Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin PS5 review

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is a fantastic game, and completely captivated me when it launched on Nintendo Switch in 2021. The fact it’s taken this long to cross onto other platforms is surprising, although arguably Capcom’s Monster Hunter team have had their hands full with Rise hopping over to PC and other consoles for the last few years.

Playing it on PS5 alongside the remaster of Monster Hunter Stories, I’m a little surprised by just how similar the two games are, even with many of the upgrades and additions spliced into Wings of Ruin. Combat feels very similar on the surface, with the same Power, Speed, and Technique system baked in but this time with six weapons to choose from including Hunting Horn and Gunlance.

Once again the story is high-stakes but not overly perilous, catering for the younger gamer with its bright visuals and themes of friendship overcoming adversity. The campaign pushes 50 hours (mostly due to how much side-content there is), and tells a story similar in tone and structure to the original game.

That said, we’re not here for the story. Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin brings back the egg-hunting and monster-riding from the first game, this time allowing you to take five Monsties with you at a given time so you can use their unique abilities to circumvent obstacles, or select which one should accompany you into the turn-based, JRPG-style battles.

As before, using the correct choice of three attack types builds your Kinship Gauge, while special abilities are tied to your weapon selection and can be learned and in some cases transferred. In Wings of Ruin you’ll also be accompanied by many other Riders who are controlled by AI but can still synergise with your attacks. Each has a different archetypal weapon and Monstie, adding a good deal of versatility and variety to proceedings.

It’s not a game built for steep challenge and, as such, even losing fights won’t set you back much besides the time it takes to return to where you fell with your bruised dignity in tow. Most of the real challenge comes from reading the battlefield, pre-empting what your enemy is about to do and choosing the right attack to counter it. Building Kinship Points allows you to unleash devastating attacks which can really turn a battle in your favour.

Beyond this you’ll need to take into account elemental and status effects, which can build up over time and make your life much harder (or easier). Because you and your allies can also use various items such as explosives and throwing knives (all familiar to the Monster Hunter veteran), combat can become quite a deep and involving affair.

While it’s true that the story doesn’t do anything really new, it still tells an enjoyable tale. Monsters are, as usual, being driven made by a mysterious corruption (here aptly named “Rage Rays”) and only you and the enigmatic Rathalos can hope to end the calamity. You’re aided by a handful of allies as well as Navirou, the Felyne rascal who returns from the first game. It feels a little more bombastic than the original, with a little more derring-do, and just as many Monsties.

The world is more open though, and there are secrets and points of interest everywhere, including dozens of Monster dens that you can investigate for loot, items, and, of course, eggs. Seeking out all the rare Monsties is just as addictive in the sequel, and being able to take so many out and about with you lends the exploration some wonderful variety.

The PS5 version doesn’t really add much beyond smoother, more detailed visuals and better textures. There’s the same number of Monsties to find and raise, and you can still use the Rite of Channelling to mix and match their abilities and attacks. The Tournament Mode also makes a return, allowing you to challenge other players or the AI to arena battles, while the Expedition Mode lets you head out into the world with your friends.

Graphically, it’s just gorgeous. Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin looked pretty good on the Switch and looks even better on PlayStation 5. It looks most analogous to Monster Hunter Rise in terms of the palette, though the monster design is such that it slots neatly beside any of the canon games. Combat animation is slick and fast and colourful, and the translation of attacks like the Great Sword slam or the Hammer’s baseball swing come over very well.

Fans of the greater franchise will absolutely get a kick out of this, and it’s a great time to dive into something like this while we all await the advent of Monster Hunter Wilds in 2025. Play it before, after, or alongside the remaster of Monster Hunter Stories, but don’t sleep on it; it really is a fantastic adventure.