The third installment of Monster Hunter Stories is finally here and brings numerous improvements to the spin-off series. Unlike the mainline series, Stories introduces a turn-based combat system with the staple weapons of the Monster Hunter series. If this is your first time hearing about Monster Hunter Stories 3, check out its Steam page for further information right here.
Given the game’s nature, Monster Hunter can be pretty ambiguous at times. So, I will provide you with a complete walkthrough of the game, covering from the prologue to the final chapters.
Table of contents
Meeting The Heir – The Princess of Azuria Quest
Starting a new game will lead you to the character creation screen. Although it’s not as detailed as normal Monster Hunter games, it surprisingly still has charm. After creating your character, you will be introduced to them as the Heir to the Kingdom.
I have created a female character with the original name "Leia", so quests name will be related to the character's gender (she/he or Princess/Prince).
However, after an expedition team retrieves an Egg Quartz from icy depths, it hatches into twin Rathalos that serve as a bad omen for the kingdom. After the Royal Family’s servants suggest euthanizing one of them, we finally meet our character post-time skip, looking for monsters.
With fellow Hunter Simon, we are asked to return to Azuria Castle to meet our family while riding the one-and-only Rathalos. Use the wind geysers over the lake to gain height and keep flying towards the castle. Later, talk to one of the guards near the castle’s gate, and they will ask you to visit His Majesty.
The King, Arken, who is also Leia’s father, tells her about a possible war with the Vermeiles, a neighboring kingdom. Additionally, this conversation reveals how Lady Amara betrayed the royal family, and Leia tells everyone about another Egg Quartz, similar to one that hatched into two Rathalos.
To make things easier for both kingdoms, Arken orders us to be present at the Vermeil peace talks with others. The first and introductory quest, The Princess of Azuria, ends.
Audience – Quest Guide
After talking to everyone at The Base, Thea will join your party to assist you in the battles and story. Now, exit Azuria through the east gate; check the yellow exclamation mark on your map for its location.
You will arrive at the Sunpetal Plains. Keep following the objective mark to find a Velociprey, a monster that you must battle against. Get close to it to initiate a fight and use turn-based tactics to achieve victory. If a monster focuses on a single party member, they will enter a head-to-head state.
Monster Hunster Stories 3 Combat Guide
Turn-based combat is inherently complex, and if this is your first Monster Hunter Stories game, learning how the combat works is crucial. There are three stances: Technical, Speed, and Power.
- Technical: An optimal combat stance that has the perfect balance of speed and power. If a monster attacks with speed, use Technical attacks to gain an upper hand.
- Speed: A fast combat stance that sacrifices damage for faster damage input and attack animation. Speed stance beats Power as you have the first-hit advantage.
- Power: This is a strong and impactful stance that gives an advantage over the Technical stance.
A head-to-head state depends on whom the opponent is targeting. Thea is a speed character and will lose if she goes against a technical monster. For now, in the tutorial, we battle a Velociprey and Velocidrome, both being speed monsters.
Additionally, you can summon your monsters in the battle to execute a double attack and deal extra damage to an enemy. However, their attacks rely on Stamina; strategize and manage it during the battle for the best results.
Don’t forget to check what the enemy is weak to. Visit the enemy stats section to see what ailments you can apply to an enemy, their targets, and player and monstie stats. Go for the ailments that they’re weak against.
Lastly, when a single enemy remains in a battle and they’re toppled, you can execute a Synchro Rush that serves as an all-out attack of all party members to deliver maximum damage.
While fighting monsters, focus on the red slots below their HP. Those are Wyvernsoul Gauges that indicate a monster’s fighting morale. Attacking a monster regularly will deplete the gauge and provide a significant advantage over it.
Audience – Continuation
Head towards the lookout tower. This is where you learn about switching your Monsties (captured and usable monsters), and how their usage depends on the situation. Since Rathalos can’t climb, switch to Kobi-Tadachi to climb the tower to meet Explorer Felyne.
Felyne will provide you with a map and then use its spyglass to check your surroundings for points of interest. Hover the cursor over question marks, and place the markers if a location seems interesting. Now, drop down the lookout tower; Kobi-Tadachi can fly, so hold the jump button in mid-air.
