Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection Reviews
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is, without a doubt, the most ambitious chapter of Capcom's RPG spin-off and marks a significant evolution for the series. While maintaining the classic structure built around exploration, egg gathering, and Monstie training, this installment introduces new mechanics that enrich the formula, making the experience deeper and more strategic.
Review in Italian | Read full review
For fans of Japanese RPGs, the changes and trade offs in Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection are largely welcome. Its combat and progression systems offer impressive depth and strategy, making the moment you finally overcome a powerful enemy feel especially rewarding. At the same time, its fairly straightforward story and solid world exploration keep the experience relaxed and enjoyable as you go about stealing eggs and completing quests.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection feels just like a turn-based Monster Hunter game. For the first time in the Stories series, they’ve nailed the feeling of every fight feeling like a boss battle.
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is definitely the most ambitious, prettiest and most mature instalment in the series, which finally rises above the label of a ‘small spin-off’.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Maintaining the structure that made the series famous and without abandoning its roots, while also evolving within what it used to become different as a spin-off, Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is an excellent game and the high point of the trilogy. Although it lacks a slight refinement in parts of its gameplay, it's a worthwhile title for any Monster Hunter fan.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Overall, Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is best described as a refined and improved Monster Hunter Stories 2. It doesn't really change the core concept, but pretty much every change in the game is for the better. The new story is easier to engage with, the combat system is more fun than ever, and in general, it's a great leap forward without losing anything that made the previous games fun. Only some minor frame rate issues drag down the Switch 2 experience, and they're not enough to sour an otherwise fantastic game.
The story wound up being a highlight, but even the streamlining of monster dens couldn't solve the heavy-handedness of monster collection and enhancement. If you want to painstakingly tweak the dials on habitats and splice monster genes while dealing with an acquired taste of a combat system, you'll find a better time than I did in this game. Maybe at the end of the day, the twisted reflection was a metaphor for the entire game.
Monster Hunter Stories 3 Twisted Reflection deserves to be studied as a benchmark for how to craft a spin-off. It fully embraces the DNA of the traditional experience while confidently iterating on its formula with creativity to make a sick JRPG first and a great MH experience second
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection captivates players with its powerful story and charismatic characters. The combat is taken to the next level with a complexity that moves away from the simplicity of the first two installments, offering many possible options and strategies. At the same time, its changing and explorable world allows us to exploit all possible tools to get the Monstie of our dreams. The result? A new installment that improves on its predecessors in every way and can be enjoyed like an anime once you get the hang of its combat.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Simply one of the best monster collectors ever made: Capcom's title features an excellent and challenging combat system, and an addictive Monstie capture system.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is an impressively challenging RPG with an engaging story and enjoyable adventuring mechanics that will make you want to keep exploring its gorgeous world which is filled with memorable environments, creatures, and characters. 🐶
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection leaves behind the youthful tone of the spin-off for a much more adult one, along with a complex combat system and an impressive level of presentation that makes every hunt spectacular.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection doesn’t aim to completely reinvent what’s been established in the previous two entries in the series. Instead, it smartly tweaks and iterates on what worked and what didn’t work to create a much more refined and enjoyable monster-catching experience.
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection demonstrates that the series has really come into its own in recent years. With its engaging story, strong visuals, and excellent soundtrack, it immerses you in a wonderful world filled with unique creatures. The Monsterpedia offers a great mix of classic monsters and newer additions from more recent titles. Combat can feel a bit random at first during clashes, but once you unlock the Rite of Channeling, you can customize your Monsties to your heart’s content. If you’re looking to dive into this vibrant world and push back against the encroaching threat, this is an easy recommendation.
I did actually enjoy my time with Monster Hunter Stories 3 despite having a list of issues with it, and I suspect the reason is because it reminded me of those unsung RPGs from the late 90s and early 2000s. It feels like the kind of game you had heard someone talk about glowingly on a message board years ago and when you look it up on eBay it’s inexplicably hundreds of dollars now. The bits of the game that did tickle my brain were tied to its myriad of systems and, while it can be overwhelming, I think the game would be lesser without them. Go ahead and give it a shot if you’re both a fan of Monster Hunter’s designs and world and also want to whittle away time making numbers go up.
Its combat cycle has never felt better, and with more to see and do, this is undeniably the best of the trilogy of Monster Hunter RPGs.
I love the different take on the Monster Hunter universe offered by the Stories sub-series. Its themes of ecological preservation fit much better than the indiscriminate hunting for better gear in the main saga, and its Game of Thrones-esque story of warring kingdoms adds a lot of points. But it's the monster breeding and enhancement systems that will keep you glued to this title for hours. Some mechanics don't work perfectly and the story loses steam over time, but it's undoubtedly an excellent creature-catching JRPG.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
"The most ambitious installment in the series" Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection offers a complete JRPG experience that combines strategic combat, open-world exploration, and team building in a deep and enjoyable way. Despite some technical complexities and the difficulty some newcomers might face in learning certain systems, the game provides a sense of control and enjoyment of diverse strategies and building a strong team, making it an excellent choice for fans of both tactical and story-driven games.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Twisted Reflection is one-of-a-kind. I found myself enjoying the world-building of a Monster Hunter game for the first time, thanks to a strong cast of characters backed up by an interesting premise and stellar visuals. The combat is fun, and the world mechanics all work together to keep you busy, whether it’s completing quests or taking on challenges with your best Monsties. I wholly recommend Monster Hunter Stories 3 to anyone who loves the idea of an animated-like adventure, complete with a modest amount of mechanics that do not burden the player. ∎
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is a mechanical masterpiece struggling within a hollow narrative. While its deep genetic breeding and the innovative Habitat Restoration system offer an unparalleled level of monster customization, the story fails to capitalize on its own high-stakes premise of wartime diplomacy and ecological ruin. The turn-based combat remains a brilliant translation of the series' signature rhythm, but the experience is occasionally marred by punishing late-game difficulty spikes and static, underdeveloped companions. It is a dream come true for theory-crafters and "Monstie" enthusiasts, but those seeking a compelling RPG narrative may find themselves chasing a ghost.
Review in Spanish | Read full review