Newsletter
  • Guides
  • Previews
    • Indie Games
    • PS4
    • PC
    • Xbox One
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo 3DS
    • PS Vita
    • PS3
    • Xbox 360
    • Wii U
  • Site Info
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Staff Directory
    • Join Our Team
    • Privacy Policy
      • Cookies Policy
    • RSS Feeds
    • Social Media
      • Youtube
      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • Twitch
      • Instagram
      • Tumblr
      • Linkedin
      • Pinterest
      • Discord
  • Discord
  • Store
  • Logitech G
  • green man gaming
  • Affiliates
    • GAMIVO.com
    • Logitech
    • Astro Gaming
    • Nord VPN
    • Best Buy
    • Namecheap Hosting
    • Blue Mic
    • Ultimate Ears
    • Jaybird
Saturday, May 24, 2025
BG
  • News
    • All
    • Esports
    • Interviews

    Bungie Premieres Gameplay For Marathon

    Bitcoin Browser Mini Games To Play Online

    Screenshot

    Rival Stars Horse Racing: Is The VR Edition Worth It?

    Evolution of iGaming: What’s Changing for Players in 2025?

    Top Played Sport Games in Canada

    The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II Releases 2025

    esports new frontier

    The New Frontier: Exploring the Thrills of Esports Betting and its Impact on Traditional Sports Betting

    XDEFIANT REVEALS INFO FOR SEASON 1

    KENA: BRIDGE OF SPIRITS IS COMING TO XBOX

    Trending Tags

    • Top Stories
    • PlayStation
    • Xbox
    • Nintendo
    • Retro Games
    • Mobile Games
    • Indie Games
    • Square Enix
    • Sony
    • Microsoft
    • PAX
    • EGX
    • Gamescom
    • Rockstar Games
    • Electronic Arts
    • Activision Blizzard
    • E3 Expo
  • Reviews
    • All
    • Flash Game Reviews
    • Google Stadia
    • Indie Game Reviews
    • Mobile Game Reviews
    • Nintendo 3DS Reviews
    • Nintendo Switch Reviews
    • PC Reviews
    • PS Vita Reviews
    • PS3 Reviews
    • PS4 Reviews
    • PS5 Reviews
    • Retro Game Reviews
    • Reviews RoundUP
    • Xbox 360 Reviews
    • Xbox One Reviews

    Wild Assault Early Access Review

    Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land PC Steam Deck Review

    ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist PC Review

    Ninja Gaiden 2 Black PS5 Review

    Atomic Heart

    Atomic Heart Enchantment Under the Sea DLC Review

    Tomb Raider I-III Remastered PC Review

    ATOMIC HEART: TRAPPED IN LIMBO Review

    Granblue Fantasy: Relink PS5 Review

    Crymachina

    CryMachina PS5 Review

    Trending Tags

    • Resident Evil
    • Call of Duty
    • Final Fantasy
    • Destiny
    • Borderlands
    • Halo
    • The Elder Scrolls
    • Fortnite
    • PUBG
    • Bioshock
    • The Witcher
  • Opinion
    • All
    • Second Opinion
    From Gamers to Punters: How UX Turns a Bet into an Experience

    From Gamers to Punters: How UX Turns a Bet into an Experience

    Why Gamers Are Flocking To Online Casino Apps

    casino games you can play on your mobile phone

    Most Casino Games You Can Play on Your Mobile Phone

    Sport Betting and sports bets or online sporting events gambling as football betting and draft picks or basketball game bet and Hockey betting with 3D illustration elements.

    Overlooked Strategies That Can Improve Your Betting

    Bitcoin Browser Mini Games To Play Online

    Screenshot

    Rival Stars Horse Racing: Is The VR Edition Worth It?

    Evolution of iGaming: What’s Changing for Players in 2025?

    Online Games That We Always Keep on Playing

    Online Games When You Have Only 15 Minutes

    Trending Tags

    • Is It A Classic?
    • Remember When
    • Do We Even Care Anymore?
    • Humpday Haikus
    • Top Series
    • Thirsty Thursday
    • Aging Gamer
    • On The Way To E3
  • Podcasts
    • All
    • The BagoCast
    • TSR BagoCast

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – The Future of Game Journalism

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Social Media & Esports

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Politics in Video Games Games

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Content Creators vs Game Journalist 2

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Titan Fall and Apex: Legends Hacked

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Content Creators vs Game Journalist

    BagoCast EP: 12 – Code Vein and the DLC

    Debate/Discussion: Bad Video Games That We Love

    Discussion/Debate: Is Bioware Gone?

