Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin

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"Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin" is a role-playing game set in the Monster Hunter universe where players hatch, raise, and live with monsters as a Monster Rider. The story revolves around the mysterious disappearance of Rathalos and a heritage you carry that could bring hope or terror. The game now has updated system requirements due to NVIDIA's announcement, so ensure your system meets them before purchase.

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Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin screenshot

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 6,672 reviews

story675 positive mentions

grinding299 negative mentions

The game features a beautiful art style and engaging graphics that enhance the overall experience.
The turn-based combat system is fun and strategic, allowing players to utilize a rock-paper-scissors mechanic with various attack types.
The monster collection aspect is enjoyable, with a wide variety of monsties to collect and customize through gene manipulation.

The story is predictable and lacks depth, often feeling childish and not particularly engaging.
The AI companions can be frustrating, often making poor decisions in combat that can lead to unnecessary defeats.
The game can become repetitive, especially with the dungeon layouts and grinding for specific monster genes.

story
2,305 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
66%
5%
The story of "Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it engaging yet predictable, often likening it to a typical JRPG narrative centered around themes of friendship and adventure. While some appreciate the emotional moments and character development, others criticize it for being formulaic and lacking depth, particularly in comparison to the gameplay mechanics. Overall, the story serves as a backdrop to the game's monster-collecting and combat systems, with many players noting that the real enjoyment comes from the gameplay rather than the narrative itself.
- “The game's storyline effortlessly captured my attention, weaving a captivating tapestry of emotions and leaving me hungry for more with every twist and turn.”
- “The story is lighthearted and the combat is simple, yet engaging; this feels like a great game to be someone's first RPG, and it's turn-based, so there's little pressure to make decisions.”
- “The story is a slow burn and has a predictable loop which is fine in my opinion; there aren't any shocking plot twists or anything that will blow you away except the ending, which is awesome and accompanied by a great soundtrack.”
- “The biggest con is the story and world.”
- “For being titled 'stories', the plot is actually pretty weak.”
- “The story is doooog shit; it's excruciatingly painful to watch. I don't expect any good writing, at the very least something that works as a story.”
gameplay
961 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
59%
3%
The gameplay of "Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin" is characterized by a turn-based combat system that employs a rock-paper-scissors mechanic, blending elements from both the Monster Hunter and Pokémon franchises. Players engage in a satisfying loop of monster collecting, crafting, and battling, with mechanics that deepen as the game progresses, though some find the gameplay repetitive and the story lacking. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging mechanics, beautiful visuals, and the addictive nature of its core gameplay loop, making it a solid choice for fans of the genre.
- “41 hours in and I can tell I have many more hours of excellent gameplay ahead of me.”
- “The rock-paper-scissors combat combined with managing your weapon types and monster weaknesses makes for interesting gameplay that will often keep you on your toes.”
- “Gameplay-wise, it's essentially a glorified rock, paper, scissors kind of game.”
- “There isn't much you can do about the combat (besides have a few different monsters), and its other style of gameplay is hatching eggs and following the pretty bland story.”
- “The gameplay loop consists of loot grinding, egg hunting, weapon/armor crafting, and monster collection.”
graphics
592 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
50%
3%
The graphics of "Monster Hunter Stories 2" have received widespread praise for their vibrant, cel-shaded art style, which many players find charming and fitting for the game's tone. While some reviews note that the visuals may not be as technically advanced as other titles in the franchise, they still deliver a colorful and engaging experience, with well-designed characters and monsters. Overall, the graphics are considered a significant improvement over the first game, contributing to an enjoyable and visually appealing gameplay experience.
- “The graphics were beautiful yet still held true to the original - and continued the story in a familiar way while still being new and exciting.”
- “Graphically, Monster Hunter Stories 2 is an absolute marvel.”
- “The graphics are gorgeous yet the game runs without a hitch on my not-state-of-art PC at max settings.”
- “Just remember this is a port of a switch game, so expect outdated graphics with a AAA price tag and basic gameplay.”
- “The game looks quite pretty at times thanks to its bright colors and art style but its textures and animations are quite lacking and render distance is terrible.”
- “The graphics are also nothing to write home about.”
grinding
306 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
1%
98%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with some players finding it tedious and repetitive, particularly in the late game where battles can drag on and monster dens lack variety. However, others appreciate the grind for its strategic depth, especially in building and customizing their monster teams, and find it enjoyable despite its challenges. Overall, while the game does require significant grinding, opinions vary on whether this enhances or detracts from the overall experience.
