What kind of game this is
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is a turn-based RPG set in the Monster Hunter world, but you play as a Rider rather than a hunter. You hatch monsters from eggs, raise them as Monsties, and take them into battle alongside you. The story starts on Hakolo Island, where your grandchild of Red sets out to gain experience as a Rider. You meet Ena, a Wyverian girl who knew Red, and leave the island together to protect an egg entrusted to her by Guardian Ratha. Rathalos are vanishing worldwide and strange environmental abnormalities are spreading, so the journey follows that thread until the egg finally hatches a flightless Rathalos with small wings.
Building your team of Monsties
Monsters live all over the field, and you pick up eggs in Monster Dens that appear randomly. Rare dens show up infrequently and hold elusive eggs or hard-to-find genes. Take the egg back to the Stables and hatch it to add a new Monstie to your party. Beasts you can befriend include Brachydios, Seregios, Nargacuga, Tigrex, Zinogre, Kushala Daora, and Teostra.
Riding a Monstie gives you field abilities that depend on the species: dashing, flying, or swimming, plus actions that help you search for items more effectively. To make a Monstie stronger, fight with it or use the Rite of Channeling, a ritual that moves a gene from one Monstie to another. You choose which slot the gene goes into, so you can awaken new skills in combinations of your own design.
How a group plays together
Multiplayer lets you connect with players around the world. Co-Op Expedition Quests are where you team up: if one player engages a monster in the field, the other can jump in and help. Riders search for rare eggs and take down tough monsters together. When you would rather compete, Versus Battles let you face other players directly.
Combat and preparation
Battles are turn-based and run on three attack types: Power, Speed, and Technical. Predicting what your opponent will use and winning a Head-to-Head deals heavy damage and fills your Kinship Gauge fast. You also fight with weapons and armor from the Monster Hunter series; six weapon types are available, each with its own characteristics, and you forge equipment to suit how you play. Layered armor lets you keep a look you like while wearing your actual gear. Character customization covers your Rider's appearance, and downloadable content adds hairstyles for your Rider and outfits for Ena and Navirou, sold individually, in packs, or together.