Preview: With ‘Monster Hunter Stories 3,’ a spin-off spreads its wings

Slowly but surely, “Monster Hunter Stories” has established itself as more than just a spin-off of Capcom’s famed action role-playing game. It has gone from a small project on the Nintendo 3DS to an ambitious Japanese RPG on the Nintendo Switch that punched above its weight.

Now in its third iteration, “Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection” is the franchise’s coming-out party. The entry is launching across multiple systems for the first time, and it’s taking a different approach to the story.