FEATURES
Available Weapons
Available Weapons
Customizing Appearances
Editing Your Rider
You can give your Rider a name and customize their appearance at the beginning of the game. Express yourself by changing everything from body type, eye shape and color, hairstyle, makeup, voice, and more! After you start the game, you can still change some features such as your Rider's hairstyle and makeup by visiting Your House.
Layered Armor,
Ena's Outfits,
and Navirou's Outfits
You can customize the appearance of your Rider, Ena, and Navirou via the Chest in Your House. Layered Armor for your Rider only changes their appearance and does not affect the strength of actual armor in any way. Ena's and Navirou's appearances can also be changed with special outfits.
- Note:Some Layered Armor sets and outfits can be obtained in-game while others, including those in the Deluxe Kit, can be obtained through paid DLC.
Prayer Pot, Tsukino's Lunar Luck,
and amiibo Bonuses
and amiibo Bonuses
The Prayer Pot bestows various blessings when you pray at it, such as raising EXP. Offer a charm to this mysterious pot to retain the effects of its blessing for a certain length of time.
By using your amiibo at Tsukino's Lunar Luck, Tsukino can offer you her fortune-telling services once per amiibo each day. You will get a useful item depending on the fortune.
There is a special first-time bonus for scanning the Stories 2 amiibo, namely Razewing Ratha, Ena, and Tsukino. This can only be obtained once per that particular kind of amiibo.
By scanning one of the Monster Hunter Rise amiibo, you can get a Rise-themed sticker set.
- Note:You can scan up to ten individual amiibo each day in order to access Tsukino's Lunar Luck. Please be aware that although the Steam version of the game does not feature amiibo functionality, you can still visit Tsukino's Lunar Luck once a day.
Riding Actions
These are special skills that you can perform while riding a Monstie. Depending on the Monstie, you can gain an ability such as dashing, flying, or swimming. There are also other actions that allow you to search for items more effectively when out in the field. Utilize the Riding Actions of various Monsties to get the most out of your adventure!
Monstie Growth
Befriending Monsters
Eggs can be found in Monster Dens that randomly appear in the field. You can only take one egg out of a den, but as long as eggs remain in the nest, you can exchange the one you have for another one. However, remember to stay alert while you are choosing an egg, as a monster may awaken from its slumber or suddenly return home to its nest and attack you. How long you want to stay and deliberate is up to you!
There are even some rare dens that pop up infrequently where you can get your hands on elusive monster eggs and ones that contain hard-to-find genes. Once you have made it safely out of the Monster Den, bring the egg to the Stables and hatch it to get a new Monstie for your journey!
Rite of Channeling
The Rite of Channeling is a ritual that allows you to transfer a gene from one Monstie to another. By doing this, you can awaken a new ability in the Monstie receiving the gene, thereby creating your own original Monstie. During the ritual, you can choose which slot you will place the gene in. This gives you the opportunity to enhance your Monsties by awakening new skills and abilities in interesting combinations.
Genes
Each Monstie possesses a variety of genes. The color of the gene represents its element and the pattern of the gene represents its attack type. Align three genes of the same color or pattern in a row—either vertically, diagonally, or horizontally—and you will receive a Bingo Bonus. This will grant your Monstie even more power! In this game, you can place a gene in an empty slot, stack a gene atop one of the same type, and even obtain multiple bingo effects using genes of the same color! Boosting skills and obtaining Bingo Bonuses are great ways to strengthen your Monsties!
Channeling Examples
By transferring Yian Kut-Ku's Fireball Gene to a Lagombi, you can give the Lagombi the ability to manipulate fire that it would never have naturally. Or, if you transfer genes from a Glavenus, Gammoth, Mizutsune, and Astalos to an Arzuros, the Arzuros will be able to use the skills of the Fated Four from Monster Hunter Generations! Through the Rite of Channeling, you can create a versatile Monstie that can use Power, Speed, and Technical skills. Or you can upgrade your Monstie's fire element abilities until it is a fire specialist. Transferring genes allows you to individualize your Monsties, creating ones that nobody else has!
Turn-Based Battles
The improved turn-based combat system allows you to experience the excitement of the main Monster Hunter titles while engaging in epic, strategic fights with monsters you encounter during your adventure.
Use your knowledge of your opponent's characteristics to attack effectively and take down even the toughest of monsters. Stories 2 offers an ever-increasing sense of accomplishment and hunting thrill as the narrative unfolds.
The Three Attack Types
to take control in battles!
There are three attack types: Power, Speed, and Technical. The attack type you select during battle will help determine the outcome of a Head-to-Head, just like in the previous game.
Monster attack patterns have been refined to be easier to understand this time around. Keep an eye on your opponent's fighting style and tailor your moves accordingly to achieve victory.
For attack types—Speed beats Power, Technical beats Speed, and Power beats Technical.
