Best Monster Hunter Games, Ranked

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home March 12, 2025 3 Views 17 Min Read
Best Monster Hunter Games, Ranked
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Summary

  • The Monster Hunter series began in 2004 for the PlayStation 2.
  • The franchise has seen popular titles like Monster Hunter: World, Monster Hunter Rise, and Monster Hunter Stories 2.
  • Monster Hunter Wilds and Sunbreak continue the series’ legacy with new mechanics and content, catering to both new and old fans.

The Monster Hunter series began on the PlayStation 2 in 2004 and has continued to enhance its legacy with ambitious sequels and spin-offs that introduce new creatures, mechanics, and better accessibility for newcomers. Monster Hunter has never been more popular than it is now, and it doesn’t seem like it’s slowing down anytime soon.

Naru holds a bow in front of her while walking through fog, a Hunter rides on a Seikret, Mason Weaver and James Conrad stand together in front of a giant skull.

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With so many different titles under the Monster Hunter banner, we thought we would look back at the franchise and the various games it has to offer. Regrettably, not every game was released in the West, but we still received some of the best in the series. Which of these awesome Monster Hunter games have you played over the years?

Updated on March 9, 2025, by Kyle Chamaillard: It’s been a minute since this list was last surveyed, so we’re revisiting it to include more information about each title and to rank recent games like Monster Hunter: Wilds, Monster Hunter Stories 2, and Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak.

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Monster Hunter

The game that began it all — Monster Hunter. It was released for the PS2 in 2004 and allowed players to take on the role of a hunter who completes various quests while they track down a variety of monsters to kill or capture. Players could obtain items from slain monsters to create better armor, enabling them to take down even bigger and better prey.

This core gameplay has survived throughout the franchise, though most sequels expand on the basics to offer up a more in-depth experience for players. Monster Hunter offered single-player and multiplayer gameplay, although monsters found solo or while offline were less valuable and much smaller than those tackled by online teams.

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Monster Hunter Freedom

Monster Hunter Freedom was based on Monster Hunter G, the Japanese-only expanded version of the original Monster Hunter. Made specifically for handheld audiences, Freedom was not a direct port of Monster Hunter G but instead based a lot of its content on the earlier game.

Additionally, new features were also introduced in Freedom, such as new monsters, new quest types, and more. This PSP version offered much smoother gameplay than its PS2 counterpart and received generally favorable reviews on release.

11

Monster Hunter Stories

Monster Hunter Stories was a spin-off title that launched on the 3DS in 2016 before arriving on other platforms in 2024. This game takes a different approach to gameplay, where instead of players becoming a hunter, they take on the role of a rider. Additionally, rather than the normal action-style battle, Stories features RPG-like turn-based battles.

A group of hunters look at a Rathalos in flight

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Instead of hunting monsters, players befriend and fight alongside them in battle. Monsters could be bred from eggs and players could customize their appearance and abilities. Though very different from the standard Monster Hunter adventure, Stories was a refreshing take on the franchise, and the game sold well on release.

10

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate

Monster Hunter 3, also known as Monster Hunter Tri, originally released for the Wii in 2010. An enhanced version titled Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate was later released for Wii U and 3DS in 2013. This title was very well received and is considered a critical and commercial success.

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate included underwater combat, which, while innovative, divided fans. Fighting monsters can be hard enough without additional tough mechanics The game also added a host of improvements and new features in comparison to the original Monster Hunter 3.

9

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings Of Ruin

Monster Hunter Stories 2 is the perfect game for anyone who wants to keep living in the world of Monster Hunter without having to do any of the actual hunting. It takes all the ideas and mechanics from the original Monster Hunter Stories and refines them to create a better experience with a great story and satisfying gameplay.

You once again play as a Rider, but this time you must team up with a woman named Ena after every Rathalos in the world goes missing. You’ll need to travel with your “Monstie” to make them stronger and uncover the truth behind this strange phenomenon. The main story alone should take you about 40 hours to complete, but there is enough side content to keep any Monster Hunter fan pleased for a long time.

8

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite originally released for the PSP in 2008, and then later released for iOS in 2014. This game was an expanded version of the PSP title Monster Hunter Freedom 2, adding more monsters, missions, equipment, and a Felyne companion. A variety of improvements were also made to enhance gameplay.

