Plays Much More Like The Main Series
Ironically, Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection feels like the most Monster Hunter game in this spin-off series. It may have started off as a simple turn-based RPG with the first Monster Hunter Stories, but with this third game it has evolved and improved. It still retains that core turn-based RPG feel, but with huge areas and far more meaningful battles to engage with, it’s aligned with its parent series more than anything that has come before.
Monster Hunter Stories 3 is the latest instalment in the Stories series. Much like the mainline games, each entry is separate, but with plenty of common themes running throughout.
Off To a Flying Start
This time around, you are thrust straight into the action as an established Ranger, rather than having to learn the ropes and trudge through the opening hours. Note that you are a Ranger in this game and not a Rider; there is a very good reason for that which we will get to.
For the first time in the series, your created character is fully voiced. And fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your preference, that means there is no Navirou this time around to do the talking for you. This alone gives Monster Hunter Stories 3 a bit of maturity; not in terms of aiming for an older audience – it remains a PEGI 12 – but as a game that wants to take itself a bit more seriously. It still has those humorous moments, and Palico fans, don’t worry, there is still a cat companion. Just a far more quiet one.
Not only are you a Ranger, but you are also the prince or princess of the land of Azuria. Azuria is in the middle of a crumbling relationship with the neighbouring Vermeil. Then, to make things worse, a worrying issue called the Crystal Encroachment is causing the land and monsters to alter negatively. And to top things off, your mum has run off with the Rathalos that is the twin to your Rathalos. What she plans to do though is anyone’s guess at this point.
Previous Monster Hunter Stories had you accompanied by one companion for the duration of their chapter, but in this third game, you are introduced to the majority of your party from the off. Initially, they will join you on excursions as you get to know them, but progress through the main quest and you will unlock side stories that reveal a bit more about their background.
But before that, you get to explore the new world. And what a view. Monster Hunter Stories 3 opens with you flying on a Rathalos towards your castle, taking in the vistas. This is a huge step-up from the previous two games, and shows how versatile the RE Engine can be in the hands of Capcom. The stylised graphics look fantastic and are proof that shooting for photo-realistic graphics isn’t necessary.
The Usual Side Activities
Each of the areas are varied and large enough that you will want to explore them. Just as well then that the standard sidequests, nests, gathering items, rare and powerful monsters are all present and accounted for. There are also Poogies to be found; sometimes just out in the open, or other times requiring you to complete a bit of platform jumping in order to reveal them.
As a Ranger this time around, simply gathering eggs and collecting all monsters is not enough. You are expected to protect these monsters, and help them thrive. The Rite of Channeling returns, but monsters don’t disappear once you have taken a stat from them this time. This should tell you how being a Ranger differs from being a Rider.
A Rangers Responsibility
Rangers are also tasked with helping the monsters breed, known as Habitat Restoration. Rather than hoarding all the eggs for yourself, any that have hatched can be released back into the wild, in their original area, or a new area to see what happens. Doing this can increase a monster’s Ecosystem Rank, where in turn you can find more eggs, unlock special skills or even find yourself a Dual-Element Monster.
Habitat Restoration is a neat little feature with more than a little dose of real-life environmental issues, but the execution of it is far too simple. All that is required is going into a menu and choosing which Monster to release in which area.
Similar too for the new Excursions activity, where you can send Monsters out in the hope of finding new skills otherwise unavailable to them. It is never really made clear whether this differs enough from the Rite of Channeling and what Skills can be unlocked. The game even tries to restrict you to doing this an unlimited number of times by adding a consumable to it.
Now Featuring the Best Battles in the Series
But where Monster Hunter Stories 3 excels is in the refined battle mechanics. It retains the same three attack types in a rock-paper-scissors format, along with features from Monster Hunter Stories 2, such as breaking enemy parts and choosing the right weapon for the fight on the fly.
It adds new features such as Synchro Rush, which allows you to launch a strong attack when an enemy is toppled. Plus, most large monsters can now swap their attack weakness on the fly. This keeps you on your toes because discovering an enemy’s weakness in earlier games was likely the only real challenge.
But the best new feature is the frequency and overall feel to the battles themselves. There is far less endemic life in Monster Hunter Stories 3 that wants to kill you. Which means when you do get into a scrap, it feels far more impactful and almost like the main series when you go on a hunt. 90% of battles could be classed as a boss fight in another turn-based RPG, but here they are the norm. It isn’t a major overhaul by any means, but these few tweaks have completely revitalised the battle mechanics, taking it from a tad boring to fully engaging.
Evolved and Elevated
And it’s these tweaks that ensure Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection feels just like a turn-based Monster Hunter game. For the first time in the Stories series, they’ve nailed the feeling of every fight feeling like a boss battle. And then, evolving from a newbie Rider in the previous games to an established Ranger in this one, opens the door to new features. Some of these work better than others, but feeling like part of a team already with a voiced protagonist – and getting rid of Navirou – elevates this third entry from a Saturday morning cartoon to a turn-based RPG befitting of the Monster Hunter name.
Important Links
Ride Into A New Adventure In Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection – https://www.thexboxhub.com/ride-into-a-new-adventure-in-monster-hunter-stories-3-twisted-reflection/
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection Hatches in 2026 – https://www.thexboxhub.com/monster-hunter-stories-3-twisted-reflection-hatches-in-2026/
Buy from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/monster-hunter-stories-3-twisted-reflection/9NFGXW48HM36