- “One thing that I found nice is that the game isn't too grindy or tedious.”
- “The story is very long; it took me about 56 hours to beat it, despite me not grinding much at all.”
- “[Deep combat system, addictive monster hatching loop mechanic, simplified armor and weapon forging, no grinding required.]”
- “This makes the exploration tedious at best, and outright mind-numbing at worst.”
- “Fights also take too long, which discourages you from farming and in general just feels bad.”
- “The main problems I see would be the grindy gameplay loop getting boring if it isn't your sort of thing, the story being rather cliché and the multiplayer being locked until after about 8~ish hours of gameplay and being way less robust until you complete the main story.”
music
234 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
47%
3%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its quality and emotional impact during battles and cutscenes, while others criticize the lack of overworld music, which can make exploration feel tedious. The soundtrack is often described as beautiful and fitting for the game's environments, but the absence of music in dungeons and during exploration detracts from the overall experience. Overall, while the battle themes and specific tracks are well-received, the sporadic nature of the music leaves some players wanting more.
- “And the music, like all of the Monster Hunter games, is top tier.”
- “Its captivating combat, captivating storyline, breathtaking visuals, and captivating soundtrack make it an absolute must-play for both die-hard fans of the franchise and newcomers alike.”
- “The music is well crafted and suits the environments you explore, and doesn't become grating after hours of exploration and battle.”
- “Add to this the lack of any music in dungeons, and before you even get halfway through the game, the thought of going into a dungeon is boring before you even start.”
- “While the music can be nice, the lack of overworld music really hurts exploration as it's mostly just silence.”
- “The music isn't amazing and is often completely absent.”
optimization
125 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
54%
26%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players reporting smooth performance and high frame rates on decent hardware, while others have experienced significant stuttering and performance drops, particularly related to the implementation of aggressive DRM measures. Many users express frustration with the game's optimization for PC, noting that it feels like a port from lower-powered consoles, and the addition of DRM has been criticized for negatively impacting performance and modding capabilities. Overall, while some players find the game well-optimized, others highlight serious issues that hinder the experience.
- “A good story, proper NPC voice acting in cutscenes, fully animated special ability moves, combination of special ability moves with monsters and other players, and most importantly it's properly optimized even for low-end systems.”
- “Performance-wise the game ran completely fine for me with hardware from 2014 and Windows 7 still.”
- “No performance issues for me either, running on a GTX 1070 with everything maxed out I get 110 fps on average and zero glitches which is pretty impressive.”
- “Addition of the enigma 'DRM' malware tanks performance on even slightly older machines and is aggressively anti-mod, including performance mods.”
- “Capcom treating modders as cheaters, adding a DRM called Enigma that is complete garbage and ruins performance for some setups.”
- “For one, draw distances are terrible; grass will literally grow ten feet in front of you and you won't spot monsters until you are nearly on top of them, and there is noticeable stuttering after loading an area.”
humor
104 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
92%
8%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it genuinely funny and charming, particularly in the cute monster designs and silly moments, while others criticize a specific character for being overly intrusive and unfunny, detracting from the overall experience. Many appreciate the lighthearted, cartoonish style and occasional laugh-out-loud moments, but the reliance on juvenile humor and annoying dialogue has left some feeling frustrated. Overall, while there are enjoyable comedic elements, the execution varies significantly among players.
- “I still mostly enjoyed my 74 hours I spent playing through the main storyline, trying to collect monsters and form a good team, farming up monster parts to make better gear and weapons and many of the cute and funny moments that genuinely had me laughing.”
- “Navirou is awesome, very funny, had a lot of laughs because of this character.”
- “It gets hilarious how ridiculous some of the attacks can be.”
- “It is amazing how this could have been one of the best party-based RPGs out there, belonging to one of the greatest IPs, yet you won't ever hear about this game being the best just because of a single character, destroying your immersion, never shutting up, and having to be in every single cutscene saying something both way too stupid and unfunny.”
- “He's not funny, he's not charming, he does nothing besides make annoying quips during battles, act as your character's voice in cutscenes, make utterly meaningless additions to conversations, and ruins emotional tension with his mere presence.”
- “Several games already worked fine with mute protagonists, but here, even though we almost always have someone accompanying you and your character has facial expressions, the game shoves an annoying, not funny, intrusive, tiresome, narcissistic, and talkative 'felyne' who never shuts up, can't stay out of a dialogue, and never really helps. A box with text or an arrow would be 10x better; the character even makes irritating noises when walking and stationary. I don't know how so many people approved this whole design until it ended up in the game.”
