When a new turn-based RPG comes out, especially one like Pokemon, there is one question on the minds of players: how can I level up fast? There is unfortunately no way to cheat the system. Players inevitably find a way through glitches or methods the developers never thought of.
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Another 2021 Switch RPG, Bravely Default 2, had a very unique way to level up. While there is nothing like that in Capcom's Monster Hunter Stories 2, there are plenty of solid traditional ways to level up. These are the tricks to help players level up quickly early on in the adventure. As a quick suggestion, make sure to save manually as much as possible to be safe.
Before heading into battle, there are a few things to be aware of. Firstly, there is an odd smiling pot, known as the Prayer Pot, that is usually placed at the beginning of towns. Players can pray at these statues in order to gain temporary boosts. For example, players can increase how much experience they get in battle. This is called a Training Prayer.
Besides praying, players can also offer up charms. These items can be gained from quests, chests, or found randomly on the world map or dungeons. These act the same as prayers but their potency is better. For example, one simple Training Charm can increase experience gained by 10% for thirty minutes.
These boosts can be stacked as well with one charm activated alongside one prayer. The more charms fed to this pot, the more it will level up. This increases the value of prayer potency and also unlocks new prayers. This seemingly takes the place of eating before missions in games in the series like Monster Hunter Rise.
The main way players will level up in Monster Hunter Stories 2 is through some good old fashion turn-based RPG battles. Fight monsters and gain experience. It’s as simple as that. Along with using charms and praying before battle, the training abilities will also help increase the amount of experience gained.
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However, there are other things to be aware of in battle that will help level up characters and Monsties besides experience points. Like in most Capcom games or other entries in the Monster Hunter series, there are letter grades. This is calculated through points. The more points someone gets in battle, the better their score will be.
For example, if a player takes off a monster part, like a tail, that will earn them bonus points. Finishing a battle in as little time as possible also helps. A higher score means better rewards. Getting better rewards means that it will be easier to tinker with gear, which is a very valuable asset in the game.
Forging new gear or upgrading existing pieces works basically the same as in other entries in the series. Fight monsters to collect their materials, then use them to create or upgrade gear. It’s actually easier in this game because of how many materials monsters drop.
Fighting a monster is also a faster process in Monster Hunter Stories 2 compared to an entry like Rise. An encounter in that game can last twenty minutes or more on just one monster. Literally leveling up characters and Monsties is important, but the equipment gathering is almost more valuable in the process of increasing power.
Unlike the Pokemon games that use Poke Balls to capture creatures, Monster Hunter Stories 2 uses monster eggs. Players run into dungeons, grab eggs, and then bring them back to town stables. The same type of monster egg can produce different stats on Monsties. One hatched Bulldrome can be different from another Bulldrome.
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Monsties level up just like the main character and the other humanoid companions. They can’t equip weapons or armor though. Don’t fret because there is a way to upgrade them. It takes a while to unlock this method, about six to eight hours, but it is called the Rite of Channeling. It sort of works like Fusion from the Persona series. Choose a Monstie to inherit a skill from another monster, then the latter will be sacrificed. This means that even duplicate eggs are worthwhile so don’t get rid of them before this function is unlocked.
Quests are not that deep or complicated in Monster Hunter Stories 2, or really in any game in the series. Players can take on as many as they want from the town quest boards and finish them at their leisure. They are mostly simple fetch or kill quests. Gathering six pieces of raw meat is an early quest example.
The nice thing about that quest, in particular, is that it can be repeated. Redoing quests in Monster Hunter Stories 2 like that can be a great way to earn experience with ease as well as getting cash fast. Cash, or Zenny in the Capcom tradition, is not earned through battling on the world map. Finding chests, selling loot, or completing quests is pretty much the only way to earn money. Since Zenny is necessary for upgrading and forging, quests are very important so grab every one that pops up.