Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, the third mainline entry in Capcom’s JRPG series set in the Monster Hunter universe, is scheduled to release on March 13. Ahead of launch, AUTOMATON Japan attended a joint media interview with the title’s core development team members, who offered some insight into how they approached Stories 3’s gameplay design.
Like its predecessors, Monster Hunter Stories 3 sticks to turn-based combat, maintaining a clear distinction from the mainline Monster Hunter games. However, there’s a noticeable boost in comfort compared to past entries. For example, you can now take down low-level enemies directly on the field using Riding Actions, and after each battle, your HP and status effects are restored at no cost.
Lead game designer Daisuke Wakahara explains that Stories 3’s new gameplay system, with its improvements in playability, was built based on insights his team gained from studying recent, “high-profile turn-based RPG that incorporate unique ideas, such as Metaphor: ReFantazio and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.”
“We feel there’s a clear preference toward games that let players progress smoothly and quickly, without levelling feeling like a chore. The idea that players should receive some kind of reward for specific actions they take has become quite refined across the industry, and we made a point of incorporating that approach ourselves,” Wakahara comments.
At the same time, the developers also had a set of “non-negotiables” for Monster Hunter Stories 3’s gameplay. “We refused to compromise on making the battles satisfying and challenging, and balanced the game accordingly. I believe making things convenient and making them easy are two different things. While the game provides ample hints for overcoming challenges, we didn’t aim to artificially simplify things just to speed up the pace. We focused on level design that delivers battles with a sense of accomplishment.”
In a way, the latest entry may feel even more “nerve-wracking” than past Stories games. Director Kenji Oguro mentions that one of his goals was upping the “adrenaline rush” players get from barely scraping by in a battle.
“We believe the most exciting moment in a game is when you win by the skin of your teeth. That’s the kind of satisfying gameplay we aimed for. Based on the design philosophy of balancing convenience with satisfying battle difficulty, we carefully considered how to manage the player’s resources.” As a result, the developers decided to streamline recovery actions post-battle, while encouraging players to go all-out during combat.
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection releases on March 13, 2026 for PC (Steam), PS5, Xbox Series X❘S and Nintendo Switch 2.
