Well, Capcom has been having a good year so far. They’ve only released two games, but both happen to be among the best of the year. We got our first taste with Resident Evil Requiem, and now they’re back with another entry in their side-series within the Monster Hunter brand, one that has always operated on a simple but compelling premise: what if Pokémon actually evolved with modern standards? That idea was the main selling point of the first two entries, beginning on the 3DS before moving to the Switch. But now, with Pokémon Generation 10 delayed to avoid a repeat of Gen 9’s issues, and with only a cozy life sim filling that gap this year, Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection suddenly finds itself in a unique position. It has a real chance to claim the collectible RPG crown for 2026. After spending around 50 hours with it, I can confidently say this might be the entry point that finally brings a wider audience into the series, especially after last year’s Monster Hunter Wilds left some fans underwhelmed.
At its core, Stories 3 doesn’t reinvent the formula, but it refines it in ways that feel long overdue. The turn-based combat system remains built around the familiar rock-paper-scissors dynamic of Power, Speed, and Technical attacks, but now there’s a stronger emphasis on synergy and long-term strategy. Battles feel less like guesswork and more like controlled risk, especially with the expanded Kinship system, which allows for more meaningful interactions between riders and monsties (monsters). It’s still approachable, but there’s a noticeable increase in depth that rewards players who actually engage with its systems rather than brute-forcing their way through encounters. The monstie collecting and raising loop is, unsurprisingly, the real hook here, and it’s the strongest it’s ever been. The gene system has been streamlined without losing its complexity, making experimentation far less tedious while still allowing for some genuinely broken builds if you’re willing to invest the time. There’s something inherently satisfying about hatching a monster, tweaking its abilities, and watching it evolve into something uniquely yours. It taps into that same compulsive loop that Pokémon thrives on, but here it feels less constrained and more expressive.
Where Twisted Reflection really separates itself, though, is in its presentation. This is easily the best-looking game in the Stories subseries. Environments are larger, more detailed, and actually feel lived in, rather than segmented zones stitched together. Lighting plays a huge role here, especially during certain late-game areas where the “twisted” aspect of the narrative begins to visually manifest. Character animations are also more expressive, which helps sell emotional beats that previous entries sometimes struggled with. And surprisingly, the story is… actually pretty good. Not groundbreaking, but more confident in its themes. Without getting too deep into spoilers, Twisted Reflection leans into ideas of identity, legacy, and the consequences of trying to control nature rather than coexist with it. It’s still very much in that anime-adjacent tone; there are moments of melodrama that won’t work for everyone, but it feels more focused and less episodic than past entries. There’s a clear throughline this time, and it sticks the landing better than I expected.
That said, it’s not without its issues. Pacing can be uneven, especially in the middle stretch, where the game leans a bit too heavily on repeated objectives and backtracking. Some side quests feel like filler rather than meaningful additions, and while the combat is deeper, it can still fall into predictable patterns once you understand enemy behaviors. There’s also the occasional performance dip in larger areas, which doesn’t ruin the experience but is noticeable enough to break immersion. But even with those flaws, Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection feels like a culmination of everything this subseries has been building toward. It’s more polished, more confident, and more willing to stand on its own rather than exist in the shadow of Monster Hunter or Pokémon. And in a year where its biggest competitor is taking a step back, that confidence goes a long way.
More importantly, this is the kind of game that sneaks up on you. What starts as a casual, colorful RPG slowly turns into something you can’t stop thinking about—whether it’s optimizing your team, chasing rare eggs, or just seeing where the story goes next. It understands the genre’s appeal at a fundamental level and builds on it rather than just replicating it. If you’ve never touched a Stories game before, this is the one to start with. And if you’re someone who’s been waiting for a monster-collecting RPG to actually feel modern again, this might be exactly what you’ve been looking for.
Score: 8 out of 10
Reviewed on PlayStation 5