| Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | Pre-Order & DLC | Review |
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection follows the prince of the kingdom, Azuria, as it lies on the brink of a war with its neighbor, Vermeil. Read on to learn how it plays, what it's about, and everything else we know so far.
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Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection Gameplay
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is a monster-catching and raising game built around a turn-based RPG system with a rock-paper-scissors-like mechanic.
Rock-Paper-Scissors-Like Turn-based Combat
Just like its predecessors, players will take on the role of monster riders and take part in battle alongside their creature companions called Monsties. Both the player and their enemies will choose between three different moves: Power, Technical, and Speed.
If the player and an opponent target each other, they’ll enter a phase called a Head-to-Head. By choosing an attack that is strong against their opponent’s type, they will deal massive damage and fill a meter called the Kinship Gauge: Power beats Technical, Technical beats Speed, and Speed beats Power.
Monster Transformations
Monsters will favor choosing certain attack types, but when they transform or go berserk, they will lean towards a different type. Players can pay close attention to the monster’s behavior or listen to advice given by their human companions to guess their opponents’ patterns.
Monster Durability
Enemy monsters have breakable parts, such as on their head, tails, or wings. Players can target which parts to attack, chipping away at its durability gauge. Bring the gauge to zero, and it will stop monsters from doing certain attacks that need those parts or give rare materials.
Monster-Collecting
As a ranger, players can find and rescue eggs from Monster Dens. Once they’ve secured the monster egg, players can hatch, raise, and release them into the wild, letting them repopulate and rebuild their species.
Once these species begin thriving in the world, monster eggs of the species can be found in the world. Players can hatch these eggs into Monstie partners, which are monsters trained to be riding companions since birth.
Exploration
Players can ride on their Monsties to explore the open-world regions of Twisted Reflections. Each Monstie has a specific trait that lets it traverse various terrain, so players will be swapping between different ones regularly to fly, climb terrain, gather resources, and more.
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection Story
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection features a main campaign centered around 21 Chapters. The story is centered around the conflict between two nations and a group of Monster conservationists, the Rangers, being pulled into it due to their home kingdom’s need for capable warriors.
Whereas previous titles follow a classic "hero’s journey" storyline, Twisted Reflection leans heavily into human conflict and ancient lore. It still follows the series' core theme of forming bonds with monsters and restoring their damaged ecosystems.
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection Plot
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection follows the conflict between the nations of Azuria and Vermeil, while facing a catastrophic environmental phenomenon known as the "Crystal Encroachment," a crystalline blight that is destroying their lands.
The people believe that the current Crystal Encroachment began with the discovery of the supposedly extinct Skyscale Rathalos twins by their former queen. These Rathalos bear the same ominous mark as the Skyscale Rathalos twins, creatures originally linked to the first catastrophe from 200 years ago.
The player, heir to the kingdom of Azuria and the Rider of one of the Skyscale Rathalos twins, is tasked with investigating the anomalies caused by the Crystal Encroachment and preventing the escalating tensions between the two kingdoms from erupting into open conflict.
Their journey leads them beyond the northern Meridian, where they are joined by Princess Eleanor of Vermeil, who has offered herself as a diplomatic "hostage" to Azuria, and her Anjanath Monstie, to uncover the truth behind the mysterious events and the motives of Eleanor's sister, the Queen of Vermeil.
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection Setting
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is set 200 years after Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, with a new cast of characters and locales. There are over four open-world regions in Twisted Reflection: Azuria, Canalta Timberland, Tarkuan, and Serathis.
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection Characters
Protagonist and Captain of the Rangers
The protagonist is the captain of the Rangers, as well as the heir to the kingdom of Azuria. The Captain is the sole rider of a Rathalos, a species of monster considered to be long extinct, in the country. They are very curious about the way of life of monsters and often spend their time doing field research, sometimes at the expense of their royal duties.
Rudy
Rudy is a Royal Felyne, whose family served the royalty of Azuria for many generations. He has been the protagonist’s Palico since they were young, and often reminded them of their duties.
Eleanor
Eleanor is the princess of Vermeil, offering herself as a hostage to its rival, Azura, to de-escalate the impending war between the two nations. She is a Rider who cares deeply for her Anjanath monstie, Angie.
Thea
Thea is the newest recruit of the Rangers and their resident Poogie-lover. She idolizes the protagonist and is very eager to be taken under their wing.
Kora
Kora, along with the protagonist’s mother, is a founding member of the Rangers and experienced with geological surveys, and specializes in using bombs and gunpowder. Seeking to understand the actions of the protagonist’s mother ten years ago, she accompanied them on their journey.
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