Monster Hunter has a legacy that traces far back before 2022’s Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak. The array of games that predate Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak may encompass a long history across multiple localizations, but only some games are worth seriously digging into.
There may have been several spin-offs over the years, but the mainline games and their respective portable entries have always defined the core of Monster Hunter as a series. Games like the MMO entry Monster Hunter: Frontier deserve honorable mentions regardless of changes to the formula, but there have been several key entries across each of the five generations of the franchise.
S Tier
Monster Hunter 3: Ultimate (2011) - Monster Hunter 3: Ultimate featured some of the best iterations of huge aspects of the series. The spectacle of the Jhen Mohran siege and other icons of the franchise like Brachydios and Dire Miralis make this game extremely memorable despite the console it belongs to.
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite (2008) - The end of Monster Hunter’s second generation, Freedom Unite is essentially the G-Rank expansion to Freedom 2. Despite its lack of accessibility, Freedom Unite is nothing short of a legendary entry in the series that saw the first appearance of Nargacuga.
Monster Hunter 4: Ultimate (2014) - One of the most narratively rewarding experiences, Monster Hunter 4: Ultimate’s unfortunate status as a 3DS exclusive doesn’t stop it from occupying the top tier. If this game ever were to receive a remaster on modern consoles, it could easily climb even higher.
Monster Hunter Generations: Ultimate (2017) - Also known as XX (“Double Cross”), what this game lacks in conciseness it makes up for with its sheer quantity of content. As Generations: Ultimate is on Nintendo Switch, this game holds the distinction of being the only title in S Tier that is actually readily available for purchase right now.
A Tier
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak (2022) - The most recent entry in the franchise, Sunbreak brings the current era of Monster Hunter closer to the standard of its best games. While the base game of Rise may have ended up relying on several title updates to feel truly complete, its G-Rank expansion’s introduction of monsters such as Garangolm and the flagship Malzeno make it a heavy hitter even among the classics.
Monster Hunter 2 (2006) - The best of the franchise to many hardcore fans of the original entries, Monster Hunter 2, also known as Monster Hunter Dos, has the most depth to its survival mechanics. It may not appeal to some newer players, but those who appreciate the slow-paced, simulation side of Monster Hunter will find this to be the most satisfying entry by far.
Monster Hunter Portable 3rd (2010) - Between the introduction of the iconic Yukumo Village hub world and Zinogre, Portable 3rd is remembered fondly by fans of the series’ third generation. Despite the quality of its presentation at the time, its status as a Japan-exclusive that only goes up to High Rank also ultimately holds it back.
Monster Hunter 4 (2013) - The first story-focused game in the series, the narrative centered on Gore Magala’s Frenzy virus completely changed the style of the games moving forward. Succeeded by its G-Rank update that also provided a global release, Monster Hunter 4 is forever exclusive to both Japan and the 3DS.
Monster Hunter Tri (2009) - Tri made a lot of controversial changes including a brand-new cast of monsters to replace most of the older ones at the time. It may have had some unwelcome changes, but it also primed the franchise for a deeper narrative focus.
Monster Hunter Rise (2021) - Blending the older style of the series with the new, fifth-generation take on the formula, Monster Hunter: Rise redeems itself from some of the pitfalls that affected World. Rise still holds up despite being relatively easy to play through its addition of innovative concepts like the Palamutes and Wirebug movement mechanics.
Monster Hunter Freedom 2 (2007) - A solid entry, it brought the second generation to an English translation while it introduced the iconic monster Tigrex and hub world Pokke Village. While it may be succeeded by the update of Freedom Unite, the second entry for many old fans is still a strong part of history.
B Tier
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne (2019) - The G-Rank expansion of World, Iceborne improves upon its base release in every manner. Between the far better hub world of Seliana and the addition of several classic series icons like Fatalis, this update to the first fifth-generation title creates a far more promising vision of the series’ future.
Monster Hunter: World (2018) - World brought the franchise into the modern era by compromising many of the less casual-friendly aspects that had previously defined the series. A necessary step into the future, longtime fans have not been quick to forget what the massively successful Monster Hunter World left behind in its rise to more of a mainstream status.
Monster Hunter Generations (2015) - With a huge amount of content and unique monsters like Narkarkos, Generations felt like it was approaching the peak of the older style of Monster Hunter while still lacking G-Rank. Without the additions present in its eventual update, however, Generations is in a weird place as an exclusive to the 3DS.
C Tier
Monster Hunter Freedom (2005) - Essentially the PSP version of Monster Hunter G, Freedom is also known as Portable in Japan. While it added even more features on top of the update that was G, there wasn’t much more that could have expanded the first generation at this point. The introduction of farming would be major for the future of the series, but a somewhat silly monster like Yian Garuga is hardly a strong selling point.
Monster Hunter G (2005) - The largely forgotten follow-up to the original game, Monster Hunter G was the first introduction of G-Rank. While it may seem a bit bare-bones in a modern context, G’s addition of several new challenging subspecies made it a great Japan-exclusive PS2 title.
Monster Hunter (2004) - The original’s place as arguably one of the worst in the franchise is a great sign of the series’ growth since this game is by no means awful. Capcom’s first foray into what would become its own genre, the first Monster Hunter is just quite simple when compared to the likes of World and even Dos.
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.