Monster Hunter Stories

I absolutely thoroughly enjoyed my more than 50 hours with Monster Hunter Stories so far. It effectively eliminates the oh-so-common boring RPG grind, implements a novel turn-based battle system, and sincerely surprises me with seemingly limitless customizability. Though wrapped in a pleasant, sugary coating, Monster Hunter Stories did all of this while retaining the spirit of the Monster Hunter world with some small yet enjoyable nods to fans. I can't wait to dive back into the endgame and hatch myself a Kirin.

A solid if not earth-shattering turn-based take on the Monster Hunter world, tapping into aspects that make the Final Fantasy and Pokémon franchises enjoyable

I wasn't super impressed by Monster Hunter Stories but I don't think the developers intended for it to be a game-changer. It's an above-average RPG infused with some of the cuteness of the Monster Hunter universe, with portability to boot.

Monster Hunter Stories is an excellent adventure that channels the colourful world of Capcom's storied series into a joyous JRPG. It suffers from performance issues on non-New 3DS hardware, but it's still full of personality, beautifully presented and fun to play, with combat that's easy to grasp but engaging throughout. Longtime MonHun fans will appreciate Stories as a thoughtfully-made spin-off, but the gameplay template and tone are so different that you don't need to be familiar with — or even enjoy! — mainline Monster Hunter to have a great time here. Regardless of whether you've been hunting Hornetaurs since the beginning or couldn't tell a Felyne from a Fatalis, Stories is yet another charming 3DS RPG that's well worth your time.

Capcom's monster-collecting Monster Hunter spinoff manages to set itself apart from the crowd.

Monster Hunter Stories is a Monster Hunter game distilled down to a more simple level, but still retains what makes the games fun.

Amazing art style, tedious battle system and a difficulty that's aimed at young children - not one for Monster Hunter fans, but maybe their kids. If they like Rock, Paper, Scissors, that is.

For a spin-off that manages to change the core of what makes the mainline series so popular, Monster Hunter Stories does an amazing job becoming a stand-out title for the series.

Capcom's spin-off of the Monster Hunter series makes for a surprisingly enjoyable turn-based RPG on Nintendo 3DS, merging addictive mechanics with cutesy graphics.

Monster Hunter Stories is over ten years old and definitely shows its limitations - however, it's still a cracking wee JRPG you can happily get lost in.