Two hundred years ago, a devastating civil war tore apart the nations of Azuria and Vermeil, with a mysterious ‘Crystal Encroachment’ covering the land and sealing away burgeoning life within Egg Quartz. Hope, however, hides itself in the very thing threatening to engulf everything. “Ride On!” as the only Rathalos Rider in Azuria and captain of their preservation team, the Rangers.
Can bonds and camaraderie pave a road through allegiances and division to create a better future? If humans and monsters can transcend species to become friends, surely people can do the same with each other. Hop on your favorite Monstie, and soar with me to learn what this mystery egg contains in Final Weapon’s Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection review!
From Hunter to Ranger
For over 20 years, Capcom’s Monster Hunter series has invited players to step into a wild world full of giant beasts covered in scales, hide, fur, and everything in between, wreaking unnecessary havoc. Various blunt or sharp implements are used in conjunction with a squad of friends to put down these threats humanely. While the Monster Hunter games do have a story, they don’t typically put that element center stage. Instead, the series uses it as the driving force behind the gameplay, which is the true bread and butter. However, 10 years ago, Monster Hunter Stories, a turn-based RPG spinoff with a focus on plot, was released and completely flipped that formula on its head.
With that ancient history out of the way, today, we’re talking about the most recent iteration of the series, the third level refinement – Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection. Bonds, the main theme of each Stories game, burns brighter than ever in this entry. This fact is further bolstered by the moniker of the main character – a Ranger. Like Riders, Rangers share a deep bond with their monster companions; however, the scale of responsibility and possibility is much grander. Riders are usually parts of smaller communities with strong ties to their locales, using the power of their Monstie bonds to protect their home. Rangers do much the same; however, they have a political layer, as they are a Rider group tied to the Kingdom of Azuria. Rangers feel almost like an in-between of Hunters and Riders, with their wider influence and operations being similar. This additional element trickles down throughout the entire narrative, creating a dark duality that gives this particular story its substance.
That can wait! Yes, this is a game where the story is the main course, but that does not mean that the narrative themings aren’t tied into the gameplay evolution this title provides. Since the beginning, Monster Hunter Stories has reimagined the core action gameplay of the main series into a turn-based format. Twisted Reflection, of course, continues this interpretation, retaining the rock-paper-scissors-esque attack weaknesses, classically inspired skills, and flashy Kinship Skills. These decade-old traits, however, have been tweaked to create a snappy and deeply strategic battle system.
Now, excess monsters can be released into the wild to bolster different areas’ natural population, or new monsters can be introduced into the ecosystem. Spiderwebbing out, Habitat Restoration connects to saving Endangered Monster eggs from prisons of crystal while chasing off Invasive Species. Engaging with these integrated systems offers the player not only more strategic battles with their own win conditions but a wider variety of Monsties to add to their team. Habitat Restoration is such a perfect addition to the formula that it made this particular entry incredibly addictive to me. Searching out monster dens and revisiting areas for rarer dens and eggs is integral to the Stories formula, and this extra layer really is the icing on the cake for me.
It adds further incentives for egg collecting while feeding into the combat and team-building aspects perfectly. Mutated monsters and side breeds offer more customization, along with the returning gene splicing. I could see some players getting caught up in this loop just as I did. Exploration is deepened with the optional goal of seeking out these Invasive monsters that guard the Egg Quartz! Everything feels more dynamic because of the hierarchy of goals, with Habitat Restoration threading the thematic needle through the gameplay in a fresh way. It really is what tied everything together for me
The Story Continues!
Across the board, Monster Hunter Stories 3 upgrades every aspect of the presentation, truly bringing the story to life. RE Engine powers this game under the hood, and you can tell. The cel-shaded anime-style graphics return, and pack extra detail and vibrancy. Characters are more proportionate and expressive. Cutscenes are now grounded around a defined protagonist with a place and presence in the world. This time around, the main character has their own voice and perspective to share. Story sequences are well shot, with the more significant scenes and battle animations really dialing up the bombastic and destructive power of Monsters and Riders. It really feels like the steps Monster Hunter Stories 2 took to punch up the presentation have been polished to a sheen here. In general, this third entry has done an excellent job of iterating on the Stories formula. This can especially be felt in the more tightly-knit party found in the Rangers.
With comrades aplenty, each with their own personalities and histories to discover, the main character has a vibrant cast for them to play off of and grow with, as this entry puts an even larger focus on the bonds the protagonist shares with their fellow Rangers. Personalized ‘Side Stories’ are the vehicle for this, although the main meat of their bonds is explored over the course of the main story. These optional quests involve going out on personal jobs or errands with your partners, with the journey promising additional voiced scenes, more fleshed-out character relationships, and plenty of new monsters and useful goodies as additional rewards. Sub-Quests are still here to give the player things to engage with in the world, adding to the small details and making the world feel more alive in the best cases, but not nearly to the extent of Side Stories.
