Monster Hunter Stories cover art

Monster Hunter Stories

Turn-based spinoff where you hatch monsters, splice genes, and exploit attack-type tendencies instead of hunting.

Here's the argument for where this game sits - disagree freely.
Match your experience?
EXECUTION1 /10READS1 /10VARIANCE4 /10OPTIMIZATION8 /10

the cheat-test profile

The four axes - the argument

Each axis is rated on its own - how far one cheat would trivialize the game here. They don't trade off; low on all four means the game is an experience, not a contest.

  1. Execution

    cheat: Aimbot - perfect inputs

    1/10

    Turn-based; no physical ceiling

  2. Reads

    cheat: Out-predict an adaptive opponent

    1/10

    Monster attack tendencies are statistical, not adaptive

  3. Variance

    cheat: See what's hidden / map the RNG

    4/10

    Rock-paper-scissors guesses and egg gene rolls

  4. Optimization

    cheat: A perfect solver / coach

    8/10

    Gene channeling and tendency mapping make fights solvable

How to read this

Each axis is named by the cheat that would break the game along it. Execution is the hands. Reads is out-thinking an adaptive opponent. Variance is hidden information & RNG. Optimization is the solvable systems layer. A game's region is the top one or two axes.

These four aren't one rating split four ways - they're independent 0-10 questions. A 9 on one axis takes nothing from the others, and a game low on all four isn't missing data: it's telling you there's no skill here to cheat.

The basis is how the majority actually plays this game - not a niche mode or a personal run. For a game with very different modes (a story campaign versus ranked multiplayer), that's the version most people mean.

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Game details

Released
2016
Developer
Marvelous
Franchise
Monster Hunter
Platforms
3DS, Android, iOS
Modes
Single player, Multiplayer
IGDB critics
77/100
IGDB users
80/100
Role-playing (RPG)AdventureActionFantasy