The story begins in the forest near the village of Knight. Three young friends - Hero, Lilia and Shevar - stumble upon a shiny egg.

The trio perform a playful parody of their relatives' manners, but are blown away when it actually works!

The egg hatches to reveal a young Rathalos, a flying dragon, also known as the "King of the Sky". The three of them affectionately called him "Rasha" and took him back to the village.

A few days later, without warning, the village is plagued by a monster infected with the "black blight". They manage to drive it away, but not before it destroys the town - and leaves an indelible scar on Cheval and Lilia's hearts.

A year passes...

Cheval and Lilia both leave the village and go their own ways. The hero, though now separated from his childhood friend, teams up with the jovial Navirou and embarks on a new adventure into the world of hunters.

A tale of friendship and triumph awaits you - step into the world of Monster Hunter Stories!

Players can purchase weapons and defences from the Weapon House, and can even use the materials they collect to enhance their existing weapons and defences.

If you touch the enemy's back, you can get a one-round preemptive attack. There are three types of basic attacks: "Power", "Speed" and "Technique", each of which is mutually exclusive. If you use the same attack as your "accompanying demon", and if your opponent chooses the attack that they are opposed to, you will have a good chance of launching a more powerful combination attack, which will not only deal more damage to your opponent, but also increase the "trip meter" in the centre. When the central "trip meter" is full, you can mount the "accompanying magic item" and use a more powerful "trip technique" on your opponent.

In addition, there is also a chance for the demons to hit each other during the battle, so if you press the A button in quick succession, you can give your demons an advantage.

Don't forget to edit your "Battle Pouch" before you go on your adventure. The only items you can use in battle are those in the Battle Pouch.

Players can take on various quests in the reveal section of the village, or even directly from villagers (with a blue "!"). side quests, which can be completed for money and reward.