It's the third one.
A massive step-up in presentation and gameplay. The previous two titles might've tugged pretty well on the heartstrings if you let it, but the ending here almost had me a sobbing wreck. Easily some of the best characters in a Stories game, if not Monster Hunter as a whole. This is certainly my GOTY unless Ace Combat 8 pulls out all the stops.
Also please make Agnaktor a monstie in the next game.

I dont have alot to say despite playing so many hours so I'll keep it tight.

Stories 3 is a really solid spinoff, it looks gorgeous and is graphically a huge leap from 2 and the monster variety is great. 1-2, made you wait for strong iconic monsters but 3 comes out swinging by always giving you something great in each area. Hell even as soon as the starting zone you can get deviants which is insanely cool.

The game is challenging with tons of difficult fight main story and optional, but never to the point where you feel like you never have options to overcome a fight. Theres a ton of options in monster building, skill inheritance and elemental changing. The exploration is rewarding by having explore large zones with plenty of hidden nooks and crannies where you revive endangered monsters by defeating invasive species and reviving ailing monster populations, and it feels great and immersive since you play as rangers. It's a great game for wasting time with as you release monsters in to different areas to either trigger mutations, or change monster types. I spent like 15 hours in the starting zone chilling, getting all monsters and just exploring and it was a great time.

The story has some strong points by adding in political strife to the normally cartoonish monster hunter world, concepts like potions, life powder, monsters and more being applied to warfare is genuinely cool as a, longtime fan considering in the main series most nations and peoples all get along. but most of the writing is completely over shadowed by Rudy being an awful character who steals time from most of the games cutscenes, I understand wanting to delegate lines to a naive character for exposition pawposes but nyever does rudy actually contribute to the plawt in any purrceivable way. I feel at points he speaks more than our actual mature competent main character. And its great our lead is competent, smart and likable I just wish we stole the show more than rudy. hell if they wanted to delegate lines to a naive character, thea, the new ranger is right there but nya, we clawtta have rudy but in and insult a peoples who guardians all died because they asked a question.

Overall good game I've had a ton with exploring, raising monsters and just vibing with, there were alot of huge leaps with this over 3 and If 4 can add a good narrative with a likable felyne compawnyan, I'd say itd be an all timer.

I felt like my 70 was well spent but it'll also be a great game to get on sale too if others feel differently.

Just beat the game after ~ 100 hours (if I count the 40+ I spent in the Trial version), and it's a total delight. A cut above the previous two entries in nearly every way... except (post-game spoiler beyond here) the post-game, which doesn't exist. I'm hoping that's a "doesn't exist yet," because it is sincerely a HUGE bummer when everything else about the game was phenomenal. :(

Not every game needs a massive post-game, but the previous entries had them, and that sets a precedent. I was disappointed to find that not only does a finished save load from right before the final battle, but also doesn't allow you to remove Ratha from your party! He's just stuck there, taking up a slot and making any other fire monsties you want to include on your team redundant. You also don't get to use Simon anymore, and that would have been nice, since now I can't even use his costume that came in the bundle beyond Act 1.

So here's my request: please make the post-game world a post-final-battle world, too. I don't need some grand explanation for why Eleanor can hang out with us when she should be in Vermeil helping with the recovery. She can just be there. Let us use Simon as a companion again so we can use his DLC costume. You could even include his endgame costume so he'll have the same amount of costumes as your other companions. And let us remove Ratha! I don't want that guy on my team for trashing Elder Dragons.

That aside, highly recommended if you like creature collectors, Monster Hunter, JRPGs, or any combination thereof.