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Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate

Monster Hunter Generations originally released for the 3DS in 2016, though an enhanced version titled Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate released for Nintendo Switch in 2018. This game is considered to be a spin-off title in the series, rather than a mainline title.

Generations included a number of changes from the normal format, most notably allowing fans to play as Felynes, who until this point had only ever accompanied hunters as companions. In addition to featuring some of the well-known monsters from the series, Generations also introduced four new monsters and Deviant variations, all of which also added new series of armor for players to craft.

6

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate

The original Monster Hunter 4 was a Japan-only release for the 3DS in 2013. However, the enhanced version that was later released did come to Western shores, called Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (Monster Hunter 4G in Japan). It was released for the 3DS in 2015 and was the first handheld Monster Hunter in the West to feature fully integrated online multiplayer functionality.

On release, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate was hailed as the best game in the series so far. It offered more fluid battle mechanics and a smoother exploration of the environment for players. The game featured a new “Guild Quest” system and also focused more on the story than previous titles.

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Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak

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Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak

Similar to the Iceborne expansion for Monster Hunter: World, Sunbreak can be purchased as an add-on for Monster Hunter: Rise and includes a substantial amount of new content for you to enjoy. Featuring a new campaign, deeper gameplay, and a hoard of new and returning monsters for you to hunt, Sunbreak is massive and essential for anyone who wants to spend more time with their Palamutes.

Sunbreak launched a year after Rise, giving fans the perfect excuse to revisit the game shortly after finishing it. It’s impressive how the expansion can bring so much new content to the table without overwhelming the player, and none of it feels half-baked or unnecessary. Monster Hunter Rise is great on its own, but you’ll want to play Sunbreak to experience its full potential.

4

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is not a standalone game, but was an expansion for Monster Hunter World that offered players a brand new adventure in the Hoarfrost Region, with new monsters, features, and more. It released in 2019 for Xbox One and PS4, with the PC release following in 2020.

A split image featuring the Hunter in Monster Hunter Wilds, the cover art for Monster Hunter Stories, and a hunter in Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate.

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Iceborne went down well with Monster Hunter: World fans and critics alike, with the expansion offering almost as much content as the base game itself. Players especially enjoyed that Iceborne wasn’t just more of the same, but added in new gadgets and battle mechanics to keep the gameplay feeling fresh.

3

Monster Hunter Wilds

Monster Hunter Wilds is the true follow-up to Monster Hunter World, and it continues to push the series in a new direction with interesting mechanics that streamline some of the most compelling elements of the series. Many of these fresh ideas help Wilds feel distinct from other Monster Hunter games, but some of these changes have become incredibly divisive for long-time Hunters.

Wilds introduces mechanics that are fantastic for new players, although not well received by everyone. Riding a Seikret automatically takes you to your destination and your pouch is always full of supplies, but exploring regions to track monsters and and prepare for your adventure was a highlight in both World and Rise that is missing in this entry. Monster Hunter Wilds might take some time to grow on you, but once you’re let loose and start to fight bigger creatures, it feels just as good as ever before.

2

Monster Hunter Rise

Monster Hunter Rise launched on Nintendo Switch on March 26th, 2021, and eventually came to other platforms a couple of years later. It retains many of the changes that World brought to the franchise, such as various improvements and features that keep it accessible for new players while still appealing to longtime fans.

Rise also added a host of new features, with the most prominent one being the addition of Palamutes — canine animals that players can ride around on. Additionally, players can use Wire Bugs to travel vertically around the map. Monster Hunter Rise is a much more focused experience than World or Wilds, with beautiful locations to explore and some of the best monsters in the series so far.

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Monster Hunter: World

Monster Hunter: World released for Xbox One and PS4 in early 2018, before later releasing for PC in the same year. The game was met with critical acclaim and was particularly praised for its balance between staying true to its roots while adapting gameplay to make it more accessible for new fans. Players could adventure solo or team up via online multiplayer to take down the hardest marks.

One of the biggest changes that World brought to the franchise was the removal of “loading zones” from previous games, which were an often frustrating experience where you had to wait to move from one part of the map to the other. Instead, World offers a fully connected environment with a variety of different biomes and areas to explore.

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