With Monster Hunter Stories 2 finally available worldwide on Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam, it has never been a better time to sample Capcom’s excellent Monster Hunter spin-off series. Whether you’re new to Monster Hunter Stories or new to Monster Hunter in general, this guide will help you with the basics and let you get the most out of the hourly hours in Monster Hunter Stories 2. All the screenshots below are from either the early parts of the game or from Capcom’s official website to avoid any potential spoilers.
How to save in Monster Hunter Stories 2
Monster Hunter Stories 2 has auto save but you can also save your game at the bed in your house and at Catavaner stands (fast travel). Monster Hunter Stories 2 has three save slots in addition to the autosave slot.
Monster Hunter Stories 2 fast travel
Once you unlock the first Catavaner (check name) stand in the field outside the village, you unlock fast travelling. You can then bring up the map and travel to any Catavaner Stand you have unlocked or back to the villages.
Monster Hunter Stories 2 crafting explained
In Monster Hunter Stories 2, you combine items to craft more potent or different items. You learn the basics of combining in the first few encounters of the game so make sure you keep combining items so you’re stocked up and ready for harder battles later on.
Monster Hunter Stories 2 combat basics
Monster Hunter Stories 2 combat requires you to learn the three attack types and when to use them. These are Power, Speed, and Technical. The attack types form a rock paper scissors or Fire Emblem Weapon Triangle style system where Power beats Technical, Technical beats Speed, and Speed beats Power. You need to predict your opponent’s attack type to win a head to head and inflict massive damage. Monsters may change attack types. The trials you have access to at the quest board are a great way to practice against easy monsters.
Monster Hunter Stories 2 combat skills and abilities – Kinship explained
Skills in Monster Hunter Stories 2 use Kinship. Your Kinship gauge builds up through regular attacks and as you win head to heads and more. Once you have enough Kinship, you use a skill that is more powerful than a regular attack if it is offensive, or one that fills up an additional gauge like the charge gauge for Great Sword. When your Kinship gauge is full, you can ride your Monstie which heals both of you. You can then unleash your big Kinship skill that does massive damage.
Monster Hunter Stories 2 subquest guide
At the quest board in the village, you can take on various subquests. Some are repeatable and reward you with money and experience every time so keep taking on these quests when you can. Some NPCs also give you subquests so make sure you look for the subquest symbol on the map to talk to the relevant NPC.
Monster Hunter Stories 2 trials in the arena explained
At the quest board, you can access repeatable arena-style quests that have you fighting waves or single sets of monsters. You can use these to level up, get items from specific monsters, and more. These are repeatable.
Where to find eggs in Monster Hunter Stories 2
You find eggs in Monster Dens (stone entrance with a hole to enter) in Monster Hunter Stories 2 at the end. These Monster Dens are scattered all over the map and they change position and layouts. The map has an egg symbol. You usually have to either walk carefully and take an egg or battle a monster to be able to take the egg from the nest.
Monster Hunter Stories 2 – Monster Dens and Rare Monster Dens
Rare Monster Dens are indicated by Gold entrances (or even more special entrances later in the game). These usually have rare eggs.
Where and how to find rare eggs in Monster Hunter Stories 2
Navirou will comment on an egg. You want to go for heavy and nice smelling eggs so pay attention to what Navirou says when you pick up an egg. Rare eggs have shiny appearances or specific patterns and colours letting you know they are worth keeping and getting out of the den with.
How to hatch eggs in Monster Hunter Stories 2
You can hatch any eggs you’ve collected at the village stables.
Monster Hunter Stories 2 easy money tips
The best way to earn a lot of money early on in Monster Hunter Stories 2 is to keep doing easy subquests like basic repeatable hunting ones or repeating the first trial. If you’d rather not repeat quests, keep accepting subquests and gathering. Once you return to the village, you will likely have done enough to turn in many subquests. Consider using a gathering charm at the prayer pot so you have a better chance of rare gathering spots that might give you high value trade in items.
Monster Hunter Stories 2 easy levelling up in the early game
The best way to level up your new Monsties hatched is to repeat easy trials or hunt low level monsters. If you’re farming for money, you can bring new Monsties to get them experience as well while you farm for money.
How to upgrade weapons Monster Hunter Stories 2
You can upgrade weapons in Monster Hunter Stories 2 at the Smithy. You need monster parts and money to do this.
How to upgrade armor in Monster Hunter Stories 2
You can upgrade or buy armor in Monster Hunter Stories 2 at the Smithy. You need money and monster parts usually for the good armor sets.
Monster Hunter Stories 2 bottle caps explained
In the south of the first village, you can find a Melynx who is a part of Melynx Inc. You can use this to trade bottle caps you find in Everdens or through subquest rewards. The Melynx sells weapons, talismans, armor, and items.
Monster Hunter Stories 2 Everdens
Everdens are fixed mini dungeons you can explore in Monster Hunter Stories 2. They include red chests that have bottle caps you can use to trade in at Melynx Inc as explained above. Note that some Everdens need you to have Monsties with specific abilities to explore fully like swimming which is a bit hard until you’ve played a bit of the game.
Monster Hunter Stories 2 gathering tips
You can gather while riding your Monstie by pressing A while moving over or near a gathering point. If you use a gathering talisman at the Prayer Pot, you get a boost to your change of finding rare gathering spots. Make sure you listen to the sound effects near gathering spots because rare ones have an added sound effect like sparkling.
How to swim in Monster Hunter Stories 2
Early on in Monster Hunter Stories 2, you see areas you might not have access to thanks to the water. For this, you need a Monstie (partner monster) that can swim like the Royal Ludroth.
How to climb vines in Monster Hunter Stories 2
Just like swimming, to climb vines like in the early areas, you need a Monstie like Tigrex that can climb vines. Don’t worry if you can’t climb those vines in the first dungeon-like area you get into because you will not be able to climb it until later.
Monster Hunter Stories 2 amiibo items
Scan amiibo at the Prayer Pot for Tsukino to read a fortune for you. This will reward you with items of different tiers depending on Full Moon, Half Moon, or Crescent Moon fortune from the amiibo. On PC, you can just get one fortune read daily while on Switch, you can scan an amiibo once a day for a fortune letting you get more per day depending on how many amiibo you have.
Monster Hunter Stories 2 camera settings
If you’re having trouble getting used to the camera in Monster Hunter Stories 2, consider turning off the Camera Tracking and maxing out the Camera Speed. This will make the game feel better. I hope Capcom adds an option to disable the camera inertia because it is the only real complaint I have with the camera on Nintendo Switch.
Set your party in Monster Hunter Stories 2
Make sure to add new Monsties to your party at the stable in Monster Hunter Stories 2 so you can switch to them while riding and in battles.
Hopefully this helps you out in the early hours of Monster Stories 2: Wings of Ruin on PC and Nintendo Switch.
