My favorite Pokémon alternative is getting the next-gen evolution it deserves on Xbox and PC — Monster Hunter Stories 3 gameplay shown during Tokyo Game Show 2025

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Monster Hunter has gone ballistic with Tokyo Game Show 2025 announcements.

We’ve learned more about the Final Fantasy XIV collaboration coming to Monster Hunter Wilds. Plus, a longer version of the Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection trailer originally shown in a Nintendo Direct in September 2025 was released, and the first two Monster Hunter Stories games are now headed to Xbox!

But there’s still more news! GameSpot just released an exclusive 18-minute preview showing actual gameplay from Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection.

This video offers a first, in-depth look at how the upcoming Xbox JRPG plays – specifically, its turn-based battles and how you explore the game world. It’s great to finally see this, as previous trailers have largely focused on story scenes with only short glimpses of actual gameplay.

Does the game play like the previous installments? Let’s take a closer look at this gameplay preview to see.

The story opens with Azuria’s prince or princess – you get to choose their gender and how they look when you create your character – venturing into the woods alongside their friends, Simon and Thea.

From what we’ve seen, Twisted Reflection will continue the exploration-focused gameplay of previous Monster Hunter Stories games, but with a significantly larger world to explore.

As a researcher studying the game’s environments, I’ve noticed a significant difference in scale compared to the previous Monster Hunter Stories games. The dungeons and the areas connecting them are much larger – truly gigantic – than anything we saw in *Monster Hunter Stories* or *Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin*. The maps are considerably more expansive.

The new areas also feature lots of platforming challenges. You’ll need to use your Monsties – the monsters you’ve tamed to join your team – to get around and find hidden paths. These paths lead to secret items and collectibles, like Poogies.

There are a couple of new features in this game compared to older titles. You can now swap between Monsties while still riding them, and Rathalos, the iconic character of the series, is now the Monstie you begin the game with.

As a fan, I’m really loving these updates! It’s awesome not having to constantly swap Monsties while I’m out exploring, and it opens up some really cool possibilities for platforming – like switching Monsties mid-jump. It adds a whole new layer to the gameplay!

I’m really happy you can get a Rathalos much earlier in the game now! Flying through the beautiful environments with a Monstie is one of the best parts of this series, and it’s great to have that experience available sooner.

While Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection involves exploring the natural world, it’s not always peaceful – you’ll frequently encounter dangerous monsters that will try to attack you.

The game’s turn-based battles immediately demonstrate that it plays much like its predecessors, confirming a familiar combat system.

In Twisted Reflection, battles happen in turns. You, your Monstie, and any helpful allies take turns attacking enemies using weapons and special abilities.

Monster Hunter Stories battles are different from typical JRPGs because they include a Rock-Paper-Scissors mechanic.

During battles, each character uses one of three move types: Power, Technique, or Speed. If a character attacks and their target is preparing to counterattack – shown by a glowing bar connecting them – a Head-to-Head showdown begins.

In a battle, if one character’s attack is stronger against the other’s (like Power beating Technique, Technique beating Speed, or Speed beating Power), they win and do extra damage. If both characters use the same type of attack, it’s a tie, and they each deal normal damage.

When a Rider and their Monstie both attack using a type that’s strong against the enemy’s, they’ll block the enemy’s attack and launch a Double-Team, which deals double damage.

My investigations led me through a series of encounters, starting with skirmishes against smaller creatures. I even discovered the frozen corpse of a Khezu, apparently a victim of something called Crystal Encroachment – a truly strange occurrence. Most recently, I faced off against a Paolumu, a rather unusual, bat-like monster.

This battle teaches you how to change weapons during combat to take advantage of enemy weaknesses, like their elemental vulnerabilities and what kind of weapons they’re susceptible to. You’ll also learn that damaging an enemy enough – or breaking their parts – can force them out of powerful transformations, protecting your team from dangerous attacks.

The trailer also shows off a new battle feature called Synchro Rush. If you defeat an enemy monster, a quick button-press sequence appears, letting your whole team unleash a powerful, finishing attack.

This feature is enjoyable and encourages players to discover the best strategies for defeating enemies and earning large rewards.

Once the player has built up enough Kinship with their Monstie – by battling or winning rock-paper-scissors-like Head-to-Heads – they can ride their Monstie and finish the Paolumu with a powerful, special move called a Kinship Skill.

A surprising new monster, the Chatacabra from Monster Hunter Wilds, appears in the trailer, but it’s clearly not right. It’s been infected by a strange crystal growth, driving it mad and causing it to attack everything around it.

As a researcher on Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, I’m really excited about what might be the biggest new feature: Feral Monsters. These creatures add a whole new dimension to gameplay.

Feral Monsters are tougher versions of regular monsters, boasting more health and strength. They also have unique attacks not found in their normal counterparts. A good example is the Feral Chatacabra, which can fire shocking, paralyzing Great Thunderbugs from crystals on its body.

To defeat a Feral monster and stop its attacks, you must break its crystallized body parts. However, it will immediately retaliate if you attempt to do so, so you’ll need to wait for a safe moment to strike.

Luckily, the heroes get their chance when the Feral Chatacabra’s Wyvernsoul Gauge is emptied. This stuns the creature and causes it to transform.

Okay, so here’s the deal: if you target the crystallized parts of this monster, it won’t fight back, which is awesome! But be careful – when it transforms, its attack power goes way up, and you’ll be in serious trouble if you’re not prepared. It’s a risk-reward situation, for sure!

This creates an interesting strategic dilemma where you have to decide which body part to go after.

During a fight with a Feral Monster, you can target its crystal parts to prevent it from using its powerful attacks later. Or, if you’re worried your team won’t last, you can try to force it back to its normal form right away.

This is only the beginning of Monster Hunter Stories 3, and I can’t wait to learn more

Fortunately, the heroes defeated the monster by carefully targeting its crystal parts. They finished it off with Rathalos’ powerful Sky-High Dive skill, bringing the gameplay demonstration to a close.

As someone who really enjoys Monster Hunter Stories, I’m incredibly excited about this new game. It feels like the series is finally able to grow and reach its full potential now that it’s being developed for home consoles, rather than being limited to mobile platforms. It’s a great step forward!

The game features beautiful anime-style visuals that still maintain the detail of previous installments. Combat appears more engaging and exciting than before, and the new Feral Monsters promise a fun but tough challenge.

I’m really excited to find out what challenges and new monsters await in Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection! The game comes out on March 13, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC through Steam, and I can’t wait to collect and train even more Monsties.

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2025-09-26 22:42