When Capcom released Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin on the Nintendo Switch in 2021, there may have been some who said, “Wait, there was a first game?” It’s worth remembering that the original release of Monster Hunter Stories came at the end of the 3DS era; was actually released AFTER The Switch was launched in 2017. It would be understandable, then, if many gamers missed it in a way that its sequel – on the current and dominant Nintendo system – was not.
Now we have Monster Hunter Stories on Switch to right that wrong and ensure Nintendo fans have both stories at their disposal. It is also welcome; while these kid-friendly RPG outings for the series don’t push the boundaries of the genre or even add much to the IP’s impressive global reach, they’re a nice introduction to a franchise that’s traditionally quite challenging. This first entry comes with some improvements as well, but it also feels unmistakably like the 3DS original, which isn’t always a good thing.
Let’s make one thing clear, if you’re hoping for a major revamping effort from the 3DS title, you might be a little disappointed. Extras are the voice acting – which is amazingly great, sometimes hilarious and occasionally grating – and a museum area where you can look at cool art and listen to music. Capcom has also fixed some aspects and comes out in fresh HD or portable or connected, but this really looks like a 3DS game. We’ve got those familiar angles and sharp geometry, some blurring in action footage when viewed on a big TV, and some old-school animations and facial expressions. The latter, by the way, are very charming – we found the scenes irresistible from time to time thanks to the cartoonish but earnest performances of our virtual heroes. This aspect of the old-school visuals struck a chord with us and made us root for the characters.
Still, be prepared to accept simplistic views in this one, much more so than the sequel. On the plus side, this game doesn’t ever share the brutal performance issues of its successor, nor does it have to consider the simplicity of the graphics. That said, our impressions of the performance are slightly worse than in our preview; unfortunately, some later and more open areas suffer from slowdown, which is more noticeable (or maybe just more distracting) when connected. This is disappointing, and it really shouldn’t be – we suspect it will be due to the engine used for the original, as it I can not be due to graphical complexity – but ultimately it’s not too big of a problem.
So what is the Monster Hunter Stories experience, for the uninitiated? Well, it’s a light and relatively cute take on the RPG genre for new players, or those of us who just want an easy time while occasionally pulling our hearts out from a cute hero. You explore, complete one LOT of quests, gather and fight. The turn-based combat here uses a rock-paper-scissors format, though a good amount of strategy is required that should keep you interested; for each fight you must not only learn the enemy’s patterns, but use your team of ‘Monsties’ to triumph. You get the right combos, “ride” your Monstie for extra effect and even pull off fun and outrageous super moves. It’s a good time, albeit a time that is rarely met.
Our only notable criticism of the battle system comes from an old-fashioned design that requires the occasional frantic button-mashing or stick-waving. These are a bit of an annoyance if you’re affected by accessibility concerns – we couldn’t find any way to change them in the settings – and frankly can destroy the famously bad Joy-Con sticks. Get out a Pro Controller or third-party Joy-Cons if you play this.
The world itself is quite large, all things considered, and such is the relatively easy difficulty of the game (until a few later boss battles) that you can either push from one story beat to another or skip a few dozens of hours beating all the side quests and challenges. There’s a lot of bang for your buck, and regardless of your approach, the simple story nonetheless has its powerful moments. Maybe it was the overtired state of this writer or the nostalgia for the series, but some of the narration – done in that cool style – was quite touching. Young players, in particular, can benefit greatly from the tale told, as the themes of caring for and protecting creatures, the quest to promote balance in the world, and empathy are as valid as ever.
It’s also worth noting that, as simplistic as this version of Monster Hunter is, it has plenty of depth for those who want customization. There are lots of items and buffs to find, and as you progress, more layers of meta-games appear. Not only do you collect eggs and upgrade your team of Monsties, but you can undergo the ‘Rite of Channeling’ to evolve your friends, or send additional Monsties on expeditions to gain resources. There’s a deep Monsterpedia, a variety of crafting options, and various weapons and armor to pick up. You don’t necessarily have to get into these areas very deep to beat the game, but it’s nice for those who want to get into the fray.
Finally, there is an online battle mode if you really i want to get into it – we tried to test for review but no one was online, strangely. This felt like a small addition going forward, but it’s a nice feature for those excited by the prospect. It all adds up to what is, overall, a substantial package.
We couldn’t escape the feeling, though, even as we enjoyed the game, that the limitations of the original 3DS hardware really differ and have not been substantially resolved. It’s not just the basic looks, but also the design aspects that could and should have been improved. There are minor annoyances and glitches, like the weird lag when picking up items while riding a Monstie, or the occasional extreme scale enemy and environment clipping. None of that detracts from the overall experience, but it also makes it feel too much like a 3DS port, a throwback tweaked in simple ways and pushed to vastly different devices.
Add in the surprising performance drops and what we have is a beautiful game full of charm that, nevertheless, shows its age.
CONCLUSION
Monster Hunter Stories, like its Switch sequel, has some hardware issues; in this case the problems have more to do with the misery of the 3DS era design and the simple porting. However, when you put these issues aside, we still have a charming, enjoyable experience for either new players or new RPG / Monster Hunter fans. You can take or leave all that classic MH depth, and it won’t take long to master the battle mechanics, but this is a game with enough silliness and serious storytelling to deserve a second chance.