Capcom on how Monster Hunter Stories 2 came to be, working with Switch

In an interview with Japanese site Gamer, Capcom opened up about the origins of Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin. 

When the game was revealed last year, it came as a bit of a surprise. The first entry wasn’t a massive blockbuster on the sales charts, and there hadn’t been any news about a possible continuation.

Capcom said that “the huge response from players” of the original made Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin possible. The company also hopes that the series can become “a new pillar of the Monster Hunter franchise.”

Here’s our full translation:

First I’d like to ask you about Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin. It’s been 5 years since the original was developed, could you talk us through the sequel came to be?

The first game was released in 2016 and received everything from a smartphone release to an anime serialization. A lot has happened since that first game came out and the huge response from players led us to the decision to make a sequel. To make a title worthy of being called the sequel, we did countless trials on what the game should look like and how it should play, to suit both existing players and those coming in fresh. The result is a sequel that we’re very confident in.

Monster Hunter Stories differs from the main series with a focus on RPG elements rather than action-oriented monster hunting. We wanted to create an RPG where players are immersed in the world of Monster Hunter. Something that appeals to both existing fans of the series and RPG fans alike.

There are some popular monsters in the Monster Hunter universe, and through playing alongside those monsters as allies in this game, we hope players will develop an even closer bond to them. It carries the same mechanics as the first game, and we hope that this system will turn Monster Hunter Stories into a new pillar of the Monster Hunter franchise.

The first Monster Hunter Stories was made for 3DS, but Monster Hunter Stories 2 will be on Switch – a much powerful device. Capcom also spoke about making the new game for Nintendo’s current console:

What new elements and improvements were you able to introduce now that the game is on the Switch?

Of the number of changes we were able to make, I think the biggest change was in the cutscenes. Things like character expressions, lightning, cinematic effects were all redesigned and scenes are much more expressive as a result. Players will definitely see the improvements once they get their hands on the game.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin will launch for Switch on July 9.

Big thanks to centurionnugget and Jarop for their assistance with this translation.