By predicting your opponent's attack type and winning a Head-to-Head, you can inflict massive damage as well as greatly fill your Kinship Gauge. Understanding which attack type to use is crucial to succeeding in battle.
Monster attacks are not limited to one set pattern only, but may change depending on the situation. If a monster changes form, becomes enraged, or performs certain actions, you will need to adjust which attack type you choose in order to adapt to their new pattern.
Double Attacks
If you and your Monstie use the same attack type and win a Head-to-Head, you can perform a Double Attack.
Performing a Double Attack can inflict greater damage and fill your Kinship Gauge even more than if you were to win a solo Head-to-Head.
Choosing a Monstie with an advantageous attack type and skill set is key to winning battles, as you will be able to prevent your opponent from attacking you.
Breaking Parts
and knock down your opponent!
Breaking the parts of large monsters may knock down them down or stop them from performing certain actions, giving you an edge in battle.
When you break certain parts, you can get high-quality materials which can be used to forge or upgrade equipment.
Each weapon has its own specialty: slashing, blunt, or piercing. The effectiveness of these specialties depends on the monster part they are used against.
By switching to a weapon that has the appropriate specialty against the targeted monster part, you can break it easier and send your opponent crashing to the ground.
Kinship Gauge
Choose well and get hunting!
The Kinship Gauge you share with your Monstie fills after each turn in battle. You can use the Kinship Charge to perform regular skills or a Kinship Skill, both of which can deal massive damage to monsters and stack the odds in your favor.
Certain weapon-related skills for Riders and skills for Monsties can inflict abnormal statuses or prevent monster attacks. Knowing what skills do and using that to your advantage is a surefire way to dominating your opponents in battle.
Your Kinship Gauge can be used in various ways, from performing a Monstie skill that will help you unleash a Double Attack to teaming up for a Kinship Skill that will prevent your opponent from attacking you. Use the Kinship Charge at the right time to deliver devastating blows and reign supreme.
Executing a perfectly timed Kinship Skill is a great way to set yourself up for success.
Battle Buddies
your chances of a Double Attack!
Battle Buddies are characters you can fight alongside during your adventure.
A Battle Buddy and their Monstie, if they have one, can join you and your Monstie during battle, which means you can have up to four characters on your side when you fight.
Battle Buddies and their Monsties will decide their own moves, and may use skills or items to assist you directly during battle. Each Battle Buddy has their own weapon and attack type preference, and Rider Battle Buddies have their own Monsties. Learning about their individual characteristics can lead to better teamwork when facing off against monsters.
Furthermore, because you are also able to perform a Double Attack with a Battle Buddy's Monstie, this can lead to more Double Attacks than when you are battling solo, which in turn will help fill your Kinship Gauge faster.
[Added on September 30]
If you have a Battle Buddy when you select "Start Now" while in the Riders Hub, your Battle Buddy and their Monstie (if they have one) will join you on the quest.
Note: If you don't have a Battle Buddy, you will be joined by an NPC as before.
Multiplayer
In Multiplayer, you can connect with players from around the world! Team up in Co-Op Expedition Quests or face off against each other in Versus Battles.
If one of you engages a monster while out in the field, the other player can enter the fray and lend a helping hand.
Join forces with other Riders from around the world to search for rare eggs and take down fearsome monsters together.
Co-Op Quests
monsters you cannot find anywhere else!
In Co-Op Expedition Quests, you can connect with another Rider from anywhere in the world and explore special areas only accessible via Multiplayer. This is a great way to get your hands on monster eggs.
There are multiple nests in each area, which means more chances to acquire rare eggs. You can even get your hands on many eggs during one expedition.
You will need to obtain special in-game Expedition Tickets in order to embark on Co-Op Expedition quests.
There are different types of Expedition Tickets, categorized by rarity level. If you use a rare Expedition Ticket, you will be able to obtain harder-to-find eggs.
For Co-Op Slaying Quests, you can join forces with another Rider and take down quest-specific monsters.
You may even find monsters here that you cannot encounter anywhere else!
In Co-Op Trial Quests, you can challenge yourself to meet various conditions while battling to defeat quest-specific monsters.
Versus Battles
In Versus Battles, up to four players can battle at once.
Pit the Monsties that you have raised against those of other players to see who will come out on top.
There are different types of rules you can set before a Versus Battle. Try a fair match with Balanced Rules, which will set you and your opponent to the same level. Or go all-out with No Limit Rules, in which there are no level restrictions. For a brief Versus Battle, try Quick Rules, during which each of the participating players has only one Heart apiece.
Post-Game Content
Monster Hunter Stories 2 boasts a wealth of post-game content for you to enjoy after completing the base game. Explore the massive area known as the Elder's Lair, test your skills against high rank monsters, and take on challenging quests that only the toughest Riders can face up to!
With the addition of new Monsties to join you on your adventure, you will also have the chance to ride Deviant Monsters like Dreadqueen Rathian and Thunderlord Zinogre, and even Elder Dragons like Teostra and Kushala Daora!