What's New in Monster Hunter Stories' Latest Release & Information on the Brand-new 1.20 and 1.30 Updates to the West
Monster Hunter Stories is a unique take on CAPCOM's famous Monster Hunter franchise, where instead of hunting the creatures, you instead try to tame them. This new monstie approach gives you the opportunity to enjoy a creature collecting gameplay that's more wholesome and lighthearted than the mainline franchise.
If you haven't heard about this game, we wouldn't blame you — it released to the Nintendo 3DS exclusively originally and made its debut on mobile devices through the Apple Arcade. Though it garnered its very own cult following and many loved its premise, it hadn't been available for a wider audience until recently, when it released on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam.
The most important thing to note about this release, though, is that it actually has a few changes from the original. It had a few enhancements to make it worthy of these platforms, including some new content, gameplay, and even improved visuals! Here's everything that changed:
Enhanced Visuals
The graphics in the title have been improved to fit previous-gen hardware that the game is releasing on. The Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and even PC are more capable than the now very old Nintendo 3DS; this is especially true considering that console is now 13 years old (RIP). The textures have been made better, the models have been improved, and even lthe ighting has been looked at for amprovement!
New Voiceovers
The title now has full English and Japanese voice acting. This is brand-new to the title, as the original 2016 release didn't have any form of voice acting, and it's also released to English and Japanese, giving you the option to choose between your preferred language!
Museum Mode
If you're a fan of artbooks, then you're going to adore the Museum Mode that got incorporated. In this, you'll be able to find over 200 pieces of concept art, though you can also see the background music and special developer sketches! It's a great way to see the process of the title throughout its release, giving you a unique perspective on how everything worked to bring it to life.
New Content to the West
And finally, you can enjoy the updates to the title, featuring update 1.20 and 1.30, both of which were previously exclusive to Japan. It gives you more customisation options, giving you access to the capability to dress as any character from the anime and have a few additional voices. Moreover, however, you can actually change your character entirely at your home, including your gender and features.
It wasn't only cosmetic, however — you could store up to 400 monsties (from 200), you got a lot of subsquests that give you even the opportunity to unlock a monstie that was previously locked behind online tournaments exclusively (the Flying Yian Kut Ku), and some postgame changes, including monsties that you could obtain from the dens and extra weapon and armours. This included the Black Rider Tower (which is a reference to the final arc in the anime) and the Tower of Memories, which is a 50-floor tower that gives you the opportunity to refight every boss and giving you the opportunity to fight against the Elder Dragons!
Updates 1.20 and 1.30 were pretty massive, and having them available in the West is a huge upgrade from the previous versions that we could acquire through the Apple Arcade. If you want to pick up Monster Hunter Stories, it's available now on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam!
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