emotional
79 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
97%
3%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heartwarming and often touching narrative, which resonates with players through well-crafted moments that evoke strong feelings, including joy and sadness. While some characters, like Navirou, may detract from the emotional tension, the overall story is described as charming and wholesome, with many players expressing that it made them cry at certain points. The blend of fun gameplay and a surprisingly gripping narrative creates an engaging experience that leaves players wanting more.
- “It's a heartwarming story that will take you across a diverse and beautiful land -- full of creatures to encounter and friends to meet.”
- “An extremely emotional and gorgeous game, the best way to describe it is to experience this adventure for yourself and immerse yourself in this incredibly vibrant world.”
- “There's one scene in particular where I actually almost cried; it was so touching, and that was the last thing I expected from a Monster Hunter game!”
- “Glacial pacing, boring story, dull zones that all look alike, weak soundtrack.”
stability
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
11%
53%
Overall, the game's stability is generally praised, with many players reporting smooth performance, no major glitches, and high frame rates even on older hardware. However, some users have noted issues with the multiplayer feature being buggy and the anti-cheat system causing problems. While the game runs well for most, there are mentions of it being a "buggy mess" in certain contexts, particularly regarding its port quality.
- “The game both looks and runs great.”
- “I haven't found any major flaws and have encountered no glitches so far.”
- “60 fps smooth, no stutters, no freezes, nothing.”
- “Also, be careful when you unlock multiplayer, it's buggy; some bugs are reportedly game-breaking glitches (like messing up your ability to save).”
- “As a game it's alright, but as a port it's bare-bones/okay at best, and a buggy mess at worst.”
- “Great game, but holy cow the anti-cheat system is buggy as heck.”
replayability
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
59%
14%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while it offers significant post-game content, including side quests and multiplayer options, some players note a lack of late-game content and smaller overall content compared to the core Monster Hunter series. However, features like gene trading and monster collection provide a high replay value for those who enjoy turn-based RPGs, with many players expressing satisfaction in the game's depth and addictive nature. Overall, it is recommended for fans of the genre, with potential for future DLC to enhance replayability further.
- “And topping it off, incredible replay value with hundreds of hours of content and progression to keep you going after you complete the story.”
- “Trading gene patterns, battling in multiplayer mode, and collecting rare monster eggs to expand my collection became my addictive hobbies, ensuring that the game's replayability factor remained sky-high.”
- “A really fantastic monster hunter spin-off, although it is more like a children's game, it is still one of my favorite RPGs to play. However, it has minor issues, including small content and little to no late-game content or replayability once you finish the game.”
- “Lower replay value than the core Monster Hunter series.”
- “The abundance of post-game content, including side quests, elder's lair challenges, and monster farming, adds significant replay value.”
character development
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
28%
17%
Character development in the game is highlighted by its beautiful and memorable character and monster designs, complemented by vibrant world graphics and suitable voice acting. While many players appreciate the adorable aesthetics and mature art style, there are some criticisms regarding the absence of beloved characters from previous installments and mixed feelings about the character customization options. Overall, the character design contributes positively to the gameplay experience, though it has sparked some debate among fans.
- “The world design is vibrant and interesting, and the monster/character designs are memorable.”
- “The voice acting also suits the character designs overall, and there's subtitles in cutscenes as well, making everything easy to read and menus easy to navigate.”
- “Additionally, this game also commits the cardinal sin of not including the numbers, who are the pinnacle of monster hunter character design and pretty much the only characters that were really worth it to bring back.”
- “As an aside, there were people making some pretty wild complaints about character design and choices for crafting their own characters.”
- “The character designs are pleasing, the different areas are pretty good, and the special effects for many of the attacks are incredibly cool.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its superb quality, featuring stunning visuals enhanced by cel shading and an exceptional musical score that complements the theme. Players appreciate the lighthearted and healing ambiance, which contributes to an overall enjoyable experience that keeps them engaged and eager for more.
- “The atmosphere is superb; the music is amazing in both quality and theme, the world is just gorgeous, and the cel shading makes all the characters (including the monsters) look great.”
- “A lighthearted atmosphere and art style that is constantly enjoyable.”
- “This game was so beautifully made; the story, combat, atmosphere, all of it is out of this world. I seriously can't wait to see what comes next.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express dissatisfaction with the recent update due to the introduction of unwanted digital rights management (DRM), indicating concerns about monetization practices that may restrict user access and control.