Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 79 | 84 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 91% | 85 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 91% | 85 | 1246 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Nov 28, 2024) · 300 reviews sampled · 1246 total reviews in window · weighted 221.3 up / 17 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (54)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 90
- 70
“A simplified combat system, empty locations and a naive plot for the youngest ones can disappoint the fans of the series. However, less demanding players and beginners in the universe will be able to enjoy great cutscenes, a kind story, an exciting collection of monsters and non-stressing battles with beautiful special attacks.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Monster Hunter Stories is an excellent adventure that channels the colourful world of Capcom's storied series into a joyous JRPG. It suffers from performance issues on non-New 3DS hardware, but it's still full of personality, beautifully presented and fun to play, with combat that's easy to grasp but engaging throughout. Longtime MonHun fans will appreciate Stories as a thoughtfully-made spin-off, but the gameplay template and tone are so different that you don't need to be familiar with, or even enjoy!, mainline Monster Hunter to have a great time here. Regardless of whether you've been hunting Hornetaurs since the beginning or couldn't tell a Felyne from a Fatalis, Stories is yet another charming 3DS RPG that's well worth your time.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The Monster Hunter franchise has a rich and varied universe but outside of a handful of spin-offs; its games have always been limited to their very specific formula. That's a doubled-edged sword, as the fans don't want big changes but those who don't enjoy the series' core mechanics are missing out on a fantastic universe filled with some amazing monster designs and the fabulous Felynes. Monster Hunter Stories breaks the mold and delivers an experience that shows that universe is just waiting for more innovative ideas. Like Final Fantasy Tactics and Dragon Quest Builders, Monster Hunter Stories delivers a wholly new experience that is utterly addictive and absolutely superb. If you enjoy Pokémon, give this a chance!”
read full review ↗ - 80
“You are asked to make a boring leap of faith in the hopes of finding rewards. Everything else about the game works. Exploring the world hasn't been better than this and the style just pops on the Nintendo 3DS. Newcomers and veterans alike will find a lot to love, but also need to go in with lowered expectations about the combat.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Monster Hunter Stories is over ten years old and definitely shows its limitations - however, it's still a cracking wee JRPG you can happily get lost in.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“If Capcom decided to continue this spin-off series, it will be welcome news.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“While it's certainly more approachable than your typical Monster Hunter game, Stories fails to capture what has made the series such a hit over the years.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Monster Hunter Stories is that rare and magical opportunity to befriend your favorite monster and ride it into battle.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Monster Hunter Stories embodies all the good things about the Monster Hunter saga and presents them in a monster RPG package. The game is very rich on content to explore and its amazing visual details and challenging combat system will keep the players entertained for many, many hours. Monster Hunter Stories may not be full of unexpected surprises but it is full of reasons to wander into it.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Monster Hunter Stories may look and sound like a traditional Monster Hunter title, but underneath that veneer is a deep monster collecting game that surprises in its breadth, with cartoonish graphics and a kid-friendly story to boot.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Monster Hunter Stories is an adventure like no other, and a standout experience on Nintendo 3DS that is worthy of your time. Heartwarming and memorable, it’s all that you could ever want it to be. Ride On!”
read full review ↗
Fintendo
GameMAG
Nintendo Life
Cubed3
NintendoWorldReport
MonsterVine
TheSixthAxis
GameSkinny
FNintendo
We Got This Covered
Nintendo Insider…and 42 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Patch: Ver.1.1.1Nov 10, 2025
- BLACK FRIDAY DEALSNov 28, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Patch: Ver.1.1.0Nov 28, 2024