Review Roundup Of Monster Hunter Stories 2–What Do The Critics Think?

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin comes out on July 9, but if you’re curious what the critics think about the game, we’ve got you covered. So far, it seems that Stories 2 has garnered quite a positive reception, with outlets citing its accessible turn-based combat and colorful visual style as particular highlights.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is a turn-based JRPG that features many of the characters and familiar monsters of the core MonHun series, but in a more approachable package. Instead of slaying monsters, Stories 2 allows the player to breed and team up with your monster pals in order to take down fearsome apex predators like the mighty Rathalos.

Though a few less-positive reviews have described the game’s story as lacking, with one critic referring to it as a Monster Hunter game for people who don’t like Monster Hunter, most critics have been more receptive.

Overall, the game’s Metascore currently sits at 81 on GameSpot’s sister site Metacritic, which equals generally favorable reviews.

• Game: Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin
• Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch
• Developer: Capcom
• Release Date: July 9
• Price: $60

Eurogamer — Recommended

“The story may be nothing to write home about, but not everyone likes the original Monster Hunter gameplay, and those people may well find what they’re looking for here – I know I did. MHS 2 is a warm and kind game with fun character design, engaging voice acting and some beautiful vistas, and even when things got grindy I wanted to keep going to meet new Monsties and visit friends old and new.” — Malindy Hetfield [Full review]

Siliconera — 9/10

“Monster Hunter Stories 2 is an absolute delight and will steal weeks of your life. There’s so much to do here, even if you never touch the multiplayer component or get into “building” the perfect Monsties via messing with their genes. Every den tempts you to go inside to grab another egg, especially if one is a “rare” golden one. You might feel compelled to fight a few more of one type of monster, because you like that armor suit and want to upgrade it as much as possible. It’s one of the most engrossing games out this year, and it’s so reassuring to see how Capcom built and improved upon the original.” — Jenni Lada [Full review]

IGN — 8/10

“Minor oversights and frustrations certainly wore away at me over the 80+ hours I spent with Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin — during its campaign and beyond — but the journey was well worth taking despite the frequent grains of sand in my shoe. Its mercifully free, gacha-like monster hatching loop is always exciting, and its combat and customization are both accessible but still intricate and rewarding. Its story is enjoyable if a bit cliche, but exploring this gorgeous world from the backs of my favorite monsters is an absolute delight.” — Casey DeFreitas [Full review]

Nintendo Life — 8/10

“Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin deserves to find a sizable audience. It’s full of charm and boasts depth that can immerse the committed or be dabbled with by those eager to simply experience the story. As a blend of Monster Hunter with a traditional RPG approach it’s an accomplished effort, and offers the sort of meaty experience that’ll keep most players busy for weeks. Switch owners will need to tolerate some disappointing performance, unfortunately, but the overall experience shines nonetheless. It’s a game of bright colours and wholehearted optimism, which is very welcome indeed.” — Thomas Whitehead [Full review]

VGC — 4 out of 5

“There’s ultimately nothing wildly new here, especially when you compare it to its predecessor which offered much of the same at a lower resolution. What it does offer, however, comes at a high quality, and should appeal to fans of Monster Hunter and easy-going JRPGs alike.” — Chris Scullion [Full review]

The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.