    Trending Tags

    • Film Fallout
    • 8Bit Proof
    • Gaming Historia
    • Bago Anime Cast
    • Gamers In Beta
    • Gamers Unscripted
  • Videos

    Controller Guide For Wild Assault

    Trevor Bogan Interview

    Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden’s Gets Gameplay Trailer

    Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden Gets New Story Trailer

    Stephen Oyoung Interview

    Jacqueline Pinol Interview

    So, You Wanna Play Junker Queen?

    Matchpoint Tennis Championships Live Review

    Void Slayer – Review

  • Geek Culture
    • All
    • Anime and Manga
    • Anime/Manga Review
    • Collectibles
    • Comic Books
    • Cosplay
    • Movies
    • Tech
    • TV Shows

    Tickets Are Now on Sale for OVERLORD: The Sacred Kingdom

    Crunchyroll Announces Blu-ray Titles Coming in January 2025

    MY BOYFRIEND IS A DOG Manga gets English release

    Jae Woo Kim Interview

    Crunchyroll Anime Award 2024 Winners Announced

    GAYMING AWARDS 2024 NOMINEES & HOSTS ANNOUNCED

    The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes

    Anime Review: The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes

    Crunchyroll Acquires Anime Film The Concierge in North America, Reveals Trailer

    Crunchyroll Announces New Titles Coming Next Year at NYCC

    Trending Tags

    • Movie Reviews
    • Movie News
    • TV News
    • TV Episode Review
    • Episode Guide
    • Competitive Gaming
    • Tech News
    • Tech Review
    • Anime and Manga News
    • Anime and Manga Review
    • Comic Book News
    • Comic Book Review
  • Forum
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • All
    • Esports
    • Interviews

    Bungie Premieres Gameplay For Marathon

    Bitcoin Browser Mini Games To Play Online

    Screenshot

    Rival Stars Horse Racing: Is The VR Edition Worth It?

    Evolution of iGaming: What’s Changing for Players in 2025?

    Top Played Sport Games in Canada

    The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II Releases 2025

    esports new frontier

    The New Frontier: Exploring the Thrills of Esports Betting and its Impact on Traditional Sports Betting

    XDEFIANT REVEALS INFO FOR SEASON 1

    KENA: BRIDGE OF SPIRITS IS COMING TO XBOX

    Trending Tags

    • Top Stories
    • PlayStation
    • Xbox
    • Nintendo
    • Retro Games
    • Mobile Games
    • Indie Games
    • Square Enix
    • Sony
    • Microsoft
    • PAX
    • EGX
    • Gamescom
    • Rockstar Games
    • Electronic Arts
    • Activision Blizzard
    • E3 Expo
  • Reviews
    • All
    • Flash Game Reviews
    • Google Stadia
    • Indie Game Reviews
    • Mobile Game Reviews
    • Nintendo 3DS Reviews
    • Nintendo Switch Reviews
    • PC Reviews
    • PS Vita Reviews
    • PS3 Reviews
    • PS4 Reviews
    • PS5 Reviews
    • Retro Game Reviews
    • Reviews RoundUP
    • Xbox 360 Reviews
    • Xbox One Reviews

    Wild Assault Early Access Review

    Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land PC Steam Deck Review

    ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist PC Review

    Ninja Gaiden 2 Black PS5 Review

    Atomic Heart

    Atomic Heart Enchantment Under the Sea DLC Review

    Tomb Raider I-III Remastered PC Review

    ATOMIC HEART: TRAPPED IN LIMBO Review

    Granblue Fantasy: Relink PS5 Review

    Crymachina

    CryMachina PS5 Review

    Trending Tags

    • Resident Evil
    • Call of Duty
    • Final Fantasy
    • Destiny
    • Borderlands
    • Halo
    • The Elder Scrolls
    • Fortnite
    • PUBG
    • Bioshock
    • The Witcher
  • Opinion
    • All
    • Second Opinion
    From Gamers to Punters: How UX Turns a Bet into an Experience

    From Gamers to Punters: How UX Turns a Bet into an Experience

    Why Gamers Are Flocking To Online Casino Apps

    casino games you can play on your mobile phone

    Most Casino Games You Can Play on Your Mobile Phone

    Sport Betting and sports bets or online sporting events gambling as football betting and draft picks or basketball game bet and Hockey betting with 3D illustration elements.

