's quite enjoyable and perfectly fits the theme.

Those who've played a Monster Hunter game before will find the plot pretty standard: monsters go mad, the hero must find the cause. Overall, I believe the story was enjoyable enough to keep me entertained until the end of the game, but if I were to choose between the story and the actual gameplay, I would definitely choose the latter.

There's so much depth underneath the seemingly basic gameplay mechanics that I've spent a few hours to try and evolve Monsties into what I wanted. There's a “gene” mechanic that lets you change a Monstie's elemental attack and defense type if you increase it enough, not to mention that each Monstie has unique elemental weaknesses and strengths.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is much easier than I expected, but that doesn't detract from the game's overall appeal. The myriad of Monsties that you'll have at your disposal and the strategic decisions you'll have to make every battle is what makes Wings of Ruin an enjoyable experience.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin
+4more

The Good

  • Deep combat system
  • Addictive monster hatching loop mechanic
  • Simplified armor and weapon forging
  • No grinding required

The Bad

  • Too many loading times
  • Visuals can be unappealing at times (especially in the first part)

Conclusion

There aren't too many things that Wings of Ruin doesn't do right for a turn-based game set in the Monster Hunter universe. Too many loading times and the rather ugly visuals (in the first part of the game) might detract from the game's appeal, but the addictive Pokemon-like monster hatching mechanic and the deep combat are more than enough to keep players invested throughout an entire playthrough.

Despite the cliché story scenario, the game does have its surprising moments that can get you emotional rather quickly. At the end of the day, I believe Wings of Ruin's lighthearted narrative is perfectly suited for a Monster Hunter game that's all about hatching monsters to help you hunt the same monsters.

Review code provided by the publisher.

story 8
gameplay 9
concept 9
graphics 7
audio 8
multiplayer 9
final rating 8.5
Editor's review
very good
 

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin screenshots (43 Images)

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin artwork
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of RuinMonster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of RuinMonster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of RuinMonster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin
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