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The developers behind Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection peeked over the shoulders of other modern turn-based RPGs, and have specifically called out the influence that Metaphor: ReFantazio and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 had on the upcoming game.
Capcom is once again spinning its big beast battling series off into a JRPG in the form of Monster Hunter Stories 3, but a lot has changed since the last game in the subseries launched almost a decade ago. So, speaking to Automaton, lead designer Daisuke Wakahara says the team studied the "high-profile" turn-based RPGs of recent years "that incorporate unique ideas, such as Metaphor: ReFantazio and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33."
You can see some of that inspiration surface in Monster Hunter Stories 3's new demo in so far as you can now squash low-level enemies in the field, without getting sucked into a turn-based fight, as was the case in Metaphor: ReFantazio. But the duo, which were recently bundled together on Steam, also had a wider impact on Capcom's game.
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"We feel there's a clear preference toward games that let players progress smoothly and quickly, without levelling feeling like a chore. The idea that players should receive some kind of reward for specific actions they take has become quite refined across the industry, and we made a point of incorporating that approach ourselves," he adds, before noting that the team still "refused to compromise on making the battles satisfying and challenging."
The Monster Hunter Stories team were supposedly aware that "making things convenient and making them easy are two different things," so combat won't be streamlined or artificially simplified "just to speed up the pace." In fact, in some ways, it sounds like the opposite happened, as game director Kenji Oguro says "the most exciting moment in a game is when you win by the skin of your teeth," and those are the kind of moments the developers "aimed for."
We'll see how it shakes out when Monster Hunters Stories 3: Twisted Reflection launches for PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series X|S on March 13, 2026.
Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget.
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