The best Monster Hunter games make the most of the series' unique premise, and few games are as adept at doing precisely what they say on the tin as Monster Hunter. Since bursting on the scene two decades ago, it's pioneered a compelling loop that has you grappling epic boss-like beasts across expansive maps to snag loot, which you then use to craft and upgrade gear in order to tackle even larger creatures. With co-op at the core, the stakes always feel meaningful. Sure, you can recognize some of these elements in games that have come after, but few have managed to nail this formula, not to mention oddball charm, that still remains very unique.
Yet with its idiosyncrasies, it's also been a series where popularity had been confined to Japan until more recent years. Given how Capcom has kept iterating with each entry, including re-releasing "ultimate" versions with even more content, to make it more approachable to newcomers, you might then assume that ranking the games would be quite straightforward. Yet some have their own unique ideas, while purists might find that more recent instalments have diluted some of the essence a bit too much. Then there's also the occasional spin-offs that provide a fresh spin on the hunting experience. Still, if you're wondering about the best place to start or which to revisit ahead of the newest release, Monster Hunter Wilds, then we've got them ranked right here.
10. Monster Hunter
Developer: Capcom
Platform(s): PS2
Release date: September 21, 2004
The first entry of the series is arguably the hardest to love and go back to. While evidently influenced by Phantasy Star Online's pioneering of online co-operative play on console, this was released on PS2 where online capabilities weren't built-in. That largely meant most players would go it alone, missing out on the game's most unique feature, before realizing that some hunts were just nigh impossible without a helping hand (or three). A difficult-to-parse control scheme, camera issues, and convoluted menus hardly helped matters. Nonetheless, the core foundations of what makes Monster Hunter are still all here, as you get better gear fashioned from fearsome monsters that allow you to take on even tougher monsters as you rise up the ranks. For those who made it online and could withstand lag issues, you could see its real potential.
9. Monster Hunter Now
Developer: Niantic, Capcom
Platform(s): iOS, Android
Release date: September 14, 2023
Basically Monster Hunter's answer to Pokémon Go, Monster Hunter Now is an augmented reality game played on your smartphone where you fight monsters as you have a walk out in the real world. It's naturally a more stripped-down affair, with hunts rarely longer than about a minute whereas in the mainline series you might take as long as 50 minutes. It does a pretty decent job of translating the core Monster Hunter loop, including hunting with others, for short bursts of fun that has visuals matching what you see in the mainline series, while it's also a lot more fleshed out than when Pokémon Go originally launched. Still, in this condensed and casual format, it's missing a lot of the depth and strategy that seasoned hunters are used to.
8. Monster Hunter Freedom
Developer: Capcom
Platform(s): PSP
Release date: May 12, 2006
Sure, Monster Hunter Freedom is essentially a port of the first Monster Hunter that includes its expanded "G-rank" mode adding even tougher monsters and challenges after the base campaign – a formula that Capcom has followed with all subsequent mainline entries. But that would undermine just what a game-changer putting the game onto the PSP was. Whereas the PS2 game's potential was lost on those who didn't have an ethernet adaptor, the PSP featured local wireless multiplayer, allowing fellow hunters to meet up and play together on their own handhelds. In Japan where playing portably was and continues to dominate, it was transformative. Unfortunately, with no online mode, it also meant you were out of luck if you didn't know anyone nearby, considering the harder missions here required assistance even more than with the original.
Learn more in our Monster Hunter Freedom review where we said the game "makes for a lot of frustrating-as-hell battles as you try to probe your enemies' weaknesses, but it's just that much more rewarding when you finally bring them crashing to the ground."
7. Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin
This month, we're diving into the latest in Capcom's long line of big beastie action RPGs, learning all there is to know about this ambitious sequel. To find our coverage, visit the Monster Hunter Wilds Big Preview hub.
Developer: Capcom, Marvelous
Platform: Switch, PC, PS4
Release date: July 9, 2021
It wouldn't be inaccurate to label Monster Hunter an Action-RPG, the series decided to explicitly spin-off into a more traditional, turn-based RPG where you play not as a hunter but a rider who shares bonds with monsters, or "Monsties" (don't roll your eyes, it's at least a little bit cute!). While the first entry on 3DS felt a bit too childish, its sequel, Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, is a significant improvement. With an anime style that takes a leaf from Breath of the Wild, and featuring more monster types from the at-the-time recent entries, this felt like a rich and well-judged side-story. Balancing a rock-paper-scissor battle system with quicktime button-mashing, it's almost as tactical and riveting as the mainline hunts. It's just a shame the Switch hardware often buckles under the technical demands, so you're better off checking it out on PC or the more recent PS4 port.
6. Monster Hunter Freedom Unite
Developer: Capcom
Platform: PSP, iOS
Release date: June 22, 2009
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite really cemented the series' strength as a portable powerhouse, though for us in the West, that's also the only way to experience it since the PS2 release, a sequel to the first Monster Hunter, never actually made it out of Japan. But with G-rank included from the off, it's the most complete package you can hope for, even though the frustratingly tedious busywork remained in between the hunts you actually came for. But this was also the entry that introduced Palicos, cat helpers who accompany you on your hunts, making the solo grind just a little more bearable. It may still be a game that was only a phenomenon in Japan, but when it sinks its teeth into you, it's hard to let go despite all the ways it can frustrate you, and became a must-have on PSP for those who loved the PlayStation handheld.