Everything just symbiotically feeds into one another in a beautiful and fulfilling way, starting with the story and extending to the gameplay. The craft and care on display are heartwarming and truly end up making a game that feels complete. Monster Hunter Stories 3 is clearly a refined breed, but I assure you – it’s not just a Monster Hunter-flavored monster-collector. For better and for worse…
The Monster or the Egg?
An awesome thing that I noticed, and yes, it sounds silly, is how well classic Monster Hunter‘s combat was adapted into a different container. It’s so great seeing familiar attack animations and skill effects presented in this turn-based fashion. As I mentioned previously, all of the moving pieces of battle, from the variety of skills to the excellent enemy design, are incredibly well done. What’s neat about that, though, is how well it portrays the main games. All of the adaptive strategy is there. Except now, you have all the time in the world to plan your attack. The swift and faithful animations then all play out one after another, creating the illusion that you’re battling monsters with your friends – a very unique feeling that’s uniquely Monster Hunter.
Beyond the combat, the story also retains that identity in alternate ways. Themes of protecting the environment and humanity’s role within the ecosystem are still explored, but there’s a twist of seeing things from a new perspective. The special bond that can be formed between a Rider and Monster is continually explored throughout the sub-series, along with person-to-person relationships, which have been amped up in this entry. This deeper exploration of the characters, in turn, makes the entire universe feel more satisfying and full. Being this different and exploring the other side of the coin is mostly harmonious!
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is definitely a delight, but the thing is, not everybody likes the yolk, or eggs, for that matter. The differences on display here that make the Stories series unique from the main games shine brightly, for sure, but some things didn’t quite make the transition as gracefully – a touch of discord. I’m still a tad disappointed that overworld areas largely lack music. The ambient nature sounds create a nice soundscape that evokes the Monster Hunter series to a degree, but I feel that having starker area themes would have been nice. To be fair, though, the prior two games also made this choice. Another area that could have received some improvement was the UI. Now, it’s perfectly functional and legible, plus it contains loads of information, so I can’t really fault it on some aspects, but man. Sometimes the UI feels really claustrophobic, like it’s trying to condense as much information as possible.
I feel that having a fully nested menu with list options, rather than the quick-button-select to list menu, could have alleviated this. Where this leaves me is asking the questions, “Why did they retain these rougher edges? To retain the feeling of Monster Hunter? Or why are those parts of the identity kept when aspects of the tone are not?” There are times when I feel that the slightly grittier aesthetic, with actual monster part destruction, and blood do add to aspects of the subtle storytelling. Monster Hunter Stories 3 doesn’t shy away from darker subject matter. But I can honestly see how this dichotomy of opposing lighter presentation and heavier themes could act like oil and water to some fans or prospective players when compared against the main series. Sadly, the post-battle score has dropped a little from this, according to my criteria. Chin up, Ranger!
A Certain Kinship
So far, the Monster Hunter Stories side series has provided an interesting perspective that contrasts with its grittier and more popular parent series. Quietly, these spinoffs have been building their power and growing, and finally, at this more refined stage, Monster Hunter Stories has hit its stride with Twisted Reflection. The first game in the series established everything. Wings of Ruin brought that idea forward with more cinematic elements, and now the newest entry evolves the formula further.
Striking out as a Rider with your favorite Monstie buddies is more satisfying than ever before. Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection holds the main series traditions close to its heart while building on top of the already solid base of its predecessors. Egg Hunting, quelling unnatural events, monster raising, and roaming vast maps are still here, while being enhanced by some fresh, sensical, new ingredients, which fit snugly between the Environmentalist themes and Monster rearing gameplay. Systems have been refined throughout to steep you in this unique side of the coin. Battles are snappy and flashy, while asking the player to pay attention to patterns, exploit weaknesses, and work together whenever possible.
Outside of battle, the game urges the player to step further into nature’s cycle, allowing the repopulation and restoration of monster habitats. Repelling invasive species and protecting endangered monsters is the name of the game. Plus, introducing monsters into specific environments can also yield interesting and powerful variations. All of the gameplay systems weave back into one another beautifully while enhancing the themes of the story, which now branches to include deeper interpersonal relationships amongst the cast. Through and through, Monster Hunter Stories 3 is a richly detailed and gorgeous experience that any fan of Monster-Raising RPGs is sure to enjoy.
Disclaimer: Capcom provided a PlayStation 5 copy of Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection for review purposes.
