The 10 Best Monster Hunter Games

For the final 20 years Capcom’s Monster Hunter sequence has captured followers’ hearts with its exhilarating mixture of cautious technique and heart-pounding monster battles. From its humble beginnings on the PlayStation 2 in 2004 to topping the charts in 2018 with Monster Hunter World, the sequence has developed loads within the final twenty years.

Whereas each Monster Hunter recreation is exclusive in its personal approach, we’ve ranked your complete checklist of video games plus the largest DLCs, to find out which is the perfect. One word to think about – provided that Capcom has launched a number of variations of a number of the video games, our rating solely takes into consideration the Final variations of every of those. So with that cleared up, let’s kick issues off…

10. Monster Hunter

(*10*)

The authentic Monster Hunter laid the muse for every little thing to return within the 20 years that adopted. Its obtuse instructions and management scheme would possibly make it more durable to revisit than a lot of the different video games on this checklist, however the core pillars of what makes Monster Hunter nice are nonetheless current. Taking over larger-than-life beasts with nothing however a weapon and a knack for survival helped set it aside in 2004, even when its steep studying curve made it a considerably irritating expertise for gamers on the time.

Developed as a part of an initiative at Capcom to give attention to on-line video games for the PlayStation 2, Monster Hunter’s major focus is thru its on-line occasion missions. Whereas it is a bummer that official servers are not on-line exterior of Japan, the single-player nonetheless lets gamers expertise the hunts that kicked off a brand new style.

9. Monster Hunter Freedom

Monster Hunter Freedom launched on the PlayStation Moveable in Japan in 2005, and adopted in all places else a 12 months later. It was the primary handheld recreation within the sequence and is an expanded and re-tuned model of Monster Hunter G.

Though Freedom contains every little thing from Monster Hunter G and provides in various high quality of life enhancements, the largest leap was giving Monster Hunter a brand new dwelling on a transportable system. It was the catalyst that pushed Monster Hunter to a complete new viewers, placing co-op entrance and middle and bringing collectively hundreds of thousands of gamers as they teamed as much as hunt, regardless of the place they had been.

Regardless of its clunky controls and wonky digital camera – which actually exhibit how far the video games have developed – Freedom continues to be a variety of enjoyable to play. True, it isn’t the most effective Monster Hunter recreation however it’s definitely one of the vital necessary, and have become the blueprint for the way forward for the sequence’ handheld video games.

8. Monster Hunter Freedom Unite

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is an expanded model of Monster Hunter Freedom 2, which itself is an expanded model of Monster Hunter 2, which was solely launched in Japan. It was simply the biggest recreation within the sequence when it was launched and launched new monsters which have gone on to change into excessive factors for the sequence, together with black panther-cross-lizard wyvern, Nargacuga. It was additionally the primary time the much-loved Felyne companions joined you on the battlefield, and whereas they may not have helped overcome a few of Freedom Unite’s more durable challenges, they made the journey much more pleasing.

7. Monster Hunter 3 Final

Monster Hunter 3 Final was constructed off of the bones of 2010’s Monster Hunter Tri, however with a restructured story and issue curve to create a extra streamlined expertise that included new monsters and quests to maintain issues contemporary. Moreover, Final 3 introduced again the Searching Horn, Bow, Gunlance, and Twin Blades – which had been lacking from Tri – to present a extra rounded roster of weapons for gamers to wield.

It’s due to this fact no shock that Monster Hunter 3 Final is the definitive Monster Hunter 3 expertise. New encounters like underwater preventing added a variety of selection to maintain every little thing feeling contemporary, even in case you needed to wrestle with the digital camera to make it work correctly. And whereas on-line multiplayer on the Wii U was not as superior because it was on different consoles, co-op is so integral to the Monster Hunter expertise that its inclusion was a should.

Monster Hunter 3 Final is the pure evolution of every little thing that got here earlier than it and is a robust contender for one of many higher monster looking experiences. It’s exhibiting its age now although, leaving room for different video games…

6. Monster Hunter 4 Final

Monster Hunter 4 Final marked an necessary turning level for the sequence. Whereas native co-op was at all times Monster Hunter’s bread and butter on handheld consoles, devoted on-line multiplayer lastly arrived in 4 Final, delivering a real leap ahead for the sequence. Now it didn’t matter the place your folks had been – so long as everybody had entry to wifi you could possibly celebration up and tackle a hunt from wherever on this planet.

Moreover, Capcom debuted Apex Monsters to present expert gamers true endgame challenges to check their mettle towards, and these are simply a number of the hardest fights within the sequence thus far. Different enhancements included an enormous roster of monsters to hunt and the addition of vertical motion, which remodeled how the sport performed and virtually doubled the dimensions of the map. Monster Hunter 4 actually was a leap ahead for the sequence, however it’s nonetheless not the most effective the sequence has to supply.

5. Monster Hunter Rise

2021’s Monster Hunter Rise introduced the sequence again dwelling to handhelds after leaping to consoles and PC with Monster Hunter World in 2018. Initially unique to the Nintendo Swap, Rise took what Capcom realized from making bigger-scale Monster Hunter video games on consoles and refined them for handhelds, delivering a faster-paced recreation with extra streamlined options for a smoother total expertise.