Learn more in our Monster Hunter Freedom Unite review where we said "few games demand such tedious tasks for so little reward and still keep us playing".
5. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
Developer: Capcom
Platform: Wii U, 3DS
Release date: March 19, 2013
The third main instalment is a turning point as Capcom switched development of the series to Nintendo platforms, starting with Monster Hunter Tri on Wii. However, the expanded edition, released on Wii U and 3DS a few years later, is where it's at. This version doesn't only include tougher monsters like the absolute brute that is Brachydios, but is also the series' HD debut on Nintendo's home console. Better yet, if you owned both the Wii U and 3DS version, you could even transfer your save data between the two so that you could take your progress from your living room to anywhere you wanted, perfect for meeting up with friends for tricky co-op hunts. This entry is also unique in being the first and only to include underwater hunts, though in truth they were also a massive pain.
Learn more in our Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate review where we said "its high learning curve may dissuade some players inexperienced with the series, but with enough patience and resourcefulness, you’ll be able to get through any problem and feel proud that you accomplished it."
4. Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate
Developer: Capcom
Platform: Switch
Release date: August 28, 2018
"Generations" is an apt part of this title, which essentially draws a line under the series’ legacy that Monster Hunter: World would blow apart and rebuild anew. Once again, the Ultimate edition is the definitive way to go, adding even more missions and new monsters to the roster that was otherwise more of a greatest hits package – although the flashy Hunter Arts were still a worthwhile addition to freshen up the weapon types. But even though Generations Ultimate is packed full of content to keep you busy for over 100 hours, this Switch version had the misfortune of arriving releasing outside of Japan only after Monster Hunter World had already changed the game, making it hard not to notice how creaky many of its systems feel in comparison.
3. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
Developer: Capcom
Platform: 3DS
Release date: February 13, 2014
The Western release of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate once again arrived belatedly while skipping the base game straight onto the expanded version. In any case, it felt like no expense was spared for the first exclusively handheld instalment, as at the time it was also one of the most gargantuan entries. Hunts were elevated, literally, as the game was designed with much more verticality, from new weapon the Insect Glaive allowing your hunter to vault in the air, to being able to even mount monsters. Perhaps what made this entry even more appealing for newcomers was an improved localisation effort that better appealed to a global audience, honing on the game's charms, even if you still had to put up with some old systems quirks. For one of the best 3DS games of all time, look no further.
Learn more in our Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate review where we said "the reason even the smallest reward feels like an achievement, more than most other games, is because of how every one of the game’s systems feeds into getting into it."
2. Monster Hunter Rise
Developer: Capcom
Platform: Switch, PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One
Release date: March 26, 2021
You could almost call Monster Hunter Rise a more arcadey spin-off. Certainly, compared to any other mainline entry to date, we’ve never had missions that trim out the fat and get us to the good stuff so fast. That’s down to having monsters visible on the map from the off, but also having the dependable Palamutes you can ride to catch up to your hunts in speedy fashion. Thanks to the incredible Wirebugs, verticality is even more fun as you swing yourself into the air whenever you want, which also adds new aerial skills to an already huge weapon roster. Purists might lament that it's streamlined to an extent that some of the original essence is lost, while the tower defense-style Rampage mode is a less interesting addition, but it brings so many wild ideas and a charming feudal Japan aesthetic that you couldn't call it lightweight in the slightest.
Learn more in our Monster Hunter Rise review where we said it was “a great debut for Capcom’s franchise on the Nintendo Switch, smartly providing new tools to the established arsenal like the Wirebug, and acting as a welcoming point of entry for newcomers.”
1. Monster Hunter: World
Developer: Capcom
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release date: January 26, 2018
By rebuilding the core experience from the ground-up for current-gen home consoles, Monster Hunter: World was the seismic game-changer that finally transformed the series from a distinctly Japanese phenomenon into a global apex predator. The new world's flora and fauna never felt more alive, with seamless maps no longer broken up with loading screens, while monsters, from the classic Rathalos to the new Anjanath, could even start scrapping with one another in turf wars. Most crucially was an overhaul to its core systems, as everything from gathering materials to tracking monsters to calling help from other hunters was simpler and more intuitive. Which all adds up to Monster Hunter: World being a far more approachable entry point for new players than its often intimidating predecessors. Arriving in the era of the live-service game, it's had all kinds of bizarre collaborations – you can even play as Geralt from The Witcher – not to mention the mammoth Iceborne expansion that's undoubtedly the best Master Mode/G-Rank expansion in the series to date, which just went to show everyone else hopping on the loot train just how it's done.
Learn more in our Monster Hunter: World review where we said "It manages the nearly impossible feat of taking a franchise known (and in many corners beloved) for its incredible complexity and depth and making it significantly more approachable, without in any way stripping it down or diminishing it."
What about the next game in the series? We've spent 5 hours with a new build of Monster Hunter Wilds, and it's solved basically every problem we had after playing the beta – really feeling like a Monster Hunter World 2. Or looking to set out on another adventure? We've got our best RPG games list to help you pick out what to play next.
