Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin Trial Version

About

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin About the GameIn this demo for Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, players are able to play the opening portion of the game for free. Save data from the demo can be carried over to the retail version. Monster Hunter Stories is an RPG that gives players a chance to explore the world of Monster Hunter as a “Rider” who develops bonds with, raises, and c…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin Trial Version screenshot

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 412 reviews

story23 positive mentions

optimization4 negative mentions

The demo offers a generous amount of content, allowing players to experience around 5-7 hours of gameplay, which effectively showcases the game's mechanics and story.
The turn-based combat system is engaging and adds a unique twist to the Monster Hunter formula, allowing for strategic planning and monster collection.
The graphics and art style are visually appealing, providing a charming and colorful world that enhances the overall experience.

The game suffers from control issues, particularly with camera movement and menu navigation, which can be frustrating for players using keyboard and mouse.
Some players have reported performance issues, including frame rate drops and graphical pop-ins, which detract from the overall experience.
The story and gameplay can feel repetitive, with some players finding the rock-paper-scissors combat system overly simplistic and lacking depth.

story
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
61%
7%
The story of "Monster Hunter Stories" has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging and well-written, while others describe it as tedious and uninteresting. Many appreciate the light-hearted and child-friendly approach, along with its anime-inspired elements, but some feel that the narrative lacks depth and can feel like a chore to progress through. Overall, the game seems to appeal more to those who enjoy monster-collecting mechanics and casual gameplay rather than those seeking a compelling story.
- “I love the storyline of this game where it is quite captivating and the pet monsters are kawaii too!”
- “The story is amazing and really helps you feel for the world and keeps you wanting to do more and more.”
- “I was a little unsure of this at first but once I got into the game and the story I was hooked!”
- “Think carefully before you want to purchase the game; this story is dumb.”
- “I was really just there for the monsters, and having the boring, unengaging storyline pop up as the only way to progress was very tedious to go through.”
- “Progressing through a story shouldn't feel like a chore, and it's a real shame that it does.”
gameplay
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
67%
6%
The gameplay is characterized by a blend of turn-based mechanics and rock-paper-scissors style combat, offering flexibility in battle strategies and a nostalgic feel reminiscent of Pokémon and Monster Hunter. While the core mechanics are engaging and easy to learn, some players noted issues with camera controls, menu navigation, and repetitive gameplay elements. Overall, the demo provides a solid introduction to the game, showcasing its mechanics and story, making it a worthwhile experience for both newcomers and fans of the genre.
- “Overall, this game is surprisingly enjoyable, and easy to learn the mechanics of quickly.”
- “The gameplay follows the traditional turn-based RPG gameplay but with rock-paper-scissors attacks sometimes, where you predict your opponent's move and react with a skill that counters it.”
- “The trial is a great exposition to the setting and the gameplay.”
- “I spent a lot of gameplay (at least almost an hour) fiddling with the controls so I could get it just right, and it still felt awkward in the end with the janky camera controls and how I have my ideal setting as a toggle rather than the baseline.”
- “Although the story and gameplay seem to work, I was surprised by how clunky the menus and input were.”
- “This is mostly because the core mechanics of collecting materials/eggs and combat are the same thing over and over again.”
graphics
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
63%
8%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the art style and visuals, particularly on PC where they shine at higher resolutions. However, several users criticize the graphics on lower-powered systems like the Nintendo Switch, noting issues such as poor textures, lag, and pop-in effects that detract from the overall experience. While some find the graphics charming and suitable for the game's family-friendly nature, others feel they fall short compared to previous titles in the series.
- “Other than that, it's open world and the graphics are amazing.”
- “The resolution is still an issue sure but I got used to it, the assets are great however later on, the graphics are phenomenal for an anime game and I love it!”
- “Cute characters, good graphics, overall really recommend!”
- “The lag happens with the video while trying to catch up on the audio even with low graphics.”
- “Graphics are decidedly meh (no UWQHD in 2021? Not that seeing more of the awful textures would be a good thing per se), which is a shame as MHWorld was amazing.”
- “Ugly graphics carry over from the 3DS.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
The game's optimization has received largely negative feedback, particularly for the PC version, which is criticized for poor performance, limited video options, and high input lag. While some players report smooth gameplay at 60 fps, many others experience constant stuttering and issues with audio output. Overall, the game appears to be a poorly optimized port from the Switch, leading to frustration among users.
- “Didn't have any performance issues myself.”
- “Nice, the game runs smoothly - I keep mine at 60 fps.”
- “It has been horribly optimized for PC, and I would have been happy to look past the other flaws of the game and just enjoy my egg-hunting, but no.”
- “This is not a monster capture game and is a port from Switch, so it is very, very unoptimized. Video options are very limited, and audio only works out of the default system speaker, not a TV or external speakers.”
- “Constant stuttering and input lag are so high that it makes Stadia look reasonable.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some appreciate the more forgiving and relaxing nature of grinding for armor sets compared to the main game, others find the combat tedious and the storyline unengaging. The inclusion of one-shot abilities for overleveled players aims to alleviate some boredom associated with grinding low-level mobs, but the overall sentiment suggests that grinding remains a significant, if not monotonous, part of the gameplay.
- “I was really just there for the monsters, and having the boring, unengaging storyline pop up as the only way to progress was very tedious to go through.”
- “The combat is tedious.”
- “Tedious battle mechanics (like playing rock paper scissors literally).”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate its nostalgic quality reminiscent of PS2-era RPGs and find it enjoyable, others criticize the audio controls for being ineffective, leading to issues with volume balance that detract from immersion. Additionally, there are reports of abrupt loud music that can be jarring, though it seems to be a one-time occurrence for some players. Overall, the music is noted as a positive aspect, but technical issues hinder its full potential.
- “Nice music and solid voice acting.”
- “Looks great and has some very nostalgia-inducing music from PS2 era RPGs.”
- “Well, I thought the game would be silly, but honestly I ended up enjoying the ~4 hours I spent playing the trial. Combat is neat, the music is nice, and I'm just a fan of the whole Monster Hunter world, and this rider spin to it is enjoyable.”
- “The audio controls don't seem to work that well: I turned down all sounds to 25% except music and still struggled to hear the music, which is completely ruining any sense of immersion.”
- “The game then blew my eardrums out with loud music, a black screen, and an egg in the bottom right of my screen rocking there for ten minutes.”
- “Bonus points though, the music never played again after the first launch, so at least my ears survived.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as light-hearted and cute, appealing to players who enjoy a casual and slower-paced experience. While some find it a bit childish, the overall sentiment is that the humor is tolerable and adds to the game's charm, particularly through amusing character creations and a whimsical story.
- “A casual monster hunter game, I like this kind of slower-paced games and the story is also light-hearted and funny :)”
- “It's good it does what it does well and I find it cute and funny.”
- “Yes, it's a bit childish for my liking, but it's totally tolerable and at least it comes with some sense of humor.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
Character development in the game is noted for its solid design and effective voice acting, contributing to an immersive world. While the character designs are described as basic, they are still appreciated for their functionality and appeal. Overall, the combination of design and voice work enhances the characters' presence within the game.
- “The character designs in this game are impressive, and the world is beautifully crafted. The voice actors perfectly match the characters, enhancing the overall experience.”
- “I have to commend the character design in this game; it's truly remarkable.”
- “The character development is outstanding, with each character feeling unique and well thought out.”
- “Character design is pretty basic but works well.”
- “I'm only able to give credit to the character design in this game, and the world of this game is amazing; no exception to the voice actors that suit the character.”