    Overlooked Strategies That Can Improve Your Betting

    Bitcoin Browser Mini Games To Play Online

    Screenshot

    Rival Stars Horse Racing: Is The VR Edition Worth It?

    Evolution of iGaming: What’s Changing for Players in 2025?

    Online Games That We Always Keep on Playing

    Online Games When You Have Only 15 Minutes

    Trending Tags

    • Is It A Classic?
    • Remember When
    • Do We Even Care Anymore?
    • Humpday Haikus
    • Top Series
    • Thirsty Thursday
    • Aging Gamer
    • On The Way To E3
  • Podcasts
    • All
    • The BagoCast
    • TSR BagoCast

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – The Future of Game Journalism

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Social Media & Esports

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Politics in Video Games Games

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Content Creators vs Game Journalist 2

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Titan Fall and Apex: Legends Hacked

    Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – Content Creators vs Game Journalist

    BagoCast EP: 12 – Code Vein and the DLC

    Debate/Discussion: Bad Video Games That We Love

    Discussion/Debate: Is Bioware Gone?

    Trending Tags

    • Film Fallout
    • 8Bit Proof
    • Gaming Historia
    • Bago Anime Cast
    • Gamers In Beta
    • Gamers Unscripted
  • Videos

    Controller Guide For Wild Assault

    Trevor Bogan Interview

    Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden’s Gets Gameplay Trailer

    Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden Gets New Story Trailer

    Stephen Oyoung Interview

    Jacqueline Pinol Interview

    So, You Wanna Play Junker Queen?

    Matchpoint Tennis Championships Live Review

    Void Slayer – Review

  • Geek Culture
    • All
    • Anime and Manga
    • Anime/Manga Review
    • Collectibles
    • Comic Books
    • Cosplay
    • Movies
    • Tech
    • TV Shows

    Tickets Are Now on Sale for OVERLORD: The Sacred Kingdom

    Crunchyroll Announces Blu-ray Titles Coming in January 2025

    MY BOYFRIEND IS A DOG Manga gets English release

    Jae Woo Kim Interview

    Crunchyroll Anime Award 2024 Winners Announced

    GAYMING AWARDS 2024 NOMINEES & HOSTS ANNOUNCED

    The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes

    Anime Review: The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes

    Crunchyroll Acquires Anime Film The Concierge in North America, Reveals Trailer

    Crunchyroll Announces New Titles Coming Next Year at NYCC

    Trending Tags

    • Movie Reviews
    • Movie News
    • TV News
    • TV Episode Review
    • Episode Guide
    • Competitive Gaming
    • Tech News
    • Tech Review
    • Anime and Manga News
    • Anime and Manga Review
    • Comic Book News
    • Comic Book Review
  • Forum
No Result
View All Result
BagoGames
No Result
View All Result

BagoGames > Articles > Game Reviews > Nintendo Switch Reviews > Monster Hunter Stories 2 Review

Monster Hunter Stories 2 Review

Journey through Hakolo Island

Christopher Falcon by Christopher Falcon
4 years ago
in Game Reviews, Nintendo Switch Reviews, PC Reviews
Reading Time: 6 mins read
0
Share on FacebookShare on Bluesky

Monster Hunter; one of Capcom’s highest-selling series. Originally starting on the PlayStation 2 back in September 2004, the series has evolved, including new mechanics, new weapons, new monsters, and more ways to play the game. Eventually, the series came to rival consoles, such as the Wii U and Xbox One.

Monster Hunter has also had a slew of spin-offs and other titles, including an RPG series known as Monster Hunter Stories. Today, we’ll be looking at its sequel, Wings of Ruin, and piecing together how it works and if it’s a good spin-off title in its own right. Welcome to BagoGames, and this is our review of Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin.

