If you played the earlier games, you might be wondering when or whether a Hunter joins your party in Monster Hunter Stories 3. The two previous entries featured a Hunter companion who fought alongside Riders. It’s no surprise that many returning players expect the same. But it doesn’t take long to realize that the party composition is a tiny bit different this time around.
Can You Recruit a Hunter Like Reverto in Monster Hunter Stories 3?
The short answer is no. Monster Hunter Stories 3 does not feature a Hunter party member.
In Monster Hunter Stories 1 and Wings of Ruin, players could eventually recruit a Hunter named Reverto. Unlike the Riders, Reverto does not fight alongside a Monstie. Instead, he battles monsters directly using his Hunter gear and trusty Great Sword.
Despite lacking a monster partner himself, Reverto makes up for it by being a pure DPS ‘monster’ with a much higher damage output than even the player character. He’s also very tanky; plus, when he was knocked out during battle, he also only consumed one Heart. Meanwhile, Riders and their Monsties could potentially cost two Hearts when caught up by area-of-effect attacks.
Because of those reasons, Reverto became a popular choice for tough encounters and postgame battles in previous games. Considering how tough Elder Dragons and Invasive Monsters are this time around, naturally, players hoped a Hunter party member would return to ease the pain. Unfortunately, that’s not the case here.
However, while not available as a combat partner, Monster Hunter Stories 3 takes a different approach to a Hunter companion.
There is a Hunter character who plays an important role in the story, along with a Palico partner: Corbin and PK. You first meet them shortly after reaching Canalta Timberland, the second major region in the game.
Minor spoiler ahead!
After defeating the Feral Somnacanth boss, PK wakes up Corbin, who apparently was knocked unconscious by the monster. The two then introduce themselves as hunters-slash-adventurers to the Prince’s Rangers party.
At first, the Rangers assume that the lands beyond Azuria and Vermeil must be uninhabited. However, Corbin reveals the opposite — what lies beyond the Meridian is far from empty. From that point on, Corbin and PK take on the role of guides, helping the Rangers navigate unfamiliar territory and learn what’s happening beyond their known world.
In terms of personality, Corbin is somewhat similar to Reverto. Both share a laid-back attitude, complete with a surfer-dude style of speech.
So there you have it. Unfortunately, if you were hoping to bring a Hunter into combat alongside your Riders, Monster Hunter Stories 3 doesn’t offer that option. While still important to the story, Corbin remains an NPC companion rather than a playable ally. Instead, the game keeps the focus firmly on Riders, Monsties, and their Kinship-based battle system.
But who knows, maybe Capcom will add Corbin down the line. Especially with additional post-launch Side Stories already planned.
