Summary
- Monster Hunter Rise combines classic gameplay with quality-of-life changes from World, such as the Wirebug and Palamute sidekick.
- Monster Hunter World's success exploded the franchise in the West, simplifying core mechanics while adding new monsters and accessibility.
- Monster Hunter Stories 2 offers a more polished Pokemon-esque gameplay with a diverse roster of monsters, appealing to non-fans.
Starting humbly as a hidden gem from Japan, Monster Hunter has slowly grown in popularity since its success on the 3DS and Wii U, only bolstered by the release of Monster Hunter: World, which brought a whole new crowd to what was once a niche grind-em-up boss bananza.
Welcome to Monster Hunter - Presented by Daisy Ridley
Daisy Ridley gives audiences a ten-minute dive into the Monster Hunter universe, just in time for the February 2025 release of Monster Hunter Wilds.
For a lot of players, World is their first encounter with the series, while others have been around since the 3DS days, and some even longer with the archaic Playstation releases and PSP breakouts. Regardless of where players fit in, there's a lot to love about the franchise, and a pretty big backlog of under-the-radar games that deserve a lot more love than they found on initial release.
Updated March 17, 2025, by Blaise Santi: Monster Hunter Wilds has been out for nearly a month, giving players both old and new to dive into the grind of hunting monsters and crafting gear online with their friends. It's about time we look at how the new game stacks up against the previous entries in the franchise, as many of its quality-of-life changes and innovations may attract new fans as much as they could be alienating to longtime devotees of Monster Hunter. Whether you first heard of Monster Hunter when Monster Hunter World took the gaming world by storm in 2018, or you've been around since the early days on PlayStation, here's everything you need to know about the series' ranking from worst to best.
16 Monster Hunter Dynamic Hunting
Hunt On The Go, But Not For Long
|
Platform(s) |
Android, iOS |
|---|---|
|
Released |
June 1, 2011 |
|
Developer(s) |
Capcom |
|
Genre(s) |
Fighting |
This is as primitive as the Monster Hunter franchise has ever been, debuting on iOS and Android in 2011. The familiar gameplay mechanics are much more limited in Monster Hunter Dynamic Hunting: players choose a monster to hunt, tap the screen to attack, block, and evade, and defeat them to gain items and gold, then move onto the next monster.
Some critics felt the game suffered from poor controls and execution of what would otherwise be an interesting concept. Thankfully, the Monster Hunter franchise has had more successful attempts at transitioning to smartphones in recent years, while Dynamic Hunting is not even available to download anymore through legitimate means.
15 Monster Hunter
The Franchise Had A Long Way To Go
Monster Hunter
- Released
- September 21, 2004
- ESRB
- Teen // Blood, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
The original beast was obviously a bit of a hard sell for new audiences, seeing as this is the first installment in a famously hard-to-master series. However, it also introduced a lot of future staples of the series, from 7 of the eventual 14 weapon types to iconic monsters like the Rathian, Rathalos, Khezu, and Diablos.
With its intense gameplay loop, often clunky controls, and big-time-grind, it's no surprise that the first entry has its fair share of quirks to work out. Nonetheless, the game has an undeniable charm, and revolutionary mechanics and animations for something of its era.
14 Monster Hunter Freedom
The Series Has Always Worked On Handheld
Monster Hunter Freedom
- Released
- August 7, 2006
- ESRB
- Teen // Blood, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation Portable
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Fighting, Shooter, Hack and Slash
Monster Hunter Freedom was the series' first installment on a handheld console, the PSP, which made a huge difference when it came to the games' most core component: multiplayer. The series is now known for highlighting fellowship over all else, bringing players together to hunt the seismic beasts with unadulterated cooperation and team chemistry, and Freedom was the start of that.
Monster Hunter: Strongest Monsters (That Aren't Elder Dragons)
Elder Dragons may be tough, but there are other monsters that can be just as tough to take down.
The handheld aspect was a huge influence on this concept, allowing players to bring their consoles with them to group up with friends on the go, without needing to configure complex servers or LAN parties. However, it still remained a primitive iteration of the future best-selling video game franchise.
13 Monster Hunter Freedom 2
It Improves Upon Its Predecessor, But Not By Much
Monster Hunter Freedom 2
- Released
- February 22, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation Portable
- Genre(s)
- Hack and Slash, Adventure
The sequel to the handheld title Monster Hunter Freedom only proved to enhance the experience of the original, bringing more content to the game's classic formula. The PSP game builds on the PS2's Japanese exclusive version, adding over 50% more content, with 100% of the addictive gameplay the series was becoming known for.
