Highlights

  • Monster Hunter Stories embraces Pokemon influences in gameplay, offering a unique twist on the creature-collecting genre.
  • Players hatch and raise Monsties to fight alongside them in combat, similar to using Pokemon in battles in the Pokemon series.
  • The game's elemental affinity and color system for Monsties adds depth, while still paying homage to the Pokemon franchise.

Pokemon has continued to be a massive influence on the gaming industry since its debut in 1996. To this day, many games include elements of Pokemon's gameplay within their own, primarily when it comes to the creature-collecting side of things. Games like Palworld have no shame in their Pokemon influences, as they make it very well-known what they were inspired by. Even so, that's not necessarily a bad thing, as Pokemon established a satisfying gameplay loop that games like it would be crazy not to imitate. Monster Hunter Stories and its sequel, Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, are two of those games that proudly wear their Pokemon influences on their sleeves.

The Monster Hunter franchise is not known for its creature-collecting gameplay. As its name suggests, Monster Hunter is about hunting monsters, not capturing them — although it's possible to capture monsters in games like Monster Hunter: World, but only for the crafting materials. However, Monster Hunter Stories and its sequel are Monster Hunter spin-offs and therefore don't necessarily need to follow the traditional Monster Hunter formula. Rather than implementing a regular gameplay loop of hunting monsters and crafting gear, Monster Hunter Stories makes its top priority the story, though there is still a fair bit of combat and crafting involved. Apart from its honed-in focus on the story, the Monster Hunter Stories series introduces plenty of Pokemon-like gameplay elements to keep players around for the long haul.

Player and Ena with egg in Monster Hunter Stories 2
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Monster Hunter Stories' Pokemon Influence Is Clear as Day

Monster Hunter Stories Sees Players Rescuing (not Hunting) Monsters

The story may be the main fuel of the Monster Hunter Stories series, but its gameplay comes down to hunting down monster eggs and then hatching them using the game's Stables. Once a monster is born from an egg, it becomes the player's "Monstie," which is a term used to denote its bond with the player and differentiate it from a normal monster. All Monsties can be used in combat, and some can even be used as mounts. This is where Monster Hunter Stories' Pokemon influence truly shines, as the Pokemon series allows players to do the same with the various Pokemon they find.

Players' Monsties Partner With Them in Monster Hunter Stories' Combat

After players find a monster egg in the Monster Hunter Stories series and hatch it, their Monstie will be available to fight alongside them in combat against the dangerous monsters that roam the wilds. Apart from the collection side of things, this is one of the main appeals of capturing Pokemon in the Pokemon series, as fighting alongside Pokemon will make them more powerful. This then helps Pokemon defeat the various trainers and bosses in each game and weaken even stronger Pokemon to prepare them for capture. Monsties in Monster Hunter Stories function similarly, except monsters can't be captured, only hatched.

Monsties in Monster Hunter Stories only serve the purpose of assisting the player in defeating other monsters.

Monster Hunter Stories also includes an elemental affinity system for Monsties, much like Pokemon does. However, whereas each Pokemon comes with a different elemental affinity in the Pokemon series, a Monstie's elemental affinity and color can be changed in Monster Hunter Stories using the Rite of Channeling system. While the two series have different approaches to elemental affinity, they still essentially function the same way.

It's far from a downside for Monster Hunter Stories to include such explicit Pokemon influences in its gameplay, as that particular gameplay loop has proven over time to be thoroughly satisfying for many players. So, Monster Hunter Stories wearing its Pokemon influences on its sleeve is really just flattery and great game design. That being said, Monster Hunter Stories' unique twists on the Pokemon formula make it feel less familiar and therefore like a fresh experience.