What are the best games like Monster Hunter? Fundamentally, Capcom's Monster Hunter series is all about beating bosses in large maps, all while scavenging carcasses and the world's flora and fauna for new materials to upgrade your gear.
Now that these RPG games are available on PC, we can join in on the fun and indulge in the power fantasy of launching overgrown lizards into the air by swinging a hammer the size of an elephant's hindquarters into their scaly guts. The best games like Monster Hunter do all this and more, so saddle up and follow the trail with our top picks once you've put Monster Hunter Wilds behind you.
Here are all the best games like Monster Hunter:
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
If your priorities are killing monsters and looking good while doing it, you can't do much better than The Witcher 3. Geralt of Rivia is the best monster slayer in the business - a cat-eyed and blanche-haired mutant that's not too distant from the same creatures he's contracted to kill. From bestial Striga to macabre Botchlings, Geralt puts his sword to whatever contract comes his way on the Continent, though each one is rarely so straightforward as it seems.
The Witcher 3 is one of the best RPGs of all time, period. It's CD Projekt RED's crowning achievement and the perfect choice if you're looking for a game like Monster Hunter that comes with a side-helping of moral quandaries. That is, until the Witcher 4 release date finally arrives. Already completed it? That's okay - our collection of the best Witcher 3 mods offers the perfect excuse for a new playthrough.
God Eater 3
Not content to rival Capcom in the fighting game space, Bandai Namco brought its very own monster-hunting competitor to the table with 2010's God Eater. While it hasn't risen to the same heights, this niche action game pits humanity against a mysterious horde of colossal beasts known as Aragami. A merry band of heroes known as God Eaters stands between these monsters and Earth's destruction.
Like Monster Hunter, God Eater boasts a mission structure to hunt and slay Arigami using an assortment of weapons, armor, and abilities. However, the most powerful tools in your arsenal are God Arcs, biomechanical weapons that put the power of the Aragima in your hands. God Eater 3 is arguably the best of the bunch, but Steam has the full trilogy available, so you can decide which instalment comes closest to stealing Monster Hunter's crown.
The Axis Unseen
If you're looking for a game like Monster Hunter that marries fantasy and realism, it's hard to go wrong with The Axis Unseen. This heavy metal horror game has you explore a surreal and esoteric world on the hunt for cryptids pulled straight from real-world folklore. Its handcrafted open world is five times bigger than Skyrim - a notable achievement for ex-Bethesda developer Nate Purkeypile in his debut solo project.
Pedigree aside, The Axis Unseen also takes its cue from theHunter: Call of the Wild, boasting environmental mechanics that can make or break a hunt. Wind direction, terrain, weather, and even your heart rate converge in a streak of realism that blurs the lines between predator and prey. Instead of a modern-day rifle, our erstwhile cryptid hunter is armed with a primitive bow and arrow and a utilitarian magic system, leaving you just vulnerable enough to go from hunter to hunted once a skinwalker catches your scent. You might not have a Palico trotting after you, but our The Axis Unseen preview proves this hunting game is well worth your time.
Dragon's Dogma 2
Dragon's Dogma 2 is the sequel to Capcom's other creature-slaying PC RPG series. You are the Arisen, an unfortunate victim of a dragon ripping your heart from your body - not cool. The silver lining? Your heartless disposition gives you the claim to the throne of a nearby kingdom. Unfortunately for you, there's already someone else claiming to be the Arisen, and powerful people want to keep him there.
You'll need to get a lot of practice with your Dragon's Dogma 2 vocations before you can go toe-to-claw with larger monsters like griffins and drakes. Thankfully, your trusty trio of AI-controlled pawns aid you in combat, dishing out damage while you swig a quick potion and casting spells as you clamber around a scaly hide for a weak spot to drive your sword into.
Dragon's Dogma ticks a lot of boxes if you are looking for an experience similar to Monster Hunter: an open world with an absolutely massive map; huge beasts to stab in the face; a plethora of armor and gear upgrades; and a party of armed fools to lead around. To quote our Dragon's Dogma 2 review, "strange dragons appearing out of nowhere and stealing hearts is no basis for a system of government," so get ready to slay them instead.
Hunt: Showdown
Hunt Showdown transplants the thrill of monster-hunting into a PvPvE horror game experience that will leave you wondering whether you are the hunter or the hunted. Descend into the Louisiana Bayou to eliminate the cryptids, hellbeasts, and mutants infesting the swamps and shanty towns of the Louisiana Bayou.
You'll have all the latest firepower of the late 19th Century at your disposal for your hunt, whether you prefer the reliability of a classic hunting rifle or the flexibility of an army-issue revolver and railroad hammer. However, it's not just your target you've got to watch out for. Your fellow hunters lurk in the wilderness, and once the bounty is in your possession, they'll do anything to steal it from you and collect that reward. If you're partial to FPS games and can't get enough of the thrill of the hunt, then Crytek's nightmarish battle royale might be one for you.
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak
If you want more of the same high-quality hunting experience found in Monster Hunter World, playing Monster Hunter Rise is a no-brainer. It's the best entry point to the series - according to our Monster Hunter Rise review, it "takes the tactical, challenging combat that made Monster Hunter World so exhilarating and trims the fat to make its first few hours more accessible."
