Five years after the first Monster Hunter Stories on 3DS, Capcom offers it a sequel on PC and Nintendo Switch, called Wings of Ruin. To coincide with the release of the Remaster of the first opus, the Japanese studio also takes the opportunity to port it to PS4/PS5.
In this case, it is indeed a port, and not a remaster like its predecessor. It is therefore not a question of returning entirely to our original test of Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, but rather of focusing on the quality of its PS4/PS5 version. So what is it worth, three years after those on PC and Nintendo Switch? Here is our opinion in this test.
A better-mastered Monster Hunter Stories formula, but not visually
That said, it is worth quickly recalling what Monster Hunter Stories 2 brings compared to the first opus. First of all, the gameplay has gained in complexity, notably with sharp, blunt or piercing weapons that are more or less effective depending on our opponent, as well as new interactions in combination with our team of monsters. We also have the possibility of fighting with other companions. Finally, the roster of Monsties to adopt has greatly expanded. Thus, the title remains interesting for those who do not have other consoles or a PC to enjoy an otherwise rather solid title.
From a visual point of view, this second opus has necessarily undergone some evolutions when it was released in 2021 compared to the original game released on 3DS in 2016, with more details, better lighting and more advanced animations. Unfortunately, we already felt three years ago that Stories 2 was primarily designed for the Switch, and the title has aged rather badly in 2024. If the monsters and characters are generally well modeled and animated, this is not the case for fairly poor quality settings. Worse still, details like grass are modeled in a rather unsightly 2D way, with clipping even a few centimeters from our character. We also notice aliasing, again even on elements close to the camera. Graphically, this PS4/PS5 port is even less clean than the Remaster of the first opus. A shame. Especially if we take into account an entry ticket of 40 euros, which we consider rather excessive for what the game offers on its purely visual part.
Fortunately a well-optimized port, but lacking in settings
This version intended for Sony consoles fortunately catches up on the technical part. Since Monster Hunter Stories 2 is not a graphics showcase, the fluidity is there, with a relatively clean display, even in 4K. In fact, unlike recently released games, there is no need for Quality or Performance modes, the game runs perfectly well as is.
By extension, we can criticize this PS4/PS5 port for being quite stingy in settings. Aside from the brightness, that’s all that can be configured regarding the display. For the rest, we find what already existed on the original version on PC and Nintendo Switch. Namely a few options to improve the gaming experience, or sound or “gameplay” settings such as whether or not to display our character’s headset.
Likewise, the functionalities of the DualSense controller on PS5 are not exploited, which may constitute a shortfall for porting the game to PlayStation consoles.
A nice experience with other Riders
Despite a graphic performance that we think leaves something to be desired on this PS4/PS5 version of Monster Hunter Stories, the game remains generally enjoyable to play, thanks to solid foundations. Especially since the adventure can be enjoyed in cooperation with a friend. We can even bet that the experience will then be even more enjoyable, both locally and online.