Monster Hunter Rise launched Palamutes, the rideable canine companions that allowed for simpler and speedier motion round Rise’s maps. It was a welcomed addition that Capcom appears to be repeating, by bringing again Seikrets in Monster Hunter Wilds. Mixed with the brand new Wirebug mechanic, which unlocked new weapon assaults and allow you to grapple excessive up into the air like your favourite anime protagonist, Rise introduced a way of scale beforehand solely discovered on the console variations of Monster Hunter video games.

Whether or not it was decimating monsters with acrobatic stunts or absorbing the serene vibe of Kamura Village, Monster Hunter Rise proves that, after scaling up for Monster Hunter World, all these huge design concepts might be scaled all the way down to create the most effective handheld Monster Hunter experiences in your complete sequence.

4. Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak

The comply with as much as Monster Hunter Rise was a large growth referred to as Sunbreak, which added an all new location, ferocious new monsters, and a revised weapons system that added freshness to the fights. Whereas Sunbreak would not reinvent the wheel, it makes Rise’s already superb expertise even higher.

Maybe probably the most memorable factor about Sunbreak is how Capcom delivered full-fledged gothic horror vibes due to the brand new Citadel fort location and interesting monster designs impressed by vampires and werewolves. It additionally addressed the sequence’ earlier lack of endgame content material by including tremendous robust hunts designed to problem even probably the most skilled gamers.

Sunbreak’s gothic setting is likely to be one of the vital lovely locales ever launched within the sequence however the true brilliance of this monster-sized growth stays the ultimate struggle towards the vampiric flagship monster, Malzeno, and the horrors of its life-stealing talents.

3. Monster Hunter Generations Final

In some ways, Monster Hunter Generations Final is Capcom’s swansong to the final decade of Monster Hunter video games. Alongside a massively satisfying customization suite for hunters, Generations Final additionally options the biggest roster of monsters throughout your complete sequence. With 93 giant monsters, Generations Final is sort of a best hits out of your favourite band.

In contrast to most different Monster Hunter video games, Generations Final options Hunter Types, which may seriously change the best way you play. Along with the standard weapon varieties, Searching Types gave each weapon 4 distinctive movesets to select from, dramatically rising the preventing kinds on provide. Veteran gamers may persist with the usual Guild type they’re aware of, or experiment with new kinds like Striker, which let gamers chain collectively Searching Arts, turning them into particular strikes to be taught and grasp.

This deep stage of customization was massively experimental and tremendously enjoyable. Mixed with limitless hours of hunts, Generations Final is a victory lap for the sequence, a triumphant showpiece of the long-lasting monster designs and the thrill of enjoying with family and friends.

2. Monster Hunter World: Iceborne

Capcom adopted up the massively profitable Monster Hunter World with the large-scale growth, Iceborne, and to at the present time it stays our second-favorite Monster Hunter expertise in your complete sequence. Iceborne’s huge new marketing campaign and lengthy checklist of hunts makes it really feel like a correct sequel to World somewhat than simply an growth.

The Guiding Lands – a hodgepodge of earlier zones mashed collectively – created a wholly seamless expertise that felt like a spotlight reel of all the most effective elements of Monster Hunter World in a single space. It additionally added numerous quality-of-life enhancements to what was already the most effective video games within the sequence.

But it surely was Iceborne’s new monsters that basically caught with followers, and Savage Deviljho, Velkhana, and Fatalis are thought of by many to be a number of the finest monsters in any recreation within the sequence. Certainly, Iceborne may’ve made it to the highest spot on this checklist if it wasn’t for the unique recreation that got here earlier than it…

1. Monster Hunter: World

2018’s Monster Hunter: World kicked off a worldwide frenzy for Monster Hunter like no different recreation within the sequence. After years of primarily being a handheld recreation and labeled with the caveat “Huge in Japan”, World introduced the sequence again to its console roots on PlayStation and Xbox, and rocketed it to a wholly new viewers.

Monster Hunter: World’s basis was rock stable as a result of it supplied gamers a number of the largest open zones within the sequence and emphasised the pure pleasure hunters have whereas monitoring and looking huge monsters. Certainly, it’s Monster Hunter: World’s sense of scale that units head and shoulders above its friends. Whether or not it’s seeing a Rathalos swooping down and flying away with a weakened Anjanath, or witnessing a Diablos burst in in your hunt, Monster Hunter: World didn’t simply create a wide ranging setting to mess around in, it made you’re feeling such as you had been in the course of a complicated ecosystem of apex predators all preventing for supremacy.

From the dense jungle to the excessive cliffs of the Coral Highlands, exploring World’s various environments felt like touring the globe, bolstered by distinctive monsters designed to completely praise its environment. There’s a sense of place for every little thing, together with the endemic life that makes Monster Hunter: World virtually like a nature documentary, besides, y’know, enjoyable. What’s extra, Monster Hunter: World’s story was given a a lot wanted facelift due to top quality cutscenes made potential by working on extra highly effective dwelling consoles, which solely added to the good sandbox world.

So World will not be solely vital for each followers of Monster Hunter and newcomers alike, however it’s an all-time nice online game interval.