Monster Hunter Stories 2 - What We Know So Far

"Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin" received a brand new story trailer at the June 10 Summer Game Fest Kickoff event. This exciting sneak preview showed off more of the game than ever before and added to the growing excitement for its impending release. Get ready, because there are a ton of juicy details to unpack.

According to the official "Monster Hunter" site, the main story of "Monster Hunter Stories 2" focuses on "the mass disappearance of Rathalos from around the world." This all changes when one flightless Rathalos hatches a mysterious egg brought to players by a Wyverian girl named Ena. As the story progresses and "the fate of the world hangs in the balance," it's up to you, your friends, and the monsters you meet along the way to make things right.

While the last few years have seen a number of major developments in the "Monster Hunter" franchise, including the release of "Monster Hunter Rise" and a movie adaptation that divided critics and audiences, don't let those distract you. "Monster Hunter Stories 2" definitely deserves its own moment in the spotlight.

"Monster Hunter Stories 2" releases on July 9, 2021 for Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam. However, things could always change in terms of console availability, if "Monster Hunter Rise" is any example. After all, that game was originally meant to be a Switch exclusive, but a PC port was later announced.

While you wait for "Stories 2" to release, you may want to check out previous games in the series. Though there are a lot of games in the "Monster Hunter" franchise, they're not all connected. The only related title is "Monster Hunter Stories," a 3DS game from 2016 with similar gameplay mechanics, including the first-ever turn-based battle setup in the franchise. Even so, you could probably jump straight into "Monster Hunter Stories 2" without getting lost.

Preorders are open now for both the standard and deluxe editions of "MHS2." The latter features additional outfits, armor, and stickers. Preordering either version will get you a Kamura Maiden Outfit for Ena, but keep in mind neither the preorder bonus nor the deluxe edition content will change anything in-game other than a character's appearance.

A brand new story trailer for "Monster Hunter Stories 2" dropped during the June 10 Summer Game Fest livestream.

The latest Summer Game Fest trailer pairs dynamic gameplay clips with plenty of cryptic voiceover. The opening scene features the Rathalos locked up on a ship with a crewmate exclaiming, "Wings of Ruin!" Ena responds, "You don't understand! That Rathalos is..." Unfortunately, he's cut off before she can finish.

As the trailer goes on to show monsters and people fighting, flying, and facing off with the mysterious red light, more mysterious dialogue is shared. An unknown, ominous voice says, "We can't let you interfere with our plans." This is followed by plenty of dramatic moments, all offered without any clear context and clearly meant to entice curious players.

As things begin to wrap up, Ena asserts, "We won't let you awaken it." The final line of the trailer again comes from the ominous voice: "So, you're going to be born, huh?" In other words, the trailer manages to generate a good bit of excitement while still remaining totally mysterious.

In addition to the latest trailer, a number of other story-focused teasers have dropped, all of which show off tons of the epic creatures and characters that fans can expect to meet in the new game.

According to the game's official website, there are tons of exciting gameplay features slated for "Monster Hunter Stories 2."

"Monster Hunter Stories 2" gives players two different ways of enjoying multiplayer mode: Co-Op Quests and Versus Battles for 2-4 players. As far as single-player battles within the main campaign, players can look forward to improved turn-based combat, plus a wide variety of weapons in the arsenal. 

Since one of the overarching goals of the game is to "hatch, raise, and live alongside monsters as a Monster Rider," many of the game's main gameplay mechanics are focused on just that. From riding actions like flying, dashing, and swimming, to egg hunting quests and fusing the genes of different monsters, there's going to be plenty to keep you busy in this game.

Brush up on your "Monster Hunter" mythology and prepare yourself for battle: "Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin" finally swoops onto the scene on July 9, 2021.