Capcom returns with the latest installment in the Monster Hunter Stories sub-series: Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection. This new spin-off follows the popular Monster Hunter Stories 2, and continues the tradition of offering a vast, adventurous world with engaging combat and a compelling story. While different from the main Monster Hunter games, the Stories series is known for delivering a particularly satisfying RPG experience. Here’s our review of this title, developed and published by Capcom.
NOTE: The review copy of Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection was provided by the Devs.
Story
Stories 3 tells a more serious and grown-up story than Stories 2. The game focuses on the kingdoms of Azuria and Vermeil, which are facing both war and environmental disaster. A dangerous event called the Crystal Encroachment is spreading, causing monsters to disappear and throwing the natural world into chaos. You’ll play as a prince or princess of Azuria, joining forces with the Princess of Vermeil to discover the truth behind this devastating crisis.
Monster Hunter Stories 3 is structured around four main parts. Initially, you’ll work on bringing life back to damaged environments and discovering hidden secrets. The game culminates in a large-scale battle.
Gameplay
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection offers a polished experience with its turn-based battles, large worlds to explore, and the ability to raise monsters. The game adds exciting new features like mutations caused by Crystal Encroachment, restoring monster habitats, and stronger connections with your Monsties. These improvements make Stories 3 the most strategically engaging game in the series. While the core combat remains familiar – using a rock-paper-scissors system – it’s enhanced with dual-type attacks and powerful combo chains. You can also unlock devastating Fusion Skills through Monstie Synergy and customize your character with different skill trees focusing on support, offense, or a mix of both. Plus, new weapon types and skill trees let you experiment and find the perfect build for your adventure.
Exploring the world in Monster Hunter Stories 3 is a real highlight. You’ll journey through diverse environments like sparkling wastelands, dense forests, fiery volcanoes, and murky swamps. Each area feels distinct, with its own monsters, items to collect, and dangers to watch out for. To progress, you’ll need to heal corrupted lands, which also unlocks rare monster eggs and valuable resources. Many of the game’s side quests involve restoring these habitats and rescuing Monsties.
The game features a compelling story and a robust endgame. After completing the main story, you can enjoy dozens of hours of additional content, including challenging raids that require careful team planning. These raids let you collect rare monsters and powerful combination skills, and the game offers a lot of reasons to keep playing long after the story ends.
Sound and Visuals
Monster Hunter Stories 3 is a beautiful game. The environments are richly detailed, the weather effects are impressive, and the monsters move realistically. Characters look more expressive, and the story is brought to life through stunning cutscenes.
Monster Hunter Stories 3 boasts incredible sound design. Each area feels distinct thanks to detailed ambient sounds – you’ll hear wind rustling through trees, volcanoes rumbling, and a chilling quiet in dangerous zones. The monster sounds and effects really bring the battles to life, making the world feel more immersive.
Verdict – Score 9/10
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection builds on the series’ traditions while also aiming higher than previous spin-offs, truly standing alongside the main Monster Hunter games. It offers a rich and satisfying RPG experience, combining the core elements of Monster Hunter with the storytelling style of Japanese role-playing games. If you’ve enjoyed past Monster Hunter Stories games, you’ll definitely love this one. I strongly recommend it to fans of the series.
You can play Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows PCs, and Xbox Series X|S.
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2026-04-08 18:35