Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection

The game

The story takes place two centuries after the Rift War, between the kingdoms of Azuria and Vermeil. Twin Rathalos hatch from a single egg while a Crystal Encroachment threatens ecosystems. You play the Prince or Princess of Azuria, captain of the Rangers, tasked with protecting endangered eggs and restoring habitats.

According to Capcom’s press release, turn-based battles use a rock-paper-scissors system between Power, Speed and Technical attacks. A group attack, Synchro Rush, brings the whole party together. Habitat Restoration lets you release monsters to influence an area’s eggs and monsters. You explore by climbing, gliding or flying on the backs of Monsties. Capcom offers a Deluxe Edition (with Rudy’s side story, planned for autumn 2026, and outfits) and a Premium Deluxe Edition. Demo save data can be transferred to the full game. On Steam, the game offers a French interface and subtitles.

What the press says (PS5 reviews)

Reviews are very enthusiastic. Screen Rant gives it 10/10, praising dynamic turn-based combat, beautiful graphics and performance, and Monstie taming that has never been better. Region Free gives it 5/5 for its stunning animations and world design. Video Chums (9.1/10) enjoys the scenery, the story and traversal. Critical Hits gives it 10/10, RPGFan 92/100 and Loot Level Chill 9.5/10.

A few reservations come up. Screen Rant feels the story sometimes drags. Region Free finds the updated combat mechanics fiddly at the start and notes quite a bit of busywork early on. Video Chums finds some combat elements lack intuitiveness. RPGFan mentions battles that are often fights of attrition, some guesswork in combat and sporadic AI control of allies.

Our reading

The six PS5 reviews used range from 9.1/10 to 10/10. They describe a rich, polished RPG, especially for fans of turn-based combat and monster collecting, with a somewhat slow start. The Switch 2 version is not covered by these reviews. The displayed average is computed by the site from the six PS5 scores.