Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin (Nintendo Switch)
Official GBAtemp Review
Product Information:
- Release Date (NA): July 9, 2021
- Release Date (EU): July 9, 2021
- Release Date (JP): July 9, 2021
- Publisher: Capcom
- Developer: Capcom and Marvelous Inc.
- Genres: RPG
- Also For: Computer
Game Features:
Capcom brings us back to the world of Monster Hunter in their follow-up to their RPG spinoff with Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin. Developed by Capcom and Marvelous Inc., players assume the role of a novice Rider and uncover the truth behind a mysterious light driving monsters mad and a Rathalos rumored to bring ruin to all. Is this a ride worth going on or one to walk away from? Let’s saddle up and get going!
A Monstrous Adventure
During a ceremony held by a village of Riders, who have also invited Hunters in an attempt to foster friendship and understanding, a young Wyverian girl runs through dense forest and undergrowth. Arriving at her destination, she greets a large moss-covered Rathalos and is given an egg just as Hunters arrive as well. A red light erupts from the earth and the Rathalos unleashes an attack, injuring the Hunters before flying away. Back at the village, the sea itself is erupting in the same light as the village looks in awe as countless Rathalos are seen flying away. The following day, the village chief begins to organize an investigation into the strange light and allows you, a fledgling Rider and grandchild to Red, a legendary and now deceased Rider, to take part in it as well. And from there, your adventure begins.
I have to say, I found the story of Wings of Ruin to be much more enjoyable and engaging than the previous title and, as an avid Hunter myself, the stories of newer mainline titles. As much as I enjoyed the gameplay improvements and changes in World and Rise, I can’t say the story of either game really grabbed me, and they felt a bit forced and just more of a detour between hunts. Much like the first Stories game, there is a strong emphasis on the power of bonds and friendship and drawing out inner strength--pretty typical for a JRPG or most anime.
Despite its sequel status, having played the first isn’t particularly necessary in order to enjoy the game or story. Some characters and locations, like the Felyne Navirou who serves as your guide and companion or fellow Rider Avinia of Kuan Village, return in this follow-up title, but it mostly consists of new characters and locales, with prior events and characters are referenced as well during the course of the game. It does take a little bit to really get going and the first handful of hours serve as a tutorial and to ease you into the game.
The core gameplay in Stories 2 is mostly unchanged; mostly being the keyword, here. Like mainline games, you create an avatar using a simplified version of the character creation from World and Rise. You still traverse each area with your Monsties, exploring Dens and retrieving eggs, and battling monsters. Much like the first, each Monstie has a unique ability or two to assist you in a number of ways, ranging from frightening monsters or finding gathering points to flying and swimming. There is a lot of opportunity for exploration as the maps themselves are quite large and feature plenty of Dens and sub-areas therein. You'll be able to explore two types of Dens during your adventure: Monster Dens and EverDens. While Monster Dens are randomly created when you enter and appear in equally random locations on the field, EverDens are static. Both contain eggs at the end of exploring them but EverDens provide opportunities to find rare loot and items, ranging from weapons and armor to Bottlecaps that can be used to trade for increases in stable size, layered armor, or more weapons.
Combat still uses the same turn-based Rock-Paper-Scissors mechanic as the original, where you'll be grinding for monster parts and EXP. You still have three hearts that you lose should you or your Monstie faint. Lose all three and that's a loss and you are sent back to the village in the area you are at. At the end of each battle, you receive a ranking where the higher it is, the more rewards you earn. While I did enjoy the overall gameplay in the first title, it felt a touch dull and tiresome over time. Though it is at its core the same as the original, there are some new changes that really helped to make it more enjoyable. First is the ability to change weapons in battle. Each weapon is one of three types: Blunt, Piercing, or Sharp. You can have up to three weapons equipped, with the top being your default weapon. Once per turn, just as in the past game you can swap out Monsties, you can now swap your weapons as well. This is important as the next addition brings it more in line with the main series: targeting certain parts or weaknesses.
While the first Stories had elemental weaknesses and resistances, it lacked weapon typing like in core games. This is no longer the case in Stories 2 and it adds even more depth to battling; each part has its own damage threshold before it’s broken and its own weaknesses as well. Take a Nargacuga for example, which launches spiked quills from its tail. Hitting it with a Hammer might take a little off its threshold but not as much as hitting it with a Great Sword. Once broken, it will no longer be able to execute its spike attack. Despite these relatively small changes and additions, I thoroughly enjoyed it as it has more depth and strategy than the original game, while still keeping things simple enough for just about anyone to play and understand.
Lastly, is the addition of Battle Buddies. As you progress through the story, certain characters and their Monsties battle alongside you. It’s a nice touch and can really make battles go a little faster, though the downside is they are AI-controlled, so they act on their own, making it harder to coordinate attacks. Thankfully, any actions they take don’t affect your ranking at the end, yet, they also have their own set of hearts and should they lose all three, it still counts as a loss for you.
My favorite thing in Wings of Ruin is the customization available through the Rite of Channeling. Each monster has a 3x3 grid with its skills and abilities and as they level up, more skills or slots become available. However, once you’ve unlocked the Rite, you can really make each Monstie your own. Want a Rathian that can launch ice attacks? How about Kulu-Ya-Ku that can launch spikes? If you can think of it, you can do it. Stacking the same skill will increase its strength and lining up similar colors or symbols will result in a bingo bonus, which will greatly improve those types of skills. You can only transfer one skill from a Monstie and then it's gone, so it does require a fair amount of egg farming but is key if you really want to gain an edge in combat.
Beyond playing through the main story, you have plenty of side quests to do, ranging from slaying a number of monsters, item deliveries, or battling uniquely named monsters. There are tournaments to take part in and both multiplayer co-op quests and PVP. Battling another Rider works similarly to standard combat, with a small twist: Riders can’t target each other. You can still order your Monstie to target the other Rider but there is no Rider vs Rider combat. I really enjoyed the multiplayer options and it was an excellent detour from the main storyline.
Graphically, it looks much cleaner and crisper than the 3DS title, and given the Switch is more powerful, it just makes sense. Like the previous game, it forgos the more realistic styling of the mainline games and goes for a more anime style. It does have its hiccups, however; the frame rate is mostly consistent though it can have some issues, especially during cutscenes, with a visible drop and can even cause the audio to go out of sync as well. It doesn’t happen too often but is still pretty jarring all the same.
Saddled and ready to ride
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is a vast improvement to the original, while keeping the things that made it fun. With over 40 hours of gameplay and, much like World and Rise, future content planned out, there is plenty to do, hunt, and ride here. While the first felt more like a one-and-done, Stories 2 proves that this spinoff series can stand up in its own right. Ride on, Rider!
Verdict
- Stronger narrative
- Improved mechanics
- Plenty of customization
- Drops in frame rate
- Slow start