From here, head towards the next objective in Blightstone Woods. You will find a fruit tree and an armor sphere ore near the objective. Change your Monstie to Rathalos, throw fireballs at the tree to pluck the fruit, and then melee attack the armor sphere ore to get the spheres.
Interact with the nearby umbrella (Catavan) to save your game, and then visit Ashen Pass. Numerous Red Bnahabra cover the forest, and by hitting them first with a monstie, you will gain an advantage. Just two turns will suffice to defeat them.
If you want to experience the story and avoid battles, forfeit them by holding the menu button. Thea and her family love to raise poogies at their farm, and one of their poogie is stranded on a giant tree branch. Climb the branch with a monster and rescue it. Move forward into the Ashen Pass to find a new Egg Quartz.
After Thea inspects it, continue your journey and avoid all the monsters ahead. Use Roar to startle all of them to avoid combat initiation. Save the game with Catavan, and before you lies a vast area with two Paolumu eggs. However, before the party can inspect them, a hostile Paolumu arrives to defend them.
Paolumu – Boss Fight Guide
Paolumu comes with significant health points and five Wyvernsoul Gauges. I used the order below to defeat it efficiently:
- Normal Technical Attack: Utilizing a normal Technical attack on Paolumu’s head will result in heavy damage, and Thea will follow it up with her and monster duo attack. However, Paolumu now focuses on your character.
- Normal Power Attack: While the damage is significant, Paolumu will attack you in return, resulting in a dramatic health loss. Don’t forget to use your items regularly.
- Tobi-Kadachi’s Thunder Drop on Paolumu’s Neck and Technical Normal Attack: Deals heavy damage, but the final attack is negated. The game will tell you to choose your bow to deflate Paolumu’s neck.
- Follow The Game’s Guidelines: Rest of the attacks to defeat Paolumu will be shown on screen, including a Kinship Skill that is extremely overpowered when used correctly.
Using the Kinship Skill will result in an immediate victory against Paolumu, but suddenly, a feral Chatacabra arrives to take its place.
Feral Chatacabra – Boss Fight Guide
As soon as the Chatacabra arrives in the field, Thea will try to break the Blightstone Crystals on its body. However, this comes with a Backlash that damages Thea.
Do not attempt to break the Blightstone until you find a chance. Keep attacking its main body to weaken it, and in a few turns, the Chatacabra will grow on its forelimbs; perfect time to attack the Blightstone, but it’s a gamble. Either you destroy its forelimbs to avoid its devastating attacks or attack the Blighstone to weaken its overall strength.
Switch to Rathalos if you haven’t, and use its Venom Strike on the Blightstone. If you’re low on health, avoid consuming the Herb. Instead, equip the Bone Horn and use Soothing Horn (Technical) to deal damage and heal your entire party. Execute the attack, and thanks to Rathalos’s Venom Strike, it will win the head-to-head attack against Chatacabra.
Keep the same strategy in the next turn, but replace the Technical Soothing Horn with Power. This will ultimately destroy the Blighstone and inflict a poison ailment on Chatacabra. Switch your monstie to Tobi-Kadachi to avoid Chatacabra’s electric orbs. Still, since both Chatacabra and Kadachi have the same electrical status, your damage will be negated.
Strategize and use attacks of your own choice on the boss’s forelimbs; swap Tobi-Kadachi with Yian Kut-Ku and your weapon to Greastword. Ultimately, the Chatacabra will fall and can be Synchro Rushed to end the battle.
After a staggering battle against a feral monster, the party returns to Azuria Castle, and Leia will give one of the eggs to Thea as her reward for being such a potent asset. And this concludes the Audience Quest.
Here ends our walkthrough for Monster Hunter Stories 3 Prologue.
If you’re looking for more guides, we have you covered:
- Into Indie Games Home Page
- Fatal Frame II Remake – Complete Walkthrough Hub
- Esoteric Ebb Complete Walkthrough Hub
- Resident Evil Requiem – Walkthrough Hub
- Lost and Found Co. Walkthrough Hub
Either listening to music 24/7 or having an existential crisis; no in between.
