With the continued success of the Monster Hunter, Capcom has continued to iterate on the series — new mechanics and monsters appearing in each new installment, and even a spin-off series that has seen moderate success. The Monster Hunter Stories series is a different take on the monster hunting Action RPG. Instead of slaying beasts and harvesting them for parts, players are instead tasked with rearing and raising these creatures to engage in turn-based battles.
Additionally, the Monster Hunter Stories series has a clearer focus on the overarching narrative and theme of the series, which at its heart is the conservation and preservation of the natural biomes of the Monster Hunter world. We had the opportunity to speak to Monster Hunter Stories series Producer Yoshiro Akira, and ask about the continued success of these spin-off titles, its various inspirations, and the future of these charming monster capture games.
MMORPG: Monster Capture games are more popular than ever with the success of Palworld. Can you see some of that success translate to the release of Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin on new platforms?
Yoshihiro Akira, Producer: The appeal of the gameplay is different, so it is difficult to compare with other titles, but Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin has been well received by players around the world for its story, turn-based battles, and monstie raising. Now that we’re able to deliver the series together with Monster Hunter Stories for PlayStation fans, we hope more people will enjoy it.
MMORPG: What was the inspiration for creating the Monster Hunter Stories series?
Akira: Around the summer of 2013, we started plans to create a new type of Monster Hunter game. First, we considered the idea of Monster Hunter Stories rather than the actual content of the title. The concept was that by playing Monster Hunter Stories, existing Monster Hunter fans could experience the world of Monster Hunter more deeply, while new players could learn about the Monster Hunter series and eventually lead them to play the action-focused Monster Hunter titles.
Monster Hunter Stories can help experienced Monster Hunter fans introduce new players to the series and let them experience Monster Hunter for the first time. This game allows fans who know Monster Hunter to engage with new players. And then the next step would be for the game to ideally serve as a foundation for people to enjoy the action-focused titles together.
With this vision in mind, we set out to make this a grand tutorial for the Monster Hunter series.
We also wanted to create a game that would make Monster Hunter fans fall in love with the monsters even more, and that is how Monster Hunter Stories was born.
MMORPG: What are some monsters that you would have liked to see appear in Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin?
Akira: Our ultimate goal would be for all the monsters from Monster Hunter [to] appear. However, our development philosophy for this series is based on respect for the Monster Hunter franchise. We want to make sure that each monster has its own personality, so there is a limit to the number of monsters that can appear in the game. We wanted to include new monsters from Monster Hunter Rise when releasing the original Nintendo Switch and Steam versions. Because of this, we updated the title immediately after the game's initial release to include the Palamute.
MMORPG: Are there some mechanics you would have liked to have added in Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin that weren’t able to be added into the game due to budget or time constraints?
Akira: The most important thing we did was to cut down on the variety of scenarios and co-op partners. Specifically, we shortened the episode of Orgo, a Felyne who Navirou looks up to, who appears in the middle of the game. (It was supposed to be a Felyne-centric sub-episode that also involved Tsukino and Navirou.) And Orgo was planned to be a co-op partner. Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is structured to have a different partner for each chapter, but this was intended to change the pattern, and I thought an unexpected idea was a Felyne Rider, but unfortunately, that idea had to be omitted.
MMORPG: Where do you see the future of this side series headed?
Akira: We hope this series will be loved by everyone as a Monster Hunter title that is easy to play for those who aren’t experienced with action games and those who prefer turn-based RPGs. We also hope that the Monster Hunter Stories series will be an opportunity to expose people to the franchise and have them try out the action-focused Monster Hunter games.
MMORPG: Any closing comments?
Akira: The two titles in the Monster Hunter Stories series are RPGs created so that even those who aren’t experienced with action games can enjoy the world of Monster Hunter. They are designed to be played by a wide range of people, including those who enjoy RPGs (especially turn-based RPGs) and those who like to raise their characters.
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin takes place four years after Monster Hunter Stories, and the worlds are connected, with the same characters appearing in both games. We hope you will play both titles, paying attention to the characters who have grown over the course of the series.
Players who have played Monster Hunter Stories in the past will be able to enjoy it again with English and Japanese full voice over and a Museum Mode. And of course, Monster Hunter players will also be able to enjoy it to the fullest, so we hope you will give it a try!
