Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection wastes no time in making an impact. Gone are the meandering introductory sequences of its predecessors, replaced by clipped, dramatic cutscenes and a full entrance into its wide, open world of monster hunting and royal politics.
In just a few hours, the game evolves into a gorgeous, eye-catching adventure, with characters you care about and gameplay that’s moreish and rewarding.
Learning lessons from past games in the franchise, Monster Hunter Stories 3 is shaping up to be a bright-eyed and transformative sequel, with fresh ideas about what makes the story so engaging.
Monster Hunter Stories 3 preview – quick links
Royal storyline ups the stakes
The Monster Hunter Stories franchise means a lot to me. In my late teens, the original game was a randomly-discovered gem and I spent hundreds of hours with it, journeying through an open world, stealing monster eggs and perfecting my team of monsties.
When the direct sequel was announced, my heart leapt. I knew the game’s combination turn-based combat, egg stealth skirmishes and vast open world exploration was too good to leave behind. But on launch, Monster Hunter Stories 2 left me wanting.
It was a solid game all around, and a worthy sequel to the original, but I found its plot much less compelling and its characters didn’t really grab me. Perfectly fine can sometimes be enough, but I didn’t love this sequel to the point where it consumed me.
Monster Hunter Stories 3 seems likely to change all that, and after several hours with it, I’ve only become more convinced.
Focusing on royal and political drama is a clever and enthralling twist here, as you take the reigns of a prince or princess who must balance royal duty with a passion for monster catching. You’re torn between two worlds – one of professional courtesy and obligation, and the other of wrestling monsters across jungles and fields.
There’s an inherent tension here, and one that lends higher stakes to the narrative as you deal with your royal consorts, the political machinations of opposing countries, and the encroachment of strange, infected monsters.
Monster Hunter Stories 3 also makes the clever choice of having a fully-voiced main protagonist, lending much-needed personality to the plot. Your custom-created face (of which there are many options and styles) can be anything you choose, and you can then watch them heading off on grand adventures, putting yourself in their shoes.
A rowdy cast of companions
With such a personal connection to the main character, you feel every story beat – and it certainly helps that Monster Hunter Stories 3 kicks off its plot with such well-rounded, well-designed companion characters, and ideas that feel genuinely interesting.
While there are, so far, elements that are relatively beige – there’s an encroaching darkness infecting monsters, and you must discover the cause – the sharp dialogue and the rowdy cast help to elevate the action beyond the routine.
There’s Kora, likely to be a fan-favourite, who is your munitions experts. She’s, quite frankly, an absolute babe, but is as clever and helpful as she is beautiful. There’s Thea, your young apprentice who loves Poogies (baby pigs) and is always willing to learn. There’s also your Felyn, Rudy, who is pint-sized and enthusiastic, lending a bright-eyed optimism to your journey.
You meet this cast near-immediately after you begin the game, and they help to shape your journey, providing stakes, advice and support as you rally onwards and begin to explore the layered story of global conflict and magical prophecy.
Improved features and gameplay
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Monster Hunter Stories game without some returning bounds. While this story sets up a bigger conflict than in past games, it remains grounded by its mission-to-mission gameplay, and established combat features.
You’ll take on an array of missions as you travel, each tasking you with various challenges – whether looting a monster nest, collecting a certain ingredient or defeating another monster in battle. It’s a very neat structure, with each mission encouraging you to journey further into your world, or discover some new creatures.
You’ll also take part in combat between these missions, with optional (and some non-optional) battles found in the overworld. As with other Monster Hunter Stories games, battles are all about weaknesses and strengths, with players able to select from three different types of attacks.
Victory comes only with observation, as you must figure out which attacks your enemy is utilising, then attack using your own knowledge of their weaknesses.
This is a system that’s endured through all three Monster Hunter Stories games, and it remains clever and intuitive here. The combat is also buoyed by new, more flashy attacks, along with a rotating weapon wheel that makes attacks easier to deploy. While there is still a frustrating element of chance, it adds tension to ensure tougher fighters are won only with a white-knuckled grip.
The promise of more to come
In this first preview of Monster Hunter Stories 3, the sequel has ticked a lot of my boxes. It introduces a story that’s easy to sink yourself into. Its cast of characters is memorable and easily loveable. It takes everything necessary from its predecessors and enhances it, while leaving many of the lesser-loved elements behind.
While its only early days for this sequel, these first steps demonstrate strong promise – and they’ve made me all the more excited to see what unfolds next.
Stay tuned for a full review of Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection.
A PC code for Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection was provided for the purposes of this preview.
