Monster Hunter Stories and Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruins, two of my personal favorite Pokémon-like PC titles, have finally arrived on Xbox, as the Monster Hunter Stories Collection has now launched for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
What's even better is that these games can be played on the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X via remote play, so you can continue playing these awesome Xbox JRPGs whenever your main Xbox console is being used by someone else.
If you haven't heard of these games before, here's a quick refresher on why these games are awesome for both JRPGs and people looking for a true evolution of the Pokémon formula.
The Monster Hunter Stories series is a spin-off of Capcom's popular Monster Hunter franchise. However, instead of hunting monsters in semi-sandbox locales with action-RPG combat, you battle monsters in turn-based combat while seeking to befriend them as potential "Monstie" party members.
Each game has you play as a Rider, a special group of warriors who can tame monsters by using mystical artifacts known as Kinship Stones.
Together with your Monstie companions and other colorful characters you meet on your journey, you will travel the world to uncover mysteries, find new Monsties, and save the land from disastrous calamities.
What makes these games unique and fun is that they successfully combine the monster-catching gameplay formula of Pokémon with the gameplay mechanics, setting, and monsters of the Monster Hunter franchise.
For example, these games let your character fight alongside their tamed beasts in battle instead of sitting on the sidelines.
They can wield the iconic Monster Hunter weapons like Greatsword, Hammer, and Hunting Horn, lay down traps to ensnare enemies, whilst commanding their Monsties to perform powerful moves to lay waste to hostile monsters.
The Monster Hunter Stories games also offer diverse character and Monstie customization. You can equip your Rider with all kinds of gear to boost their stats, and equip your favorite Monsties with the genes of other Monsties to gain new abilities and become the ultimate killing machine.
I can't wait to return the world of Monster Hunter Stories on Xbox
As both a Monster Hunter and JRPG fan, I absolutely adore these games.
While their stories are fairly simplistic, they have charming casts of characters to root for and bright and colorful worlds to explore.
My favorite parts of these games are their challenging but fun, rock-paper-scissors-style combat systems, spending hours finding every single Monstie and splicing their genes to create an unstoppable army of Frankenstein-esque freaks of nature.
Now, Xbox fans will finally get to experience these games for themselves as the Monster Hunter Stories Collection is available for purchase on Xbox consoles at various retailers.
Not to mention, this game will be great for new fans to get caught up in the series in the lead-up to Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, which is looking to be the biggest entry in the series yet with its darker story, expanded world, and calvadade of new recruitable monsters from Monster Hunter Rise and Monster Hunter Wilds.
FAQ
Is Monster Hunter Stories 1 and 2 available on Xbox Game Pass?
No. Monster Hunter Stories 1 and Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin are not available to download via Xbox Game Pass, though it is possible they could be in the future.
Do these games support Xbox Play Anywhere?
No, Monster Hunter Stories 1 and Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin do not support Xbox Play Anywhere as they are only available on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
Am I required to play this collection to understand the plot of Monster Hunter Stories 3?
Not really, as Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection features a new cast of characters, setting, and story that takes place 200 years after Monster Hunter 2: Wings of Ruin.
However, the games featured in the Monster Hunter Stories Collection are still worth playing as they're in their own right and will help familiarize new players with the series' mechanics, which will mostly remain intact for the 3rd entry.
When is Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection releasing?
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is set to release on March 13, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam.
Additionally, Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is now available to pre-order.
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