RelatedStories

Wild Assault Early Access Review

2 weeks ago

Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land PC Steam Deck Review

Enter Hakolo Island

The game starts in Mahana Village (shown above) and serves as the player’s hometown, similar to other games. Rathalos have been disappearing from the island throughout the game, and it’s up to you and your Monster companions, known as Monsties, to find out why.

Gameplay follows a similar beat throughout the adventure. Main Quests have to do with the story mode and involve you taking your Monsties as you explore various regions of the island. Some quests may involve you hunting specific monsters for materials to upgrade your armor and weapons, You also go around retrieving items that NPCs want. Sidequests are permeated with tasks like these, in traditional RPG fashion.

Exploring dungeons is also another key part of the game’s exploration and your primary source for unlocking new Monsties to use. At certain areas of a dungeon, you’ll find Monster Dens, which house a pile of eggs. You can pick any one egg and when you leave the area, the egg is sent back home, and then you can return to the dungeon you were in.

Otherwise, dungeons behave largely like they do in any other RPG; you enter, fight any roaming enemies, get EXP and level up, the usual paces. That said, let’s talk about the combat some more.

Monster Hunter Stories 2’s Combat

Stories 2’s combat hinges on being a turn-based interactive experience, akin to classic games like Final Fantasy I or II. The game’s unique mechanic in battle is the Kinship system. Kinship works similarly to the Personas of, well, Persona. Each Monstie has its own skills, elements, resistances, stats, etc., and you can swap them out freely in battle or back at home.

Every single attack in Monster Hunter Stories 2 has an attribute and it behaves like a weapon “triangle”. Power, Speed, and Technical. Power beats Technical, Technical beats Speed, and Speed beats Power, and when you connect with an attack that beats the defender’s type, you deal bonus damage.

Monster Hunter Stories 2 Review

How All These Mechanics Come Together

Taking advantage of these traits will be integral in completing battles with the least amount of trouble. Double Attacks are another piece of the puzzle and triggers when you and your Monstie pick an attack of the same type and it wins in the Weapon Triangle. On a successful use (indicated above), you deal even more damage and have a chance of knocking the Monster over, allowing you to score critical hits and break Monster Parts easier.

Kinship also comes in the form of riding your Monstie to perform additional attacks. Attacking while on your Monstie will allow you to use unique skills and when your Kinship Gauge, indicated to the right of your health, is maxed out, you can unleash a super attack that does massive damage.

Combat is also very merciful in comparison to other RPGs on the market, as every unit has three hearts underneath their health bar. Not only are healing items in abundance here, but if your health bar reaches zero, it consumes a heart and you get right back up. Hell, it even increases the charge rate of your Kinship Gauge after the fact, too. When all three hearts are depleted and you get K.O.’ed again, that’s when the battle will be considered a loss. During our Monster Hunter Stories 2 review time, it’s happened only once.

Monsties and Their Abilities

Aside from the generic tools Monsties own, like attacking, access to the weapon triangle, among other things, most of them are unique to one another. Upon hatching a Monstie, they’re assigned random Genes that augment their abilities, and then you can take them on your adventure.

Genes can range from various categories, like boosting attack, to giving new skills, and raising stats. There are also Rainbow Genes that grant hidden effects, but they’re significantly rarer than other Genes. Partway through the game, you can unlock the Rite of Channeling, which allows you to transfer Genes and skills from one Monstie to another.

This basically means that to put it simply, take a fire-based Monstie like Glavenus; you can use the Rite of Channeling to give it elements it normally cannot have access to, like Thunder element, for instance. It leads to a ton of potential set-building and creativity with your companions.

Go It Alone, Or Travel Together

Midway through the game, you’re given access to multiplayer, and you may wonder, how does Multiplayer work in this game, exactly? Well, after reaching the second village and completing a few story missions, you can go on Expeditions with friends and other online players, which is actually great.

You can also battle other players, where you and three Monsties go up against another player in similar conditions. Level balancing is ALSO there, meaning you aren’t gonna be held back unless you explicitly aren’t training your Monsties. The multiplayer, to be frank, feels like it’s exactly how Pokemon Sword and Shield’s multiplayer should have been.

Co-op Expeditions can also be completely broken, and don’t worry, it’s not in the fashion of “the game fails to function”. No, it’s more so that farming can be extremely easy, borderline effortless if you and another player are hunting a monster with a type disadvantage relative to your party for XP and material grinding.

