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Summary |
There are a total of 27 Monster Hunter games, including all spin-offs and major DLCs. Today, we will not go into all of them, but focus on the beginnings and the two newest and most famous games. Then we will look at the spin-off games: Monster Hunter Stories, which will be our main focus today.
The first Monster Hunter game was released in 2004. The game was only available for PlayStation 2 and later for the Wii. The series is developed by the well-known Japanese studio Capcom. It featured both online and offline modes, with the online mode offering significantly better rewards. You didn’t have to compete directly with other players but just achieve the highest rank. Your goal in the game, as the name suggests, was to defeat monsters. You had a selection of many different weapons such as: Great Sword, Sword and Shield, Lance, Hammer, Dual Blades, Light Bowgun, and Heavy Bowgun. The first game already featured 30 different monsters, specifically 13 small and 17 large monsters.
Many more games followed, and then in 2018, the most famous Monster Hunter game for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One was released: Monster Hunter World. This game sold over 25 million copies as of 12.3.24, making it the best-selling Capcom game of all time. The game impresses with its graphics and intense gameplay. You can explore open maps in groups of up to 4 players and loot there. Each map has several enemies, but you often need to defeat only one for the mission. However, every additional enemy you defeat gives you extra loot for crafting. Of course, it’s also possible to defeat the enemies alone. If you are multiple players, the bosses have more health to make the fights more challenging and longer. With the resources you collect, you can craft new weapons and armor and further improve them.
The latest game in the main series is Monster Hunter Rise. This game was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2021. A port for the PC was released in January 2022. A year later, in January 2023, the game was also released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One. Unlike Monster Hunter World, this game features open worlds where you can move faster with your rideable companion. There are also Wirebugs for combat, which allow you to slingshot yourself onto monsters. Since the game was originally developed for the Nintendo Switch, the graphics are significantly weaker and have fewer details compared to World. However, this improves performance on all consoles. Since Rise is set in Japan, many of the monsters are inspired by Japanese stories.
Monster Hunter Stories is a spin-off of the popular Monster Hunter series. Here, the focus is on RPG elements and riding and taming monsters. You then have to fight other monsters together with your monsters. The first part was released in 2016 in Japan and 2017 worldwide for the Nintendo 3DS. A year later, a mobile release followed, and in late 2018, the game was also released for PC, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. However, a few days ago, on June 14th, the remake of the first part was released. In addition to this remake, a sequel to the first part was released in 2021.
You take on the role of a Rider who collects monster eggs, hatches them, and raises and trains the hatched monsters, called “Monsties.” The combat here is not as action-packed as in the main series. In Monster Hunter Stories, you fight in turn-based battles using a rock-paper-scissors system (Power, Speed, Technique).
As a player, you can collect and use many different Monsties in battle. Each has different characteristics and strengths in combat. Over time, you can also evolve your Monsties. Through various genes, you can continue to improve and individualize your Monsties, so monsters of the same species can be different. You can freely explore the world in Monster Hunter Stories. It consists of several different areas where you can find various monsters, villages, wilderness areas, and dungeons.
The graphics in Monster Hunter Stories games are much more colorful and resemble a cartoon style. This makes the game very different from the more realistic graphics of the main series, making it perfect for younger fans of the RPG genre.
The following section contains some spoilers for the story of Monster Hunter Stories and Monster Hunter Stories 2. If you do not want to be spoiled because you want to experience the story yourself, then click here to skip all spoilers.
You take on the role of a young Rider from the peaceful village of Hakum. At the beginning of the game, there is a ceremony where you and your friends Cheval and Lilia get your first monster eggs. A Rathalos, a flying wyvern, hatches from the egg. After this ceremony, the village is attacked by a monster infected with the Black Blight. The Black Blight is a plague that turns monsters into aggressive and dangerous creatures. Many people die in this attack, including Cheval’s mother. This naturally affects how Cheval behaves throughout the game.
You want to eliminate this threat and travel with your companion Navirou, a talking Felyne, to the source of the infection. Navirou serves as an advisor in the game and provides deeper insights into the story. On your way to the threat, you tame new Monsties that you can use to fight the threat.
On your way, you meet a member of the Knights who is also fighting the Black Blight. This helps you understand the extent of the threat and unlock new allies and challenges in the game. But there are other important characters, such as Cheval. After his mother dies, he wants to face the danger alone and avenge his mother. However, he becomes the antagonist of the protagonist.
You get closer to the mystery of the Black Blight. You discover that the source is an ancient monster. To stop the plague, you must defeat it at all costs. This leads to a final battle against this monster, testing all your acquired skills. In this battle, Cheval also joins you. He realizes that revenge is not the right path but friendship, and joins the protagonist. Together, you can finally defeat this ancient monster.
