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The Tokyo Game Show 2025 demos showed Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection as a turn-based Monster Hunter RPG where Monsties shape both combat and exploration. Riders could fly, climb, glide, gather resources and fight alongside their monster companions. The sessions offered a useful look at those systems, but not enough of the story to judge the full game.
What kind of game is Monster Hunter Stories 3?
Monster Hunter Stories is the turn-based RPG branch of the Monster Hunter series. Rather than hunting monsters in the mainline games’ real-time combat, players take the role of Riders who bond with, raise and coexist with monsters. Capcom describes Twisted Reflection as the third title and official sequel in the Stories RPG series in its August 1, 2025 announcement.
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The TGS sessions supported that distinction in practice: battles were turn-based, and the monsters accompanying the player—called Monsties—were active partners rather than targets to hunt. Capcom’s TGS 2025 extended-cut release-date trailer lists the launch date as March 13, 2026, for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC/Steam.
How did Monsties change exploration?
Riding was more than a way to move faster. In the demo described by Xbox Wire’s Jeff Rubenstein, Rathalos could fly and use fire to break objects, reveal resources or start battles. Switching to Tobi-Kadachi let him climb a vertical rock face and glide toward a chest. RPGFan’s Matt Wardell also describes galloping and climbing with Tobi-Kadachi and flying on Rathalos.
#1 Best Overall
- Raise Your Team: Build and raise a team of Monsties, forming kinships with iconic Monsters from the Monster Hunter series like Chatacabra and Rey Dau.
- Battle in Turn-Based Combat: Experience the strategic turn-based battles using the popular rock-paper-scissor system of Power, Speed, and Technical.
- Explore an Enhanced World: Enjoy new stylized 3D graphics that bring the Monster Hunter Stories series to life.
- Pre-order Bonus: Layered armor for Eleanor
These are examples from the demo, not a complete list of mounts or their abilities. Still, they suggest exploration is built around choosing a Monstie whose movement suits the obstacle or opportunity ahead. A route that is inaccessible on foot might be reachable by climbing or flying, while an environmental object could be worth interacting with for materials or an encounter.
What did the turn-based combat look like?
The previews describe a battle system that combines readable attack-type choices with companion abilities and situational decisions. Xbox Wire’s hands-on account says battles begin with Power, Speed and Technical attack choices, then add skills, weaknesses, Monstie abilities, companion switching and mounted attacks.
Rank #2
- Raise Your Team: Build and raise a team of Monsties, forming kinships with iconic Monsters from the Monster Hunter series like Chatacabra and Rey Dau.
- Battle in Turn-Based Combat: Experience the strategic turn-based battles using the popular rock-paper-scissor system of Power, Speed, and Technical.
- Explore an Enhanced World: Enjoy new stylized 3D graphics that bring the Monster Hunter Stories series to life.
- Pre-order Bonus: Layered armor for Eleanor
Wardell’s RPGFan preview explains the familiar matchup cycle: Power beats Technical, Technical beats Speed, and Speed beats Power. Matching attack types can trigger Double Attacks, while head-to-heads decide which side lands damage. That gives players a reason to read an opponent’s choices instead of simply selecting the strongest available move.
Boss encounters add targeting decisions
In Wardell’s demo, an enraged Chatacabra changed its moves and properties during the fight. The player had to choose body parts to target and use different weapon types; attacks could create openings for a stagger and group attacks. That encounter suggests bosses can complicate the basic type cycle with changing behavior and target selection, though it is one previewer’s observation from a short session—not evidence of how every boss works.
Rank #3
![Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection Standard - Nintendo Switch 2 [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51-EIfaMMuL._SL160_.jpg)
- Raise Your Team: Build and raise a team of Monsties, forming kinships with iconic Monsters from the Monster Hunter series like Chatacabra and Rey Dau.
- Battle in Turn-Based Combat: Experience the strategic turn-based battles using the popular rock-paper-scissor system of Power, Speed, and Technical.
- Explore an Enhanced World: Enjoy new stylized 3D graphics that bring the Monster Hunter Stories series to life.
What familiar Monster Hunter systems returned?
Rubenstein also encountered resource gathering and equipment crafting. His demo included collecting bugs, fruit and metals, gathering monster materials, and forging equipment. Those activities connect the RPG’s exploration and battles to systems familiar from the broader Monster Hunter franchise, while the moment-to-moment fighting remains turn-based.
How did the game look and run in the demo?
Wardell describes a cel-shaded visual style and character designs that felt less chibi-like than those in earlier entries. He also reported that the Switch 2 handheld preview build ran smoothly in the open world during his session. That is a single hands-on impression from a show-floor build, not a guarantee of performance across the final game, platforms or play conditions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How much of the story did TGS reveal?
Not much. Wardell says the floor demo showed little of the story, and GameSpot’s gameplay video describes an early mission focused on ranger play, Monstie bonds, traversal and turn-based combat. The available sessions are therefore more informative about the game’s core systems than its narrative, structure or pacing.
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What to take from the TGS impressions
- Exploration: Rathalos and Tobi-Kadachi demonstrated distinct ways to travel, with flight, climbing and gliding tied to finding resources or reaching new spots.
- Combat: The turn-based foundation uses Power, Speed and Technical matchups, but also involves skills, Monstie abilities, weapon types, target parts and opportunities such as Double Attacks or staggers.
- Presentation: One previewer praised the cel-shaded look and reported smooth open-world play on a Switch 2 handheld preview build.
- Story: The demo offered too little narrative material to support a judgment about the finished campaign.
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