Monster Hunter Stories 2 Review

The Verdict

Given what we know about Monster Hunter Stories 2, what can we call it? Well, in my opinion, I think it’s everything Pokemon Sword should have been, and I say that having sunk tons of hours into Sword unapologetically. However, I say that not as an insult to Sword, and more as a reflection of what that game could have been, had it more time to develop.

The game’s pretty neatly tied together, and it’s just really solid. However, it can kind of drag sometimes when it comes to level grinding, but that’s just a metric of tons of JRPGs, you have to grind sometimes. That sentiment aside, should you buy this game? Absolutely, it’s a very solid experience to just kill time on.

The game is actively receiving updates, which makes it clear that Capcom, or some team at Capcom, very much cares about this game. And in this industry, that’s a nice thing to see and hear.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is available now on Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.

What did you think of our Monster Hunter Stories 2 review? Did you like the game? Is there anything you didn’t like? What would you want to be added or changed for the game? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you liked this review, you can read our review of the previous Monster Hunter Stories game here.

The Review

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin

8 Score

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin has a very charming look with vibrant colors, engaging gameplay, and sprawling worlds to explore with a gameplay loop that gets easier the more you experience it.

PROS

  • The game looks beautiful and sticks out
  • Battle is simple on an entry level and rewards players for more complex strategies
  • The game always keeps you engaged with managing Monsties, doing side quests and revisiting dungeons
  • Multiplayer is great, and isn't an unbalanced mess

CONS

  • The game can get a little grindy if the material you need doesn't drop, or if you need more EXP

Review Breakdown

  • Overall 0
Tags: CapcomMonster HunterNintendoNintendo SwitchPCSteam
ShareShareTweetShare


Previous Post

Aksys Games Bringing Major Otome Games State Side

Next Post

PistonBuds True Wireless In-Ear Headphones Review

Subscribe
Connect with
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
guest
The comment form collects your name, email and content to allow us to keep track of the comments placed on the website. Please read and accept our website Terms and Privacy Policy to post a comment.
Save my name, email, and website in this browser cookies for the next time I comment.

I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
guest
The comment form collects your name, email and content to allow us to keep track of the comments placed on the website. Please read and accept our website Terms and Privacy Policy to post a comment.
Save my name, email, and website in this browser cookies for the next time I comment.

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

BAGOGAMES WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Get this week's top news, reviews, guides, videos and opinion for your favorite games, movies, TV and tech in your email every Friday.

Don't worry, we don't spam.

NEW ON BAGOGAMES

Game Reviews

Wild Assault Early Access Review

by Michael Mosley
2 weeks ago
From Gamers to Punters: How UX Turns a Bet into an Experience
Opinion

From Gamers to Punters: How UX Turns a Bet into an Experience

by Trevor Kincaid
2 weeks ago
Guides

Controller Guide For Wild Assault

by Michael Mosley
3 weeks ago

LATEST PODCASTS & VIDEOS

Currently Playing

Void Slayer – Review

Void Slayer – Review

Game Reviews

The IDEAL Spider-Man VR Game

Opinion

BPM: Bullets Per Minute – Shooting to The Beat (Review)

Game Reviews

She Will Punish Them – Warning: Mature Content (Early Access Review)

Game Reviews

Bagocast: Interview with Upper Echelon Gamers – The Future of Game Journalism

Opinion

FOLLOW US

BagoGames

BagoGames.com © 2023 BagoGames LLC. All rights reserved.

Navigate Site

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Staff Directory
  • Join Our Team
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter
  • RSS Feeds
  • Discord Server
  • BG Store
  • OpenCritic
  • green man gaming
  • Logitech G
  • GAMIVO.com
  • ASTRO Gaming
  • Logitech
  • Namecheap Hosting
  • Nord VPN
  • Best Buy
  • Blue Mic
  • Reviews
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Guides

Follow Us

  • Login
  • Sign Up
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Opinion
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Geek Culture
  • Previews
  • Guides
  • Short Videos
  • Forum
  • Site Info
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Join Our Team
    • Staff Directory
    • Privacy Policy
    • Newsletter
    • RSS Feeds

BagoGames.com © 2023 BagoGames LLC. All rights reserved.

wpDiscuz