Advertisement
Pokemon and Monster Hunter had a child and... well...
How this franchise has changed! If you've ever played the first Monster Hunter, you would remember how straightforward it was. There was not much in terms of story. You were just a hunter tasked with kicking some monsters' behind. It was also quite "mature" in mood and character.
Capcom introduced Monster Hunter Stories back in the 3DS era in an attempt to popularize the saga among kids. You're no longer a badass hunter now. You're a cutesy "Rider" who steals collects monsters' eggs to hatch and "befriend" them. Yeah, you may say it's yet another Pokemon clone at this point.
If you wish to witness this change in mood for yourself, just google images of "Monster Hunter" and you'll see just how the overall aesthetics of past titles were. Heck, even the title design went from very ominous fonts with a winged demon at the top to flashy Megaman-style letters.
Now, it must be pointed out that this is actually a spin-off title in the series. It's not meant to be "canon" if that makes sense. But it does feel like a totally different game from anything remotely resembling Monster Hunter. Even the combat system changed from action-oriented to turn-based. I'm confident this change was done in an attempt to please the more family-friendly crowd, but fans of the old titles may feel grossly offended by these changes, as the combat in the mainline series was one of its most relevant selling points.
All this rant is not my way of saying that this game is bad or anything. The game, when taken apart from its bigger context, is amazing, and this Android/iOS port promises not to disappoint. Textures and character models look much better this time around than on the original 3DS launch. Though you'll probably find better graphics on other games such as Genshin Impact, this game still oozes elegance.
There are, occasionally, glitches and pop-ins you're bound to find throughout your playthrough, as well as a generous number of monsters materializing instantly in front of you! Despite these drawbacks, you should not feel discouraged to try this game out, as these bugs are neither game-breaking nor often.
As for the story, as I said before, this is an anomaly. a Monster Hunter game is not usually one I would play for the story.
Capcom decided to insert a plot here about some blight that threats the land and what-not. Trust me, I tried to feel invested in the story but, unfortunately, I wasn't fully bought. I wasn't exactly expecting R. R. Martin-level stuff, but a bit more fleshing-out wouldn't have hurt, I guess. Characters in the game behave in a heavy anime-like fashion and they don't get enough screen time for me to really care about them.
The soundtrack was, nonetheless, very nice and beautifully crafted. The victory music that plays after each battle is breathtakingly epic and is probably the best victory theme I've ever heard in gaming, even challenging to take Final Fantasy's throne. I believe that the music makes up for what the story itself lacks, which is a shame because I could see the potential this game had in that department.
Advertisement
View on mobile
Monster Hunter Stories is, at its core, a role-playing game set in a fantasy exotic setting and played from a third-person perspective.
The game begins in a tutorial area. You are accompanied by your friends Cheval and Lilia in your quest to find some monster eggs. You eventually find an egg that hatches into a creature called Rathalos, but not before the game prompts you to a character creation screen. The creature (nicknamed Ratha) immediately bonds with you and your party decides to take it to Villa Hakum, the Rider village that serves as your central hub and that has no visible connection to the outside world.
Upon arrival, you get into trouble with village chief Omna for wandering outside the village without authorization, an action which constitutes a violation of the "Rider code". After some dialogue scenes, a cinematic sequence is triggered: The village gets ravaged by a monster carrying the Black Blight, a sort of mist that corrupts everything upon touch and causes monsters to become more violent. Ratha attempts to defend the village but apparently gets killed in the process. Cheval's mother also died, causing him to swear revenge and become utterly bitter.
One year after the events, you are granted the title of Rider alongside your friends through the Rite of Kinship, and are given a Kinship Stone, which is forged from Kinship Ore and allows you to bond with Monsties (monsters found across the different biomes that you can tame and train). You may name the Monsties you capture and even ride them across the game's overworld. They will also aid you in battle
The game centers on exploring the world, encountering monsters, and stealing monsters' eggs, all the while embarking on a quest to stop the Black Blight. The monsters can be customized via the Rite of Channeling, by which you may allocate Bond Genes in order to unlock different abilities and stats.
While the egg-collecting mechanic may remind you of Pokemon, there's a catch (no pun intended): Once you find your egg, you have to work for it! This means that you ought to devise strategies aimed at luring the creatures guarding the eggs out of their nests beforehand and walking out with the eggs without being intercepted.
Navirou - a feline-type creature that accompanies you throughout your adventure - will describe the nest for you, as well as the type of eggs you're bound to find. If the atmosphere around the nest is described as "normal", you will probably only get average monsters, whereas if he says that it's "good" or "dangerous", the possibility of getting high-quality eggs increases.
Finally, in this game, you may only choose up to four weapons: The Hunting Horn, the Hammer, the Great Sword, and the Sword & Shield. Each weapon endows you with different skills and has different Weapon paths (trees) and upgrades.
Monster Hunter Stories promises not to disappoint in the gameplay department. Despite being so far apart from what made the Monster Hunter series great, to begin with, it may still be enjoyed for what it is: A very competent Pokemon clone "with a twist". If you are willing to pay the hefty $15.69 price, then I advise you to check it out!
Have you become a world-class Rider yet? Let me know below!
Advertisement
Advertisement
