Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruinfirst launched on the Nintendo Switch and PC on July 31, 2025, garnering an even better reception than its predecessor and all but serving as a replacement for the first game — at least in the eyes of many of its fans. In a lot of ways,Monster Hunter Stories 2is the “older, more sophisticated sibling” of its predecessor, boasting improved visuals and environments, a much more serious story, and increased difficulty. Now, the acclaimed sequel is releasing once again alongside a remastered version of the first game and headed straight for the PS4 console.
Game Rant had the pleasure of givingthe PS4 version ofMonster Hunter Stories 2a test drive in a hands-on preview, but it’s worth noting we played it on the PS5. Fans who played the original version probably won’t get anything different here, based on our time with the game, but it is still a noticeable upgrade all the same.
The Story of Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin
Much ofMonster Hunter Stories 2’s storyis very similar to the first game’s. Once again, players are in control of a Rider, one who specializes in finding monster eggs, hatching them, and partnering with the “Monsties” that emerge from the eggs in exploration and combat. In the firstMonster Hunter Stories, players were tasked with uncovering the mystery behind the Black Blight, a sickness that was driving monsters mad and making them extremely violent. InMonster Hunter Stories 2, players begin by looking into the mass disappearance of Rathalos, only to eventually encounter “rage-rayed” monsters who attack and destroy everything they see without prejudice. This isn’t a particularly new trope forMonster Hunter, but it works just fine.
Perhaps even more so than the first game,Monster Hunter Stories 2’s story is its priority. In fact, the story is much more serious this time around, with fewer “cartoony” characters who act far less silly than they did in the firstMonster Hunter Stories. It’s easy to get lost inMonster Hunter Stories 2’s story quests, simply because advancing the narrative is the best way to get the most out of the game. Furthermore, it’s fairly easy to make goodprogress inMonster Hunter Stories 2without ever touching its side content.
Monster Hunter Stories 2’s Monster-Catching Gameplay
Monster Hunter Stories 2’s gameplayis almost identical to the first game, primarily centering around players exploring its open areas in search of Monster Dens where they can find eggs. This continuesMonster Hunter Stories’Pokemon-like gameplay that the first game started; only players will be able to find and hatch even more Monsties this time. Also, inMonster Hunter Stories 2, it’s much easier to determine whether an egg is rare or not, as a golden glow surrounds it when attempting to loot a nest.
There are also Everdens to be found around the world, which are so named on account of being permanent locations as opposed to random spawns like normal Monster Dens. Inside Everdens, players can findBottle Capsthat can be traded for special gear and items. These special dens are “one-and-done” locations, so once players clear them out, they serve no purpose anymore. Of course, this is all in addition to the main story, which is arguably the game’s main appeal.
Side quests return inMonster Hunter Stories 2, though not necessarily as an evolution of the formula from the first game. They are still simple fetch-and-kill quests, but this is pretty typical of theMonster Hunterfranchise. If anything, they serve as a great excuse for exploring more of the game’s world, as the story quests generally keep things fairly linear. As before in the first game, players can unlock new ways to traverseMonster Hunter Stories 2’s landscapes by acquiringMonsties with the traversal skillsnecessary to do so. This helps encourage players off the beaten path every once in a while to explore Monster Dens, which are much more environmentally varied than they were in the first game.
One wayMonster Hunter Stories 2feels a bit more like traditionalMonster Hunteris in its occasional use of Scoutflies to track monsters. Players can also now select whether they want to explore during the day or at night, much like they can in most mainlineMonster Huntergames. As such,Monster Hunter Storiesis more likely to appeal to fans ofMonster Hunterthan the first game will.
Monster Hunter Stories 2’s Turn-Based Combat
Not much has changed combat-wise inMonster Hunter Stories 2since the first game, though fights prove to be a bit more predictable and less reliant on chance this time. The three basic attack types — Power, Speed, and Technical — are still there, with each one being strong and weak against another.Monster Hunter Stories 2also still has turn-based combat, and if players can guess which type of attack their opponent will be using, they can potentially square off with them in a Head-to-Head. Winning a Head-to-Head requires either the player or their Monstie to use an attack that is strong against their opponent’s attack type, and this will allow them to deal more damage and take less damage.
Monsters are far more predictable inMonster Hunter Stories 2than they were in the first game, as each monster now uses the same attack types in each of their “phases.” This makes for an experience more akin totraditionalMonster Hunter, since its combat largely revolves around familiarizing oneself with each monster’s attack patterns. Still,Monster Hunter Stories 2’s combat feels a bit more demanding than the first game’s, as if it longs to be taken more seriously.
Monster Hunter Stories 2still uses the first game’s Kinship system as well, which sees a player’s Kinship Charge building over time as they perform actions in conjunction with their Monstie. Once the player’s Kinship Charge is full, they can mount theirMonstie in combat, which not only refills both the player’s and the Monstie’s health but also allows for powerful Kinship attacks. Additionally, players can often count on Battle Buddies to join them in battle, who consist of various characters they will meet throughout the story. Using a Kinship attack at the same time as a Battle Buddy will result in a powerful double Kinship attack, so timing is everything here.
Monster Hunter Stories 2’s Gear and Monstie Progression
Once again, players can upgrade their gear inMonster Hunter Stories 2, though it is also, once again, hugely simplified in comparison to traditionalMonster Huntergames. Whereas players could do Forge Quests inMonster Hunter Storiesto forge new gear, they can simply forge new gear right from the Smithy inMonster Hunter Stories 2, so long as they have the materials. The Forge Quests from the first game might have been a more accessible way for players to forge gear, since it held their hand a bit more, but this works just fine.
The Rite of Channeling is also back inMonster Hunter Stories 2, which allows players to transfer genes from one Monstie to another and awaken a new power in the Monstie who receives those genes. Of course, whatever Monstie is used to channel new genes to another will disappear, but it can all be worth the loss in the end. The Rite of Channeling is one of the primary motivators behind finding more Monsties, so it also acts as one of the game’s main forms of progression.
Our time withMonster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruintook us to around the halfway point in its story, and it seems it allowed us to cover most of the game’s ground. It’s doubtful there is much more that is new beyond where our preview ended, but it will be interesting to see how the rest of the game plays out. At the very least, this gave a pretty good idea of whatMonster Hunter Stories 2is, and it seems like it could be an adequate improvement visually, while presenting polished gameplay mechanics too.
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruinreleases on PS4 on July 15, 2025.
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin
WHERE TO PLAY
Will your special bond with these monsters bring hope or destruction? A new adventure awaits you in this second installment of the turn-based RPG series set in the world of Monster Hunter! Become a Rider and form bonds with friendly monsters known as Monsties to fight alongside them as you take part in an epic story.You play as the grandchild of Red, a legendary Rider. The story begins with a fateful encounter with Ena, a Wyverian girl who has been entrusted with an egg with the potential to hatch into a legendary Rathalos which could wreak havoc if awakened to its destructive power.Embark on a journey which will test the bonds of friendship in a changing world, and discover the truth behind the legends of old.
