Where there’s a Monster Hunter game, there’s a mystery — and you’d better strap yourself in for this one, folks. Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is the latest game to join Capcom’s Monster Hunter franchise – the third in the Stories series – and this game absolutely reflects the best of it all. 

The Monster Hunter Stories games are turn-based RPGs that allow for a lot more casual exploration and storytelling moments than the action packed main games. They also give you an opportunity to really get to know the extensive roster of monsters that Monster Hunter has created. If you’re new to the franchise there’s nothing to worry about, as Twisted Reflection stands on its own and you don’t need any prior knowledge to enjoy it, though if you are familiar there’s a ton of new discoveries and lore to uncover and enjoy as well.

The story is the biggest draw and strongest aspect of Twisted Reflection, in fact I think it delivers one of the most ambitious narratives in the franchise as a whole. The narrative centres around your character as the heir of Azuria, a character you get to design yourself. I normally wouldn’t start a review with the character creation aspect, but Twisted Reflection actually does something very interesting with theirs, which is to include a preview of what your character looked like as a child. Throughout the game you’re privy to many flashbacks of your character’s childhood, and having them actually look like your adult character adds a lot to those storytelling moments. I felt so much more invested in the actual story and the lore the game delivered to me than I normally would. 

The game opens with a scene of your character’s mother finding a mysterious egg, and your kingdom seems ecstatic about the discovery — until the egg hatches twin Rathalos. Years later, you’re captain of the Rangers, a team of monster riders that protect the ecosystem. You’re tasked with investigating a spreading crystalline phenomenon called the Encroachment that threatens to reignite conflict between the rival kingdoms of Azuria and Vermeil, a country devastated by the effects of the Encroachment. You, along with your monsties, the rangers, and the heir to Vermeil must find a solution to this problem to avoid an all-out war… but how much do they really know about the world?

The political intrigue of the world, alongside the personal conflicts and connections between the ranger team and those they meet along the way, make for an incredible experience. The ranger team features a good mix of personalities, appearances, ages, and skills, there’s definitely a favourite for everyone. 

I absolutely loved getting to do their side missions and really see their personalities blossom, learn their backstories, and just have an adventure with them. They each have a connection with your character and with each other that grows and changes as you journey with them, and delicate subjects such as grief, guilt, and poverty are handled with such grace, making the characters feel alive and unique. Though the main story feels weighty, important, and grand, it’s balanced with lighthearted and fun side stories and companion quests, allowing you to rest and enjoy the journey rather than feeling pressured and rushed to the ending.

Twisted Reflection keeps the core gameplay features of the previous games, however there are a few additional mechanics and goals that only make the game better. You can expect a rock-paper-scissors-style turn-based battle system with a handful of different weapons from the main series games. This style of battling was initially difficult for me to grasp, as it felt like too much, too quickly — however the game does a great job of easing you into situations where being comfortable with the system is necessary. 

In previous games it was easy to over-level your Monsties and just plow through the game without a thought, so Twisted Reflection adds a level cap in the early game – I’m unsure if the level cap continues into later parts of the game as I never hit the limit if there is one – allowing you to feel the challenges and figure out strategies for battles. Twisted Reflection keeps the armour and weapon system of the main games, using your monster parts to create better and more specific gear, although the UI is greatly improved and easier than ever to tell what you need for upgrades. 

There’s also the food mechanic where the meals offer different buffs, however this is definitely less critical than in the main Monster Hunter games and is more fun than anything. My only issue with the battle system is the lack of a clear turn order — because different Monsties and moves have variable speeds and chances of moving above others, it can be a little tricky to know what move to pick next.

Speaking of Monsties, though, I’m happy to report that there’s a huge variety of them to find in this game, including some fan favourites from recent games. In fact, Twisted Reflection introduces a habitat restoration feature, and it ended up becoming one of my favourite things to do in this game. You’ll spend a lot of time in this game exploring monster dens and collecting their eggs, which you can then hatch and release into the wild to build their population up and even add new variants of them into the environment. As part of the restoration of the ecosystem you’ll come across particularly strong invasive monsters who have moved into the den of an endangered species, and by fighting these monsters you’ll be able to collect the endangered eggs and release them back into the world! I found such great satisfaction in seeing these monsters roaming the world again and, in turn, finding their eggs in dens.

Twisted Reflections also introduces dual-element monsters, which is a first for the Stories series and definitely adds to the possible battle strategies. Using the Rite of Channeling allows you to alter your Monsties’ skills, traits and stats by swapping genes between Monsties, which is exceptionally useful when it comes to dual-element types. I initially ignored this feature but I highly recommend it, especially as you hatch more eggs with better hatching bonuses and better genes. Being able to customise your team of monsties adds another layer to combat and encourages you to explore different monster variations and habitat restoration, and for me it really connected me more to my team.

I cannot end this review without mentioning the gorgeous art direction in this game. From the diverse environmental areas to the distinct character designs, Twisted Reflections absolutely nails the cel-shaded modern fantasy aesthetic. I spent a long time in this game just looking. I couldn’t help searching for every nook and cranny, for materials and treasure chests, yes, but also to just see my character and Monsties in different pretty environments. All of the monsters also felt like they belonged in the areas you find them, even the colour and element variants seemed at home. 

The visual effects, animation, voice acting, and soundtrack just add to the magic of it all, and I never found myself pulled out of the world. With such impressive graphics I expected to see some issues or visual glitches yet everything ran perfectly in both handheld and docked, and there was also no difference in quality between cutscenes and gameplay.

Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection sets a high bar for future adventure RPGs, offering a beautiful, stylised design, incredible storytelling, and combat that is approachable and satisfying without sacrificing tactical depth and complexity. It’s a fantastic evolution of the Stories formula, delivering a richer narrative, deeper world interaction, and more reasons to explore the Monster Hunter universe from a different perspective. For some it may not replace the mainline action games, but for RPG fans and monster-collecting enthusiasts, it’s one of the most charming entries in the franchise and I cannot recommend it enough.

Rating: 4.5/5