Monster Hunter series producer Tsujimoto Ryouzou discussed Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin in an interview in the 22 October 2020 issue of Weekly Famitsu.
Official website: https://www.monsterhunter.com/stories2/
Also see: Monster Hunter Rise: Interview with Producer and Director
Connection to the First Game
The interview begins with the interviewer pointing out that the atmosphere of the game seems to have changed greatly from the first, and they ask if the two are connected. Tsujimoto says that while it is the second game in the series, they did not want to make it so that players who did not play the first game would not be able to understand it. He says that he cannot yet discuss the connection between the two games, but that players can in fact start with 2.
Target Audience
Next, the interviewer says that the feel of the trailer is more “mature” than the previous game’s, and asks if the target audience of Monster Hunter Stories 2 is any different from the first game’s, which aimed for a a more casual audience. Tsujimoto says that they are going for a wider audience this time, and spent a lot of time adjusting the graphics to fit this, and he is glad that people noticed the difference.
Gameplay
Tsujimoto says that the theme of Monster Hunster Stories is to have players feel closer to the monsters, and that 2 has more monsters appearing than the previous game. As for the battle system, he says that it uses parts of the previous game’s that were well-received, while making improvements.
The interviewer mentions the previous game’s versus mode and asks about multiplayer elements, and Tsujimoto says that he cannot speak about it yet, asking fans to look forward to future announcements.
The collection aspect of Stories is next brought up, and Tsujimoto says that this remains in 2, and asks fans to look forward to more monsters.
Connection with Rise
Tsujimoto says that both Monster Hunster Stories 2 and Monster Hunter Rise have connection features that make it so that people who play both games will get a little something special.
Message to Fans
Tsujimoto says there was a great reception to the two Monster Hunter games being announced at the same time, and says that due to the influence of COVID-19, more information will be coming over the internet. He says that they will give advance notice of such announcements, and hopes that fans will follow them on social media. There is still some time to release, and they are still in the midst of development, and he hopes that fans will be patient and look forward to the games.
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin will be released for the Nintendo Switch in 2021
