The demo of this game just dropped yesterday, and I put a tiny bit of time into it. And so far I love it. The new art style is amazing. The music is great, and I'm really liking the pace the game is showing right now. The customization is good, the adventure seems interesting...the stereoscopic 3D is about the only thing I was a little disappointed in. It's not *bad* but...definitely not the best I've seen on the system.

Still, I'm liking what I've played so far, and am very much looking forward to the finished product. Did anyone else take some time to check out Capcom's latest on 3DS?

@GameDadGrant
No, but I will. The art style really is beautiful. I hope that they use it for the Hunting games, as well.

I never paid much attention to this game so I had no expectations going into the demo. The story seems pretty typical, but that's par for the course with these types of games. The art style is much, much better than the main MH games, they could certainly learn a thing or two from this one. The battles seem pretty simple in the demo, I'm sure things open up some more as you're able to collect more monsties in the full game but I doubt it ever gets too deep. The world seems like it could be decently large and contain a lot of things to discover, so the exploration is mainly where I'd have my fun with this title.

Overall, I like what I saw in the demo, and will probably scoop this up at some point.

There is a lot to do in this demo! Like...way more than what I was expecting. The demos for the main Monster Hunter games are super brief and basically boil down to you hunting two or three monsters...and then done. This one, though? It has like, what I imagine to be, the intro to the main game, an introduction to the world of Monster Hunter Stories, multiple quests, side-quests, and things to unlock and discover. I haven't finished it all, but it appears to be about as meaty as the demo for Bravely Second. I'm impressed.

By the way, do we know anything about the amiibo associated with this game? I haven't seen them for sale or pre-order at any stores here in North America. But I did see them for sale on Amazon...which I can only presume are the Japanese import versions? Anyone got any insight on this?

Reviews for the final version are coming in hot!


Nintendo Enthusiast said:

Monster Hunter Stories is a delightful game that surprised the hell out of me. It’s pretty, it’s fun, it’s fresh, and a real departure from the original series but still retains elements to keep it familiar. If you like JRPG’s or monster collecting games like Pokemon, Monster Hunter Stories is a must own. Just don’t go into the game expecting a traditional style, and you will be surprised with how good it is. 85/100

Game Informer said:

Series fans might be put off by Monster Hunter Stories’ simplified combat, but I enjoyed the opportunity to pilot some of my favorite creatures from the franchise on the other side of the blade. Fans of turn-based JRPG fare, newcomers to the franchise, and younger gamers have more to enjoy here – to explore and engage with the Monster Hunter universe without having to enter through a less accessible door. 80/100

Nintendo World Report said:

Exploring the world hasn't been better than this and the style just pops on the Nintendo 3DS. Newcomers and veterans alike will find a lot to love, but also need to go in with lowered expectations about the combat. 80/100

Trusted Reviews said:

Monster Hunter Stories is a delightful little JRPG that makes a big splash with its adorable visuals and addictive battle system. Performance problems aside, this is a great introduction to Capcom’s beloved franchise. 70/100

Looks like Capcom may have a bit of a hit on their hands. While maybe not for everybody (something this franchise is no stranger to) those who can dig the collecting, battle systems, and monster manipulation have a lot to look forward to here! Anyone else taking the dive into Stories?

Those are about the scores I expected for this game. The lack of depth in the battle system seems to be one of the reasons it isn't getting 9s or higher.

My Yian Kut Ku's name is Flareblitz and it's just tearing through this game no problem.

Also the Yian Kut Ku's Kinship special thing is the greatest thing ever.