While still relatively low on the critics' list, the Freedom games remain fan favorites, some still finding ways to play with friends over emulators and ad hoc servers.
12 Monster Hunter Now
A Proper Mobile Monster Hunter Game
Monster Hunter Now
- Released
- September 14, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
As far as the franchise's survival on smartphones goes, Monster Hunter Now is simple but nevertheless addictive. The AR game takes real-life map data from players' phones to allow fights against monsters that appear. It's like if Pokemon GO allowed players to simply just fight monsters rather than catch creatures, which is to be expected given that it comes from the same company, Niantic.
Given how much simpler it is than the mainline series, there's only nine of the traditional 14 weapon types, but an astounding 40 different monsters that players can encounter. If players are a fan of the world of Monster Hunter, this is the best way to take it on the go (aside from its Switch installments).
11 Monster Hunter Tri
It Has One Glaring Flaw, But A Lot To Love
Monster Hunter Tri
- Released
- April 20, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Wii
The first on Nintendo consoles, Monster Hunter Tri was released on the Wii in 2010, the first since the original to launch exclusively on a home console. Tri brings players a living, breathing coastal ecosystem, with new creatures and mechanics to challenge hunters with their AI companion, Cha-Cha, an alternate take on the Felyne companions the series was used to.
Between hunting and trapping, players can join a friend for split-screen co-op, or up to three others online through Nintendo's servers as they confront some of the most creative and crafty monsters yet. It's far from the most accessible entry in the series, but it remains an innovative entry in the iconic series.
10 Monster Hunter Stories
This Monster Hunter Looks A Lot Different
Monster Hunter Stories
- Released
- October 8, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Capcom, Marvelous
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS, PC, Android, iOS
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Action-Adventure
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Monster Hunter Stories was a point of tension for a lot of players, seeing how absolutely different it is from the rest of the franchise. The series, while cute in its own moments, was never known for being particularly vivid in its presentation. This venture provided an adorably simplified look into the universe, somewhat more akin to Pokemon rather than the traditional dragon-slayer style.
Despite its lack of appeal to Monster Hunter series veterans, Monster Hunter Stories is still regarded by many as one of the best games on the 3DS, if not the franchise as a whole. For players that have ever desired to fight alongside the monsters of the series rather than hunting them down, then this RPG title is a dream come true.
9 Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
It's More Accessible And Addicting, But Still Niche
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
- Released
- April 20, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Wii U
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
The first of the Ultimate era, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate was also the first game to return to the handheld formula, releasing on the 3DS and Wii U and continuing the series' Nintendo exclusivity. As a result, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate was a first for a lot of players who might haven't heard of the series until its new advertising campaigns and more accessibility compared to the Wii's controls.
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate had an interesting islander charm, challenging both expert players and Tri returners with new underwater monsters, swimming mechanics, and a bigger-than-ever roster of beautifully designed monsters and weapons in the new coastal-themed environment. However, some have chosen to forget about the difficult and often frustrating underwater mechanics.
8 Monster Hunter Generations
A Tribute To The Series' Past
Monster Hunter Generations
- Released
- July 15, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo 3DS
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Monster Hunter Generations was the 3DS-exclusive predecessor to Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate, and as a result, takes a lower spot on this list simply for a lack of content. However, the game still deserves a ton of respect for its innovations on the classic formula, from introducing special moves called Hunting Arts, a variety of Hunting Styles, and numerous returning monsters and locations.
Additionally, this was the first entry in the Monster Hunter series that allowed players to control their Felyne companions in the all-new Prowler mode. With this new gameplay mechanic, players could even join friends online while playing as Prowlers, offering a totally new experience to the series that has yet to be outdone in more recent titles.
7 Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate
Switch Users Waited Too Long For This
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate
- Released
- March 18, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate was a bit of a disappointment for Switch owners who wanted a brand-new title in the series. Nevertheless, it's still a fantastic addition to the series, bringing the cross-generational effort to the big screen (as well as an easier-to-control handheld one), with the ability for 3DS players to transfer their save data over to this expansion pack.
Sadly, a lot of players' biggest gripe with this entry is that it wasn't the far-superior Monster Hunter World. Classic fans regard this as a Switch favorite for its accessibility and gameplay enhancements, but an equal amount found themselves frustrated with the differences in difficulty between this and World, finding it a bit more pandering to Western newcomers and PC pro gamers.