Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings Of Ruin
Developer/publisher Capcom
Format PC, Switch (tested)
Release Out now
Could there be anything more guiltily satisfying than carving an animal apart with a weapon made from its own brethren? Pacifying a monster that was just going about its business in its natural habitat and stripping it down for parts before kitbashing your spoils into something more powerful and doing it all again has been at the core of the Monster Hunter series since its inception. Though it’s masked with cartoon skin and more accessible systems, Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings Of Ruin brings the foolproof formula back for another outing.
Capcom would be foolish to discard it. The incremental approach to powering yourself up, and the laser-focused specificity of the maths that determines drop rates for materials, is catnip. But where traditionally pairs this loop with action and bombast, the games take it slow and steady. This sequel is happy to hit the same notes as the original: turn-based battles, interlocking rock-paper-scissors mechanics, and a greater focus on exploration. The star of the show is, unsurprisingly,
