Monster Hunter Wilds may be on hard times, but the Pokémon-inspired Monster Hunter Stories 3 seems like it’s checking every box RPG players want

by

It’s hard to imagine Capcom failing with “Monster Hunter, but Pokémon,” because since Pokémon first appeared on the Game Boy, no other game has come close to matching its success. Combining one of Japan’s other most popular game franchises with the idea of collecting monsters instead of fighting them seems like a guaranteed win. With Monster Hunter Stories 3, Capcom appears to be finally giving this RPG spin-off the resources and attention it needs to become a major hit.

I finally got around to checking out this light turn-based RPG series, and it’s pretty cool – you play as a young monstie rider, which is a nice change of pace from just being a monster hunter. It’s weird that it didn’t hit PC until last year, though, considering it first came out on the Nintendo 3DS way back in 2016. Even then, I could see it had potential, but the story felt aimed at younger audiences, and the battle system was a little too simple – basically rock-paper-scissors. It felt like they thought people who play Pokémon-like games are still just kids, and not folks like me – people in their thirties and forties who grew up with those games. I was hoping for something a little more complex, but it’s still enjoyable. You can find more info here.

During the 45 minutes I spent playing Monster Hunter Stories 3 at TGS last week, it quickly became clear that the game was aiming for a different feel. The art style is now reminiscent of Nintendo’s Breath of the Wild, moving away from the typical anime look. Instead of playing as a young trainee, your character is already a skilled monster rider. The combat system is similar to rock-paper-scissors, but with a twist – you’re using a robotic hand that changes shape. The core concept of strengths and weaknesses remains, but you’re constantly adapting your attacks by transforming your hand into things like garden shears or a large boulder to maximize your impact.

Playing the Stories 3 demo felt like a dual experience – it taught me the game’s mechanics and acted as an introduction to one of the RPG’s characters, a new rider just starting out on their adventure. Although the tutorial kept things relatively simple with clear guidance, I was genuinely surprised by how much information and how many systems it introduced before I even reached the first boss fight:

  • Determining what kind of attack a monster’s going to make (power, speed or technique) and outplaying it
  • Swapping out your own partnered monster for one with an advantageous attack type or special ability
  • Swapping between weapons like the bow, hammer, greatsword, and more to deal piercing/slashing/bludgeoning damage, which different monster body parts are weak to
  • Setting up combo attacks with your monster companion by using the same attack type at once
  • Setting up team combo attacks by staggering a monster
  • Building up a kinship gauge with your monster so you can jump on its back and deliver another, more powerful type of attack
  • Learning how monsters change their patterns when enraged
  • Learning how monsters change their patterns and counter-attack when buffed by a sort of crystalline infection, which ties into the plot

I hadn’t even gotten to the more complex features, like catching and breeding monsters, but I was already completely focused on carefully choosing the best move during each battle. This is exactly what the developers were aiming for, as they explained in an interview with 4Gamer. They designed the new combat systems to make battles more engaging once you understand how enemies attack, avoiding repetitive fights. I think the strategic options in battle will become much more expansive once I can explore the world freely and build my own monster team.

It’s difficult to say just how much freedom the game will offer at this point. The demonstration was very straightforward, guiding me through a series of tutorial battles and simple puzzles – things like choosing the correct monster to mount for flying or scaling a cliff. However, some of the gameplay footage Capcom has revealed suggests much more expansive areas to explore, especially while riding a flying Rathalos.

Although Stories 3 still feels somewhat like a simpler version of the main Monster Hunter games, it’s definitely getting closer in quality. Wilds has frustrated many veteran players by taking away some of the challenging elements that defined the earlier titles, and the new seasonal and weather features didn’t really enhance the gameplay. Stories 3, however, is improving the experience by offering a wider variety of weapons during combat, making monsters act in more unpredictable ways, and letting you do more while exploring the world – with increased interaction between creatures and their surroundings.

I’m not sure if the game’s elements will hold up throughout a lengthy RPG, or if the story will be too predictable and cliché, making it hard to stay invested; storytelling hasn’t traditionally been a strength of the Monster Hunter series. However, I have a strong feeling this could be a major success for the Stories games, similar to how Monster Hunter: World was for the core games. It probably won’t reach the same level-World is Capcom’s best-selling title ever-but it appears well-positioned to expand beyond its current audience of young players who enjoy both Monster Hunter and Japanese role-playing games, and appeal to a much wider group of Pokémon fans.

While Monster Hunter Stories 3 might not reach the unexpectedly high sales numbers of Palworld – a game boosted by internet memes – its success could be fueled by the enduring popularity of survival games and the appeal of monster-collecting titles. Pokémon remains the most beloved Japanese RPG series, but many longtime fans are increasingly disappointed with the direction of recent installments. If they’re searching for an alternative, Stories 3 appears poised to capture their interest.

Read More

2025-10-02 04:03