Monster Hunter's 3DS RPG, Stories, Releases This September

Nintendo has announced a release date for Monster Hunter Stories, the next 3DS-exclusive installment in Capcom's long-running franchise. The game launches in the US on September 8.

Unlike other games in the Monster Hunter series, Stories is not a cooperative action game, but a turn-based RPG. The title features a much more colorful art style than previous installments and puts players in the role of a Monster Rider. Players will have to collect and hatch monster eggs and use each beast's unique abilities to navigate the world and battle enemies. The game also features armor and weapon crafting like a more traditional Monster Hunter title, as well as a variety of sidequests and a multiplayer battle mode.

Nintendo has also announced that a free demo of Monster Hunter Stories will soon be available to download from the 3DS Eshop. The demo arrives on the service on August 10. Players who choose to download it will be able to transfer their save data over to the full game when it releases. You can get a closer look at Stories' different art style and gameplay in the new trailer above.

The next core entry in the Monster Hunter series, Monster Hunter: World, is releasing for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in early 2018, with a PC release following later. Capcom recently shared a series of new trailers that highlight the 14 different weapon classes featured in that title. You can find our full coverage of Monster Hunter: World here. A Nintendo Switch port of Monster Hunter XX is also releasing in Japan in August, though Capcom hasn't announced any plans to localize it.