Capcom is betting a lot on its popular Monster Hunter series of games, with last year’s Monster Hunter Now launching on mobile, and now two different ports for the Monster Hunter Stories spin-offs onto slightly more modern hardware. We spend some time with Monster Hunter Stories PS4 version, and have our impressions ready as we gear up ahead of its June 14 release date.

Why Hunt When You Can Ride?
For those who may not know, Monster Hunter Stories is a spin-off of the main Monster Hunter series, and originally released in 2016 on the Nintendo 3DS. This game did well enough to warrant a mobile release on Android and iOS in 2018, and now the game is launching on the PlayStation 4, Switch, and Windows platforms on June 14th. The decision to release on the last generation of consoles is a curious one, but the game plays just fine on a PS5. Considering the age of the source material, there’s probably not much more benefit that can be gleaned by using newer hardware, anyway.

If you’ve played the original Monster Hunter Stories on either the 3DS or Switch, this will be a familiar adventure. You play as an adolescent who has chosen to become a Rider, which in the Monster Hunter universe are a tribe of people who opt to keep and raise monsters instead of hunting them as in other games. Riders serve as guild members, who complete tasks, cull invasive wildlife, or perform other duties as requested by the rest of the tribe. It’s a way of life that’s different from seemingly everyone else in the world. The story actually has a pretty dark start in what is an otherwise lighter-hearted tale.

You Love to Hate Him

All key cutscenes are fully voiced, including the ever-talkative Navirou, whose voiceover artists do a great job at creating a grating, annoying voice, in either English or Japanese. That is to say, it’s well-done because when that character gets slapped around from time to time, you can’t help but feel a bit of schadenfreude.

Monster Hunter Stories was originally created for much earlier systems, and it shows in some ways. Graphically, of course, since this was originally released for Nintendo’s 3DS, expect to see a lot of blurry textures, blocky designs, and other things you shouldn’t be surprised to see. Things have been cleaned up a bit, but overall, you can tell this was made a long time ago.

Age Shows From Time to Time

This even extends to the controls. At any time when you’re out on an expedition, you can opt to ride your lead Monstie, which allows for faster traversal of the game’s levels. Movement is controlled via the left analog stick, however it seems to stick to eight directions. This makes sense, considering the 3DS had an analog disc that at best could be described as inaccurate. It’s not a major thing, but does take some getting used to.

Monster Hunter Stories may have some eccentricities to it, but for those who may have missed it on Nintendo’s consoles the first time around may enjoy this port. While the graphics remind you constantly that the game originally released almost eight years ago on the 3DS, the entertaining story, whimsical characters and lore, and relatively simple gameplay combine into something you’ll likely play through when you don’t want to think too much, and simply have fun collecting Monsties, fighting, and progressing the storyline. While the game isn’t due out for another couple of weeks, Monster Hunter Stories is shaping up to be a faithful port for those who may have missed it the first time around, or players who want to remember why they enjoyed it back in the day. Expect our full review when the game launches on PS4, Switch, and Windows this June 14.

Aside from Stories, Monster Hunter Wilds is the next mainline entry in the franchise and launches next year for the PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.