Monster Hunter Stories 3 will be more "epic": Ryozo Tsujimoto and Takahiro Kawano on upcoming title [Gamescom Asia 2025 Exclusive]

With the Monster Hunter Stories 3 release looming ahead, I interacted with Ryozo Tsujimoto, Producer, and Takahiro Kawano, Art Director, at Gamescom Asia 2025. This came right after I tried Monster Hunter Stories 3 in a hands-on session for roughly 20 or so minutes.

Given the difference between the Monster Hunter and the Monster Hunter Stories series, I was quite interested to see what the minds behind the title had to say about the upcoming title.

Monster Hunter Stories 3 Producer and Art Director on game's art design and more

In my short demo, I got a quick tutorial on the basics of combat and exploration, being able to cycle between a few Monsties, like Rathalos and Tobi-Kadachi. The world design looked bright and gorgeous (and felt more attuned to a younger set of audience compared to Monster Hunter Wilds). The quick changing of monsters (in response to elements during exploration or combat) also made the gameplay fluid.

Check out All Monster Hunter Wilds Monsters to know who you are going to face!

Coming from my experience with World and Wilds, especially, I enquired whether we should expect the same level of rich environment and detailed flora and fauna in Monster Hunter Stories 3. Takahiro Kawano assured that that was set to be the case and that fans "should expect" such a nuanced and diverse expression of nature. Ryozo Tsujimoto provided further details on how MHS3 will differ from the previous two titles.

Expect more of an epic feel in MHS3 (Image via Capcom)

He described MHS1 and MHS2 as more action focuse like a Shonen manga. But with Monster Hunter Stories 3, Capcom has targeted to make it more than a Shonen manga. Instead they want to make it more like a movie, focusing on the storytelling and the animation style. In Tsujimoto's words (through a translator), everything has been finetuned to be more epic.

Playing MHS3 demo (Image via Angshuman Dutta)

My demo indeed ended with an epic fight against a Feral Chatacabra that took a decent amount of time to take down. It is not hard to see the JRPG elements, the more strategic combat design (like the Stamina Gauge) that one would find in Monster Hunter Stories 3. While MHS3 is not supposed to be exactly similar to the base MH series, it will engage fans in thoughtful strategic combat that will leave them satisfied when the hunt is successful.

About the author

Angshuman is an Assistant Content Manager, Gaming, at Sportskeeda with a specialized focus on Pokemon. While completing his Master's degree in English Literature, Angshuman's research topics primarily included the many facets of game studies. That, along with his love for the medium which he believes to be the pinnacle of storytelling, led him to become a writer in the genre.

Angshuman prefers both solo and multiplayer titles on PC and PS5. His love for gaming stemmed from playing Bounce and God of War on mobile phones, and on to Age of Empires and Zoo Tycoon on PC. If he ever wished to convert a gaming cynic into a admirer, he would recommend indie games because of their versatility and their ability to be unaffected by genre-stifling publisher expectations.

Angshuman has interviewed several indie game developers in his career, spoken at many conferences, and contributed to book chapters. In his capacity to create highly accurate content, he thoroughly researches a topic, tracks citations until he finds the original source, and ensures his content doesn't misrepresent, misquote, or appropriate information.

In his spare time, Angshuman enjoys story writing, shooting landscapes and short films, reading, and painting.

Know More

Check out our Monster Hunter Wilds Review if you are wondering whether the game is worth it.

Edited by Angshuman Dutta