Why Wings Of Ruin’s wilful AI is a strength, not a shortcoming

Holding off on a special move is worth it if you can predict when an AI teammate is going to uncork their special abilities

A I companions get a rough time of it. Belittled, insulted and widely mocked, our little computer-controlled friends are frequently the cause of frustration – and understandably so. They end runs early, deploy useless attacks in battle and more often than not are more trouble than they’re worth. But what if that unpredictability, that lack of focused logic, was used as a mechanic? AI teammates in RPGs have never been popular – the multiple post-release versions of Persona 3 gave you direct control of your allies for a reason – but Monster Hunter Stories 2 addresses that in a way appropriate to the feral, semi-tame monsters you build gentle alliances with as you progress. Charging headfirst into battle with a Royal Ludroth, say, means you want something that hits hard, smacks other monsters about a bit and then soaks them with a powerful wave of water. In this game’s skill triangle, power beats technical. But as the raging Tetsucabra prepares its attack, your Royal Ludroth – acting of its own free will – decides it’ll go for a speedy attack this turn. Which loses out to technical. Oh.