While the Monster Hunter series may not have become as huge outside Japan as some of Capcom's other properties such as the Resident Evil franchise, it remains a huge and widely loved series in its own right. Action RPG gameplay that revolves around taking down fearsome monsters, often while working as a team with other players, has proved to be a winning formula throughout the years.
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The Monster Hunter series has been one of the more consistent game franchises, with fans already knowing what to expect from the long-running series, but some of the titles have been ranked a lot more favorably by critics than others. Metacritic makes it easy to see which Monster Hunter games have risen to the top, and been met with universal acclaim.
Monster Hunter Stories (3DS) - 79
Despite the Monster Hunter name, Monster Hunter Storiesfor the 3DS features very different gameplay from the main series titles and allows the player the opportunity to befriend monsters rather than just hunt them down. The game features turn-based gameplay which is another big departure from the ARPG combat that has defined the series.
The game also allows players to hatch monster eggs, and customize their monster's appearance to their liking. Though this is a little jarring, Monster Hunter Stories is a charming spin-0ff and the user score of 8.2 on Metacritic highlights the title's simple appeal for fans looking for a lighter experience in the same universe as the Monster Hunter games.
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Switch) - 80
The Monster Hunter series debuted on the Nintendo Switch with this HD port of the expanded re-release of Monster Hunter Generations for the 3DS. The expanded version brings a good deal more content than the original but, though the battles looked more epic than ever, the gameplay remained largely the same.
Whilst this is perfect for fans of the older Monster Hunter games, some players may find it archaic compared to the intuitive combat of the newer titles. The game also satisfies old fans by featuring most of the series' previous monsters back in all their original glory and wrapped up in a satisfying action RPG package.
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings Of Ruin (Switch) - 81
The follow-up to Monster Hunter's charming spin-off for the 3DS, Wings of Ruin brings the fun of raising and befriending monsters to the Nintendo Switch in the second Monster Hunter Stories game. JRPG fans will enjoy the rich story, memorable characters, and simple but surprisingly deep gameplay mechanics, all taking place in the Monster Hunter universe.
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Monster Hunter Stories is also the most recent title in the series, so fans of the main series' games who are missing the universe now have a great opportunity to explore the world in a completely different way, forming strong connections with monsters and working together to take on the game's challenges. Wings of Ruin is good value for its solid critic rating of 81 on Metacritic.
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (Wii U) - 82
Though the console is mostly remembered for its relative lack of content, there are plenty of Wii U games that are still fun to playand one of these was the enhanced edition of the third game in the Monster Hunter series. The game delivers on everything a player should expect from a traditional Monster Hunter title, with sharp combat, tons of options for customization, and a rich world with great visuals.
The Ultimate edition brought revised HD graphics and also allowed the player to import progress from the 3DSeditionof the game. It also brought newgameplay including underwater combat, as well as reintroducing the series' iconic "G rank" for hunters who are a cut above the rest.
Monster Hunter Tri (Wii) - 84
Also known as Monster Hunter 3, Monster Hunter Tri developed on the foundations of an already successful series while also managing to breathe new life into Monster Hunter at the time of its release. Thankfully, though online servers for the game have sadly shut down, the game holds up well even now.
The game begins with the player assigned to help a small fishing village called Moga which has been threatened by the wildlife of a local island. The player does this by using their monster hunting skills to collect materials and capture monsters in order to help the village grow. Completing hunts is satisfying and reflected in the game's favorable review score of 84, as well as a high user score on Metacritic.
Monster Hunter Generations (3Ds) - 85
Though it is often considered as a spin-off title to the mainline Monster Hunter games, Monster Hunter Generations is a surprisingly weighty offering that brings in plenty of new features. The gameplay doesn't stray too far from Monster Hunter tradition but adds in new combat styles and special attacks to keep things interesting.
With 14 weapon types in total and over a hundred different kinds of monsters, Monster Hunter Generations can claim to be one of the most comprehensive and customizable titles in the series. A prowler mode in which the player can take control ofa Felyne is also a fun addition that overall helps make this one of the best Monster Hunter experiences outside of the main series.
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (3DS) - 86
Although they largely stuck to formula with the fourth edition in the Monster Hunter series, it had a level of depth and polish, as well as a compelling story, that allowed it to stand out. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate became the first title in the series to sell over a million units outside of Japan, as reported by Capcom, and there is good reason for its unprecedented level of success in the west.
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There is a nice level of variety in the quests in Monster Hunter 4, and the game also allows the player time to simply explore the environments, which is especially nice given the enhanced graphics on the 3DS. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimateholds up well and its favorable review scores reflect its impressive feat of winning over a lot of new fans to the Monster Hunter experience.
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite (Ios) - 86
An expansion for Monster Hunter Freedom 2 made for the PSP and ported for mobile, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is the best of the Monster Hunter spin-off games and managed to get pretty much everything right. The touch controls may have taken some getting used to for players transferring from console editions, but it was intuitive enough to be worth persevering with.
Players that did persevere were rewarded with new missions, equipment types, as well as exciting new monsters to battle. The Monster Hunter Freedom games formed the first attempt to tailor the Monster Hunter experience for handheld consoles, but this was the first edition that truly brought those ambitions to life, and itbecame a fun and addictive mobile game.
Monster Hunter Rise (Switch) - 88
Released for the Switch last year to very favorable reviews, Monster Hunter Rise shows that the series can still improve and find new ways to impress fans even now. Monster Hunter Rise also compares well to other recently released RPGs, proving that taking down giant beasts alone or with friends isas fun as ever.
The game looks beautiful and, when it comes to visuals, can't be beaten by any other title in the series. The soundtrack to Monster Hunter Rise is also stunning and makes any battle feel that much more epic. By not putting a foot wrong and continuing the legacy of the series in style, Monster Hunter Rise does a lot to earn its high average critic score of 88 on Metacritic.
Monster Hunter World (PS4) - 90
Monster Hunter World remains the pinnacle of an illustrious series, keeping the hunt as thrilling as ever whilst also expanding the series in ways that had never been done before. The choice to release a Monster Hunter game on the Xbox One and Playstation 4 may have been an unexpected one, but it certainly paid off with the sheer scope as well as ridiculously good visuals of this title.
Monster Hunter World successfully opens up the series to new players but retains the variety and the addictive gameplay loop that allows players to easily pour in endless hours. A ton of new content including hard new event quests also got added with the Iceborne DLC.Monster Hunter World is the best Monster Hunter experience to date.
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