There are a wide variety of new and returning monsters to fight, and each monster has a unique fighting style. Rise also introduces Palamutes, a canine hunting companion, and Wirebugs that unlock new aerial moves and special weapon attacks. It gets even better with the Sunbreak expansion, which introduces monsters inspired by European folklore and a new endgame mechanic thatgives Elder Dragons some much-needed spice. Monster Hunter Rise isn't just one of the best Monster Hunter games; it's also one of the best PC games out there right now.
Horizon Zero Dawn
What's better than hunting monsters? Hunting robot monsters, of course. Horizon Zero Dawn needs no introduction, and the remastered version's migration onto PC blows its console counterpart out of the water with higher fidelity, unlocked framerates, and ultrawide support. Our Horizon Zero Dawn review declares that "fighting any machine is the absolute high point" of its open world, so we're already off to a good start.
HZD's prehistoric futurism lends itself well to a list of games like Monster Hunter. Protagonist Aloy has a wealth of high-tech versions of primitive weapons like bows, slings, and spears that she can use to bring down the synthetic beasties that roam the ruins of the old civilization. From the inquisitive Watcher to the mighty Thunderjaw, each machine demands careful strategy to dispatch; you can take them by surprise with a barrage of heavy artillery to lure them into electrical traps or adopt a methodical approach in stealth. Whatever your approach, Horizon Zero Dawn brings the thrill of the hunt in a beautiful new setting.
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin
Okay, so this one has less in common with classic Monster Hunter games and shares more mechanics with Pokémon games, but our Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin review highlights just how hard it tries to capture the hearts of Monster Hunter fans. Sure, there are times when it feels like you're watching a Saturday morning cartoon, but Wings of Ruin stills feels like a Monster Hunter game at heart.
You and your battalion of monsties (the tamed versions of monsters) ride out into the open wilderness, fulfilling quests for locals in each of the towns, slaying monsters, and crafting new equipment for your character. Monsties can also have their genes spliced to gain new buffs, which is great if you want to give your main monstie a new trait, like being able to breathe fire. Wings of Ruin is worth giving a chance, even if you're on the fence about its cartoonish look.
Toukiden 2
Take Monster Hunter and swap out the wyverns and dinosaurs for the horrors of Japanese medieval folklore, and, hey presto, you have Toukiden. The idea in Toukiden 2 is to slay gargantuan demons known as Oni in order to protect humanity from destruction. Sound familiar?
There are so many similarities between Monster Hunter and Toukiden that, in distinguishing them, you may as well be trying to spot the difference between a Rathalos and a Rathian. Both involve hunting gigantic snotty beasts, bringing friends along for the slaughter, and upgrading your weapons and gear using resources from fallen enemies.
Why Toukiden 2 and not Toukiden: Kiwami? Toukiden 2 was made with PC in mind for the start. It's also the only open-world game in the Toukiden series, making it the equivalent of Monster Hunter: World for its respective series. That said, it's still worth picking up Kiwami to experience the enhanced version of the original game if you're itching for more.
Dark Souls 3
You might think Monster Hunter has little in common with Dark Souls 3, but hear us out. With dragon slaying, plunging attacks, and plenty of blunts and blades to specialize in, Dark Souls 3 is a decent alternative to Monster Hunter. The series is notorious for its challenging boss battles, after all. You can even cut the tails off some mighty lizards and turn them into weapons, just like in Monster Hunter.
Where Dark Souls 3 differs, however, is in its more prominent interest in worldbuilding, atmosphere, and storytelling. Your progress doesn't amount to a carved-up hide worn as a piece of grotesque armor. Instead, Dark Souls 3 metes it out through a procession of bonfires and slain bosses. There is a greater focus on learning how to conquer regions, not to mention an underlying interest in tying together convoluted plot threads between characters, locations, and item descriptions. Still, it all comes back to bosses.
Wild Hearts
After Monster Hunter's wild success on PC, it was only a matter of time until others attempted to replicate the same formula. Wild Hearts pits players against Kemono, giant beasts empowered by the elements. Our Wild Hearts review describes it as a "massively entertaining game that introduces some unique twists to the monster-hunting formula."
Wild Heart's only snag is its plethora of performance issues, and it demands a beefy PC to keep it running smoothly. However, if your rig can reach its lofty system requirements, it's well worth taking Wild Hearts for a spin. Arm yourself with ancient technology and an arsenal of frankly ridiculous weapons, then set off through Azuma to quell the Kemono rampage alone or with friends.
Destiny 2
This one is a bit of a curveball, but Destiny 2 does have its fair share of similarities to Monster Hunter. Yes, the sci-fi setting and FPS game format is worlds apart from Capcom's series on paper, but Destiny 2 has plenty of instance-based conflicts against massive aliens that can scratch the Monster Hunter itch regardless.
The MMORPG side of Destiny 2 also runs parallel to the item management and stats upgrades of Monster Hunter. You run through the same areas, popping off headshots and grabbing loot. Unfortunately, you can't cut the skin and body parts of the fallen to repurpose as armor in Destiny 2 (a real shame, as we quite fancy sporting a metallic Vex outfit), but there's Glimmer to spend, Shards to install, and Destiny Exotics to infuse.
Of course, when it comes to monster hunting nothing quite beats the latest entry in the Monster Hunter series. Our 9/10 Monster Hunter Wilds review calls it a "spectacular sequel", so prepare for your next hunt with the best MH Wilds weapons and MH Wilds armor. We've also got a full list of MH Wilds monsters to get you up to speed with the new and returning beasties.
Additional contributions by Dave Irwin.