Although the Monster Hunter series has recently seen some mainstream acclaim with its latest titles, fans sometimes forget that the series itself is over 17 years old. With Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, developer Capcom decided to return to the roots of the series. Monster Hunter Stories 2 was released on July 9, 2021, and is available for Windows and Nintendo Switch. It continues the captivating mythos of older games in the series, while combining it with new and improved gameplay elements.
This is a lengthy game, and early mistakes can cost players who want to be immersed in the natural flow of the narrative dearly. Choosing the wrong Monstie companion for the situation, or the wrong calculations in the turn-based combat system, can set the player back by a few hours at the very least. A heavy amount of grinding can also be required to beat the game. Here are some common missteps that should be avoided in Monster Hunter Stories 2.
10 Not Selling Extra Materials
In the world of Monster Hunter Stories 2, money is not so easy to come by. However, materials are. In the game, players have to explore extensively to find money in certain chests. Another way to gain it is by hunting bounties. Nonetheless, Zenny does not come through hunting bounties directly. It is only after players turn in those bounties that they get a substantial amount of Zenny.
Completingbounties and hunting monsters does earn the player a lot of materials, though. So it is recommended that they sell the materialsthat they do not need for crafting for the extra money, as it will come in handy later.
9 Not Selecting The Right Monsties For The Situation
Monster Hunter Stories 2 seems to take a lot of inspiration from the very popular Pokemon titles. Different Monsties offer a range of abilities, whether in battle or while exploring the overworld. Failing to try out the various abilities that different Monsties bring to the table would be a large mistake on the player's part. Exploration could lead to the discovery, hunting, and capture of Royal Monsters (possibly).
Some of these Monsties can be used by the player as their own personal companion. They can either allow access to difficult areas or bring new abilities to be used against foes. For instance, the world of Monster Hunter Stories 2 is quite difficult to explore, as it has terrain that cannot be scaled without the right skills. Some Monsties can navigate difficult areas, by climbing those troublesome vines, for instance.
8 Letting Go Of The First Egg
Monstie eggs can be hatched at the Stables, and the resulting Monstie can be used in battle and ridden in the overworld. Navirou's comments provide hints about the egg's condition. However, many players tend to let go of Monstie eggs in the early stages if they do not consider it to be a rare find. This is a mistake.
Keep those early eggs and make use of them. The Monsties from these eggs have base stats that are useful for the early stages of the game. If the egg quality is good, the base stats improve. If nothing else, they may have useful genes that can be passed on to other party members. You never know if a seemingly weak Monstie will be an invaluable party member.
7 Committing To A Huge Level Grind
Many players will want to grind to level up as much as possible, over the course of this long adventure. However, there are various ways for players to prepare themselves for combat outside of this. For example, they can pray at the Prayer Pot for buffs and can upgrade both their gear and Monsties before each battle. There are multiple ways to approach each situation, whether in battle or exploration.
The process of leveling isn't necessarily slow and tedious, but spending hours grinding isn't strictly necessary. Players have to find a method of powering up that is convenient and suits their playstyle, without taking away the potential rewards that come with grinding in a game.
6 Not Saving Manually
Monster Hunter Stories 2 can see players putting in hours upon hours to beat the game. If the player is defeated, they arereturned to the main hub area and their progress is retained. This is another aspect of the game that's very reminiscent of the Pokemon series, but a lot of time is still potentially lost. Therefore, saving before and after crucial moments in the game becomes a necessity.
With that being said, there are multiple options in Monster Hunter Stories 2 for saving the player's progress, such as interacting with the bed in their house, amongst others. Players should not be relying only on the autosave featureof the game for saving their game progress.
5 Not Checking Whether Certain Species Can Produce Monsties
Not all monsters in Monster Hunter Stories 2 can give the player eggs which hatch into Monsties. Players can often waste their time chasing a particular creature in hopes of procuring a Monstie companion, only to discover that their species isn't able to produce an egg. There is an easy workaround to fix this issue, but it demands patience from the player.
Players must check their Rider's Notes and go to the Guide section. Read the Monsterpedia and Monstipedia sections to learn which monsters are worth the pursuit and the effort. Monsters that can produce Monsties will be denoted by a blue egg icon on this screen.
4 Ignoring The Prayer Pot
The Prayer Pot provided to the protagonist can and should be leveled up. Feed charms to the Prayer Pot as the game progresses. Although the player can perform the Basic Prayer at the Prayer Pot, offering charms to and increasing the level of the Prayer Pot grants certain buffs to the character. The buffs it provides have a base value at the beginning, but the effects get stronger as the game goes on.
Leveling up the Prayer Pot willincrease the efficiency of the buffs. This is especially important to the (highly customizable) player character in the latter half of the game, as the monsters get more difficult to deal with.
3 Not Checking Enough Rare Dens
Some players have probably made the mistake of not checking enough dens in the game. Not all normal dens in the game need to be checked through for eggs and other forms of treasure. However, Rare Densshould always be explored. A Rare Den can be identified by its distinctive entrance, which is covered with golden rocks.
They need to be checked as most of the Rare Dens' monsters are either sleeping or unavailable. This gives the player enough time and incentive to loot the eggs. At the very least, players can find 2-3 eggs to pick from to hatch at the Stable.
2 Not Spending Bottle Caps
Bottle Caps can help the player progress in the game, especially in the early stages, as they can be exchanged for qualityarmor and weapons. At the beginning of the game, they are found only in specific areas. Once the player reaches a high enough rank, however, they start to appear in many of the randomly generated high-rank Monster Dens.
The early stages of the game make Bottle Caps seem like finite items, but they're not. Don't save the Bottle Caps for use later: spend them wisely and get higher-ranking armor in the earlier stages of the title.
1 Being Impatient When Farming Monstie Genes
Many players use the farming mechanics to try to create the perfect Monstie. However, farming Monstie genes at the beginning of the gameoftenwill not result in a great Monstie. Higher-ranked Monsters will tend to offer better genes than ones encountered earlier.
Although the lower-ranked Monsties are useful at the beginning, they canonly grow up to a certain limit. As the player reaches the higher ranks, even the strongest Monstie from the early part of the game may not be able to handle the higher-ranked Monsties encountered later. Players should use the Rite of Channeling carefully, avoiding tinkering much with genes earlier in the game.