By defeating the monster, the Black Blight is eradicated, and all infected monsters return to normal. Now you, the village, and Cheval can start anew peacefully. You, Lilia, and Cheval become friends again, and everything is good.
In the sequel, you play as a young Rider, the successor of the legendary Rider Red. You live on Mahana Island in Mahana Village, where you are introduced to the secrets and traditions of the Riders.
The central problem is that all Rathalos around the world are disappearing. Additionally, there are large pits emitting a strange pink light everywhere. You meet a white-haired Wyverian girl named Ena. She has been entrusted with a Rathalos egg by Guardian Ratha, and it soon begins to hatch. But then tragedy strikes. The Rathalos hatches and has black wings, which are said to eventually destroy the world. Throughout the game, you encounter many monsters with glowing pink eyes. These monsters attack everything and everyone. It seems that the sources of these monsters are the newly appeared pits.
The hunters in the world believe that the birth of “Razewing Ratha” (your black-winged Rathalos) is the cause of this disaster, leading them to capture him. But that’s not the only reason. It turns out these hunters are working with a mysterious group that wants Ratha for themselves. Fortunately, you manage to get your Monstie back and escape with Ena, who accompanies you throughout the journey. Then you see a worm-like creature emerging from one of the pits and devouring a Rathalos. Later, you learn that this creature is the Elder Dragon Oltura. Oltura created these pits to lure and devour Rathalos.
You and Ena set out to track down Oltura, but during your search, the pits turn blue. Your journey leads you to Hokolo Island, Oltura’s birthplace. Here, you confront Zellard, the leader of the mysterious group. It turns out he is quite delusional. His goal is to awaken Oltura and destroy the world to create a new and better one.
Zellard tries to sacrifice Ratha to Oltura, but instead, Oltura devours Guardian Ratha and fully awakens. You then have to fight the Elder Dragon. During the battle, Kyle discovers that Oltura’s wings are its weak point. With the help of two relics from Ena, you manage to weaken and then defeat Oltura, bringing peace back to the world.
Let’s compare Monster Hunter Stories 2 with its predecessor. The combat system hasn’t changed much; it still uses the classic rock-paper-scissors system. However, some strategic elements have been added. You can now perform double attacks and Kinship Skills, where you and your Monstie attack the enemies together. Previously, you and your Monstie could only attack alternately. You can now also switch weapons in battles to better match the weaknesses of your enemies.
You can now perform a Gene Ritual, allowing you to transfer genes between your Monsties and improve their abilities and attributes individually. Of course, the new game also features some new Monsties that you can find in the world. There are now rare Monsties with special abilities. The game world is larger and much more detailed. The overall graphics have also been greatly improved. This is because the game was developed directly for PC and the Nintendo Switch, not the 3DS. In the open world, Monsties can now use their abilities to overcome obstacles. Weather now also plays a role, as the behavior of some Monsties changes with it.
The game includes several side quests that reveal some not-so-obvious details about the main quest. They provide a deeper insight into the game world and NPCs. There are also cooperative multiplayer quests where you must fight powerful enemies together with a friend.
On June 14th, the remake of the first Monster Hunter Stories was released. Since this game was originally released for the Nintendo 3DS, improvements were urgently needed to keep it playable. Therefore, the remake first offers better HD graphics with higher resolution textures. Many models have also been improved, and the environment has been made more detailed. The lighting has also been improved. All of this was previously impossible due to the old console and has now been implemented in the Monster Hunter Stories Remake.
Of course, the Monster Hunter Stories Remake is now also available on other platforms. The game has been released for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC, making it accessible to many more players. The game is now also available in many more languages. Voice acting is available in Japanese and English. However, the interface and subtitles are available in more than 13 languages, allowing many more players to enjoy the game.
The content from the 1.20 and 1.30 updates, which were only available in Japan, has also been included for the European market. These updates bring new quests and Monsties into the game. Additionally, there are many small balancing changes and adjustments. The gameplay in the remake is much smoother. There are also some additional quality of life changes that make playing on all consoles much more enjoyable.
Are you excited about the Monster Hunter Stories Remake or want to play the second part? Then you are in the right place with AllKeyShop. AllKeyShop compares prices for you at over 60 retailers and always shows you the best price for video games. Below, we have compared the Monster Hunter Stories Remake and the other Monster Hunter Stories games for you. Enjoy being a Rider!
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By 
Kilian
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Interesting article. I’m not surprised that Monster Hunter has managed to conquer the European market. The games are accessible, and I find that the collector and breeder aspect of Monster Hunter Stories really adds something extra.