In a far away kingdom, a king and queen are presented with an egg. This egg was retrieved from a naturally occurring crystal formation within their kingdom, and inside is the hope of hatching a magnificent beast to usher in an age of prosperity. Their royal child watches in awe as the shell cracks open, and this creature is revealed – a Rathalos, a winged wyvern that was long thought lost to their kingdom. Only bugger it, the little tyke has a twin, which is a portent of great doom according to royal wise men. So only one of these creatures can be permitted to live, lest the kingdom fall to ruin by the ill omen.
Years later that royal child is now a researcher in their own right, similarly studying the crystal macguffins that appear all over the landscape as a member of the inquisitive rangers. Oh, and they have befriended and now ride the adult Rathalos that survived that awkward introduction all those years ago. It’s just a shame that their mother, the queen, has apparently defected from the kingdom and has cast her lot in with a rival kingdom that is threatening the border.
This is the ambitious narrative at the heart of Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, the spin-off series of Monster Hunter that I always figured was going to be relegated to goofy tales of Monstie Mayhem. I cheerfully created my character and set out to enjoy some low-stakes silliness, but was immediately hooked by the political intrigue at the heart of the tale – helped in no small part by the incredible step up in presentation and voice acting. The previous entries were by no means slouching in those departments, but what’s on offer within Twisted Reflection is simply a cut above.
As the princess (or priest) of your kingdom, there is a clear divide between what you want to do and what is expected of you. Your curious nature is clearly right at home with the Rangers, but the mounting tensions at the border has your Kingly father expecting you to step up and get more hands-on – made all the more difficult by the apparent involvement of your defector mother. It’s a meaty concept that I barely scratched the surface of during my playtime, but easily has me champing at the bit for what will come next. The feuding factions of Azuria and Vermeil are just that rich in potential.
That isn’t to say that the story has forsaken all of the lighthearted fun that sets this series apart from its mainline series. The comic-styled appearance of characters still lends a lot to levity and fun within smaller moments, where the cast interact like they are starring in a fully-produced Monster Hunter Anime. But the title is not afraid to turn the mood on a dime when the story begs for a more serious tone. It’s thought out enough to leave me thinking about it long after I have stepped away from Twisted Reflection.
Systems-wise, the standard auto-battler format returns with its tried-and-true rock/paper/scissors motifs. Pick the right kind of attack to capitalise on an enemy’s weakness, with a plethora of options to command your monster pals to similarly strategise with your current plan of attack. The biggest combat twist within Twisted Reflection comes in the form of the Wyvernsoul Gauge, a pseudo enemy stagger system that serves to add some much-needed depth to your standard biffo. Depleting this gauge will knock your enemy over, allowing you to perform an enormous combo attack known as a Synchro Rush, which sees your entire party group up to pummel the monster.
This plays into overall targeting within combat, which feels quite reminiscent of Monster Hunter proper – choosing what part of the enemy to target. A souped-up enemy might be coated with crystal crap, allowing it to do unique attacks that are not native to their species. You can target these crystals to smash them, removing those attacks from the enemy movepool for a time. Or, you can also try and speedrun depleting the Wyvernsoul Gauge for a sweet, sweet Synchro Rush, knowing full well that you are leaving yourself open to those devastating crystal attacks. It’s a meaningful increase in challenge compared to the previous games.
Outside of battle, you are still exploring the world and seeking out new monstrous buddies to recruit. Azuria is a beautiful place full of trees, shrubs and mountainous discovery that reminds me a great deal of Pokémon Legends: Arceus grasslands while Cataracts (not the gorge) is a more canyon-like area that feels like something from Monster Hunter: World. Your Monstie mates have a variety of traversal methods, be it gliding or clambering, and the ability to swap quickly between them means it’s a chill time discovering resources or monster dens.
There is a very relaxing loop to be found in pinching eggs for your research, hatching new Monsties and breeding the best fighters, but a highlight for me is the Habitat Restoration system. There’s a pretty dark subtext within the Monster Hunter franchise, one of ecological devastation between humans and monsters alike, but having a system that is wholly based on rebuilding the natural ecosystem by way of releasing the right beasts back into nature feels great. You even get graded on your efforts, so if you have ever wanted to S-rank saving the natural world, here is your chance.
Of course, it isn’t a Monster Hunter game without some epic Monsters, and while the initial spread feels a little light, there are still some great Monsties to befriend and battle. Of course staples of the series are present, such as Rathalos in a starring role and Velocidrone assuming the position of jobber, but early on I was absolutely chuffed to see my favourite licky-boy from Monster Hunter Wilds Chatacabra turn up as an early boss fight. The flame-belching T-Rex-like Anjanath is also quick to appear, cementing the game as having impeccable taste.
If I had to sum up my time with Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection so far, it would have to be the sheer commitment on display. There is an amount of investment within Twisted Reflection that wasn’t as present in the previous entries, an amount of confidence that this isn’t just ‘the silly cousin’ of the Monster Hunter series. The format and formula for Monster Hunter Stories is being improved and implemented in a way that it can carry a more serious narrative, while still enjoying the facets that made the series popular to begin with. It’s a significant step up from the previous titles, offering a level of quality that – if sustained – will easily make it the best entry in the trilogy.
