Hell Fire RPGs checked out Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin:

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin - Review [RPG of the Year Contender?] (Switch, PC)

loading...

Inverse reviewed Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin:

Monster Hunter Stories 2 is Pokemon’s toughest competition yet

Inverse Review Score: 8/10

Hunting monsters is hard, but becoming a fan of Monster Hunter might be even harder.

Booting up Monster Hunter Rise and Monster Hunter: World for the first time, you’re either impressed by the intricate and satisfying combat — or put off by the text-heavy, confusing tutorials and overall difficulty.

Capcom’s new turn-based RPG Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is a stellar point of entry for gamers who have never been able to get into the action games, blending Monster Hunter’s DNA with a robust RPG experience in a way that will appeal to fans of series like Pokémon or Xenoblade Chronicles.
Ruination or Salvation?

While regular Monster Hunter games do have stories, they are often a means to an end so the player can endlessly hunt monsters and craft new gear. Inversely, Monster Hunter Stories 2: WIngs of Ruin puts as much emphasis on its narrative as an intense JRPG. There are hours of cutscenes and side quests to experience.

You are the descendant of Red, a famous Monster Rider who showed the world how humans, the elvish race of Wyverians, and monsters could work together. Players step into the role of a novice Monster Rider in a small village. That means they make connections and work with Monsties to keep the land peaceful.

The game always refers to its creatures as “Monsties,” which is a bit too playful and never really sits well. Just call them monsters! Outside of that, the writing and plotting of the adventure are well done.

[...]

Monster Hunter Stories 2 distinguishes itself from games like Pokemon Sword and Shield and Xenoblade Chronicles by leaning into what makes the average Monster Hunter game so appealing: tons of weapon and armor customization, intense enemy encounters, and multiplayer.

Monster Hunter Stories 2 finds a surprisingly fruitful middle ground between extremely tough action games and accessible JRPGs. It’s a fantastic starting point for the whole series for that reason.

It features deep systems that will please any hardcore RPG fans and that’s only enhanced by its cute aesthetic, awesome monsters designs, and engaging story that will appeal to causal players. Monster Hunter Stories 2 might just make you a fan of Monster Hunter.

Score: 8/10

The adventure RPG Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin has been released today:

 Monster Hunter Stories 2 - Launch Trailer

loading...

A new adventure awaits you in this second installment of the turn-based RPG series set in the world of Monster Hunter! Become a Rider and form bonds with friendly monsters known as Monsties to fight alongside them as you take part in an epic story.

You play as the grandson of Red, a legendary Rider. The story begins with a fateful encounter with Ena, a Wyverian girl who has been entrusted with an egg with the potential to hatch into a legendary Rathalos which could wreak havoc if awakened to its destructive power.

Embark on a journey which will test the bonds of friendship in a changing world, and discover the truth behind the legends of old.

RPG Site has reviewed Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin:

Monster Hunter Stories 2 Review

As cliche as it is, some JRPGs are just like comfort food. They're not particularly outstanding, but they offer just the right mix of gameplay, story, and overall vibes to make it easy to devour them - even if they might not stick with you as long as some of the greats of the genre. Monster Hunter Stories back on the 3DS was a comfortable, if not astounding RPG - a nice first attempt at the monster-collecting sub-genre filled with the likes of Yokai Watch, Digimon, and the ever-popular Pokemon. All Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin needed to do was improve upon an already solid foundation, and to give players a reason to give the spinoff another shot. In that sense, it more than succeeds.

As you might've gathered, Monster Hunter Stories 2 is the iterative sequel. While Wings of Ruin makes a number of changes to improve the experience, fundamentally they're both very much the same type of game at their core. An expansion on existing ideas and frameworks, rather than a complete rewrite.

If you're not already familiar with Monster Hunter Stories' main gameplay loop, the name of the game is working together with monsters instead of just mercilessly slaughtering them. In practice, that means stealing their young, too. Across the overworld, you'll find randomly spawning Monster Dens, which are randomly generated and will include a nest from which you can gather eggs that you can bring back to town and hatch. These dens can either be empty, have a specific monster sleeping at them, or could even have an active and awake monster on the prowl.

[...]

I greatly enjoyed my time with Monster Hunter Stories 2, but if this review reads more restrained than the score might make you feel - it's because as much as I enjoyed the game, it still has its fair share of flaws, and I'm unsure if players with less of a history with the franchise might be willing to overlook them. Your mileage may vary, but one thing's for sure - it's great to see that Monster Hunter: Stories isn't dead, and hopefully this is just one of many more sequels to come.

Score: 8/10

GamingBolt checked out the upcoming J-RPG Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin:

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin Review - The Final Verdict

loading...

Will you like Monster Hunter Stories 2? It’s a really well-made JRPG with high production values that brings a lot of unique spins to the table, so chances are, you will. 

If you like Monster Hunter, or RPGs, or both, you’ll probably find a lot to like here. Even folks who are unfamiliar with the original Monster Hunter Stories game, or just Monster Hunter in general, will probably end up finding themselves enamored by the mechanically dense and well-made RPG on offer. 

It’s not perfect, and a presumed third game in the series still has a fair bit to address – but nothing here is game-breaking, and Wings of Ruin is a mechanically compelling RPG with high production values, and it will probably manage to find a lot of takers among fans of RPGs, Monster Hunter - and fans of Pokemon disappointed by the direction the newer games in that series have taken.