Better Late Than Never, Eh? 

Back in 2024 when these games launched for PlayStation, I asked the question why the Monster Hunter Stories games weren’t coming to Xbox too. But now, alongside the announcement that Monster Hunter Stories 3 would be making its way to Xbox, it only made sense to bring the first two over as well. So, here we are, some nine years after it first launched on the Nintendo 3DS, Monster Hunter Stories is finally here on Xbox.

As the name suggests, Stories is a spin-off from the Monster Hunter franchise, but has managed to carve out a space for itself. Rather than being an action RPG where you take down huge, hulking monsters, the Stories series is a turn-based affair. Throw in some Pokémon style collecting and a more childlike whimsy to the overall aesthetic and you’ll get a sense of where the game is pitching itself.

Riders, Not Hunters

Also, you don’t actually play as a Hunter. Instead, you are a Rider, someone that uses the monsters in a more harmonious way. You start with your Rider looking for an egg to hatch a “monstie” from, that just so happens to be a Rathalos. The egg hatches almost instantly and immediately forms a bond with your Rider. Eager to show off your new friend, you return to your village. However, a Nargacuga descends and attacks the village, causing damage and death. Your new Rathalos friend is also nowhere to be found.

A year passes, and today is the day your Rider takes the Rite of Kinship to officially earn the Rider title. Talk then turns to a phenomenon known as the Black Blight. This is believed to be what caused the Nargacuga to attack the village, and your Rider has taken it upon themselves to investigate. It is time to venture out into the world.

Out in the field you will need to battle, find eggs and push the story on. Eggs can be found in monster nests; small, dungeon-like areas that pop-up in the field from time to time. You’ll need to capture these and take them back to a base in order for them to hatch.

Once hatched, you can add the new monster to your roster. There are plenty to collect from across the Monster Hunter roster.

Are These Riders Any Better Though?

Later on, you can also use the Rite of Channeling to essentially splice monster genes together. The monster you are ‘borrowing’ the genes from then suddenly ups and leaves, probably a better way to explain away the splicing than saying they die. It seems that between this, stealing eggs and ordering the monster to fight for you, these Riders may in fact be worse than the Hunters in terms of psychological damage to the monsters.

On the subject of ordering the monsters to fight for you, combat in Monster Hunter Stories is built around the tried-and-tested method of rock/paper/scissors. Based on Power, Speed and Technical moves: Power will beat Technical, Technical beats Speed and Speed bests Power.

You as the Rider and a chosen monster will fight alongside each other. Occasionally you can choose the attack your monster will make, particularly if it is a special attack, but for the most part they will attack autonomously. If you can match up an attack with the same type as your monster, you may be able to unleash a Double Attack, stopping your opponent from attacking altogether for that turn.

There are signs that Monster Hunter Stories is nearing a decade old, none more so than the battle system. It just feels a bit basic; we’ve seen turn-based battles return in a big way in 2025 and can still feel innovative and engaging. This unfortunately, is not that. It’s not bad, just very traditional.

A Game Showing Its Age

Aging is also shown in how the game looks and plays. Obviously, it has had a substantial update since the first Nintendo 3DS release, but it is identical to the mobile port in terms of how it looks. The overall gameplay and feel has been largely untouched however, and it shows. There will be loading screens – albeit brief – between areas and buildings, menus feel a bit bland and there is a lot of text without voice acting. When there is voice acting, the less said about Felyne companion Navirou, the better.

Also probably down to aging is the limited number of weapons and armour. The Monster Hunter series prides itself on having 14 different weapon types to learn and master. In this first Monster Hunter Stories game, we only have four: Great Sword, Sword and Shield, Hammer and Hunting Horn. Not only that, but it isn’t until some way into the game when you arrive in a major city that you can really change up your gear. For the first few hours, you have a Great Sword, and you will like it. Although, due to the limited battle mechanics, these don’t feel nearly as varied compared to the mainline series.

As a first foray into turn-based gaming for the Monster Hunter series, Monster Hunter Stories is… fine. It certainly looks and feels a bit dated, but then this is a game that can be played on mobile devices only having just released on Xbox for the first time. Monster Hunter Stories doesn’t really excel at anything, but it doesn’t do anything particularly poorly either. What it does though is lay foundations for better games to come.

Important Links

Monster Hunter Stories Finally Arrives On Xbox – And It Brings Wings of Ruin With It – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/Monster-Hunter-Stories/9NPBD1HC2583

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin Review – https://www.thexboxhub.com/monster-hunter-stories-2-wings-of-ruin-review/

Buy Monster Hunter Stories on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/Monster-Hunter-Stories/9NPBD1HC2583