While Monster Hunter hasn’t approached Final Fantasy or dare we say it, Kingdom Hearts, levels of confusing, the franchise has spawned several off-shoots. There’s enough content (and plenty of monsters) to satisfy even a veteran hunter, but what about Monster Hunter’s best games? Don’t worry, we have you covered. Gamer Journalist has compiled the definite ranking of the Top Ten Monster Hunter games in the series.
Top 10 Monster Hunter Games, Ranked
For those who didn’t know, Capcom has made a whopping 23 different Monster Hunter games. While they’ve only made six games in the main series, there are a lot of spin-offs to consider when deciding on the franchise’s best offerings. While all of these 10 games we’ve ranked can be considered the best, only one can be the series’ crowning achievement.
10: Monster Hunter
Monster Hunter is the game that started it all. A marvel for its time, we have to give credit where credit is due. Monster Hunter changed the scene when it came out on the PlayStation 2 in 2004, but the series has produced better games since then. The story and mechanics may have moved on since the original game, but Monster Hunter’s first installment will always hold a special place in our hearts.
9: Monster Hunter Freedom
Monster Hunter Freedom is from what fans consider the freedom series based on one of the spinoff games called Monster Hunter G. This game was made in mind for handheld players, mainly for PSP players. In this game, Capcom decided to start adding extra features like new monsters and quest types. According to a lot of fans, this handheld version ran smoother than the PlayStation 2.
8. Monster Hunter Stories
This game is a spin-off of the main series that came out for the 3DS in 2016. This game takes a completely different turn than all of the Monster Hunter games. The reason why is because in this game instead of fighting the monsters you befriend them and become a rider. This game also took a turn in gameplay as well by becoming a turn-like based battle game. A lot of fans specifically liked this is on because it gave a new fresh take on the story. It did so well that the sequel called Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, was released on July 9th of 2021.
7. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is a game mostly underwater and included some features like underwater combat which had the fans a bit apprehensive when it came it out, but they loved all of the new improvements that were made. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate was later released as an enhanced version for the Wii u and 3DS in 2013.
6. Monster Hunter Freedom Unite
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is an upgraded version of Monter Hunter Freedom 2 adding more monsters, missions, equipment, and the beginnings of the favorite companion of all the time, the Palicos. They also made a decent number of improvements to enhance the game which of course fans loved. This game was originally released for PSP in 2008. Then later released again for iOS in 2014. A lot of fans say playing on IOS was a whole different experience than playing on the mini handheld console. They’ve made it sound so interesting that we decided to see if it was still on the app store. Sadly, it’s not.
5. Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate is a spin-off title that gave the audience a fresh new look into the game by allowing fans to play as the Palicos. This game featured fan-favorite monsters and some new monsters as well. Since adding new monsters, you have to add new pieces of armor to craft. Which made a lot of fans fall in love this game. Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate originally came out on the 3Ds in 2016 and then an enhanced version came out in 2018 for the Nintendo Switch.
4. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is considered to be an enhanced version of the Japanese exclusive version of Monster Hunter 4. The ultimate version was released on the 3ds in 2013. It was also the first version of Monster Hunter that had a fully functioning online multiplayer. It also excited the fans by having more smooth battle mechanics and exploring capabilities for the players. To fans, this was labeled as the best game in the series. But we moved on as things have only gotten bigger and better.
3. Monster Hunter World: Iceborne
Monster Hunter Iceborne is an expansion pack of the most recent Monster Hunter games (Monster Hunter World). This expansion pack gave players a whole new region, and monsters, even monster variations to explore. This expansion pack has as much material as the main game did which made the fans and critics fall in love. While being part of the fans who joined in when World came out. Iceborne is super easy to play and fall in love with. It has as much as World that I’m still trying to complete the story mode to this day. Monster Hunter Iceborne was released in 2019 for the Xbox One and PS4 and later released for the PC in 2020.
2. Monster Hunter Rise
Monster Hunter Rise is currently the newest game in the series that was hoping and has built the same success of World. So, in this game, it has kept all of the changes that Monster Hunter World has brought to the series. It also keeps things new and fresh for it to appeal to recurring fans and new players. Rise has added a lot of new features to the franchise including an addition to the cute companion group. The new companion is known as Palamutes, a dog-like animal that lets the player ride during missions. So, you don’t have to put up with finding a jagar to ride. Monster Hunter Rise was released on March 26th,2021 for the Nintendo switch. There is current talk about it being released for PC and console.
Related: Top 5 Best Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Dual Blades Builds
1. Monster Hunter World
Monster Hunter World is the second newest game in the series being released in early 2018 to consoles and later on PC. World was met with joyous smiles from fans and critics because it was able to keep the balance of staying true to itself and advancing gameplay to make it easier to bring in new players. Another thing fans were very ecstatic about was what they called “loading zones’ that were in previous games. In previous games before you can go into the next part of the world. While in World everything flows smoothly and is all connected. Monster Hunter World is the game that brought in most of the new fans. New fans that are here to stay.
There you have it! The top 10 games in the Monster Hunter Series. The way that this list is ranked is by critic and fan approvals. I hope you lovely fans and faithful readers enjoyed this list. Don’t forget to take a look at our other Monster Hunter stories. If you’d like to know more about the lore of the Monster Hunter games, check out this page. Happy Hunting!
Published: Jul 12, 2022 11:50 am