10 Best Games Like Monster Hunter: Top Alternatives in 2025
For like-minded gamers who enjoy the exhilaration of a good hunt, incredible graphics, immersive maps, and classic action RPG systems that get your blood pumping, I’ve prepared ten of the best games like Monster Hunter that I’m confident you’ll enjoy just as much as I did.
Having played my first Monster Hunter game back in 2010, I was amazed at how many monsters I could fight and how cool the gear I could craft from them was.
The battles against every boss were like a separate dance – challenging to master, yet incredibly rewarding once you finally get your timings and positioning right.
Most of all, the sheer amount of content I could explore at my own pace was simply staggering, which is what drew me into the series in the first place.
Naturally, I actively sought out Monster Hunter-adjacent games from then on, and the titles you’ll see here are the culmination of my desire to capture those same thrills from way back then.
Are you after the same thing? If so, then you’re in luck. These games are the closest that’ll ever come to giving you those memorable hunts that Monster Hunter games offer, so give them a try, fellow hunter!
Jump to:
Our Top Picks for Games Like Monster Hunter
A no-nonsense, “only the best” kind of gamer, are you? Take a look at our team’s top picks for the titles we think you’ll enjoy out of all the Monster Hunter-like games out there:
- Horizon Zero Dawn (2017) – arguably the closest game to Monster Hunter in terms of gameplay loop, innovative monster designs, and just how stunning and diverse its vast open world is.
- Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen (2012) – has a sizable variety of monsters for you to hunt and features combat mechanics that share some similarities with Monster Hunter’s, such as monster climbing and a body part-based weakness system.
- Wild Hearts (2023) – a direct competitor to Monster Hunter and rocks the same hunt-craft-repeat style of play, but also does its own thing in several areas.
Didn’t like any of our picks? Well, I wouldn’t worry just yet, as I’ve prepared seven more games that are just as fun and highly recommended for Monster Hunter fans to look at below.
10 RPGs Like Monster Hunter That Let You Slay Epic Beasts
Here are the ten best games to play if you like Monster Hunter’s patented gameplay loop, combat system, monster variety, and general immersiveness – some of which rival and even surpass some of Capcom’s best Monster Hunter games in terms of popularity and overall gameplay quality.
Hot take much? Scroll down and see why I put each game on this list, and why you should play them next!
1. Horizon Zero Dawn
| Platforms | PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows |
| Release Year | 2017 |
| Developer | Guerrilla Games |
| Average Playtime | 52 hours |
When it comes to giant monsters that require skill, patience, and preparation to take down, very few monster-hunting RPGs can compete with Horizon Zero Dawn’s beautifully designed, machine-fauna hybrids.
Here, you’ll get to hunt BIG monsters and bring them down by targeting their most vulnerable body parts, demanding precise aim and strategic use of your arsenal. Its combat is more ranged-centric than in Monster Hunter, yet it’s every bit as expansive, considering this game’s diverse weapon selection.
Unlike most Monster Hunter titles, Horizon Zero Dawn is also a true open-world game where you can explore a massive, interconnected map seamlessly. It’s also backed by a great story, beautiful graphics, and a relatively simple yet engaging crafting system.
2. Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen
| Platforms | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows |
| Release Year | 2012 |
| Developer | CAPCOM |
| Average Playtime | 53 hours |
Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen lets you adventure your own way by giving you nine different classes (i.e., Vocations) you’re free to switch between mid-playthrough, as well as fully customizable companions that you can tweak according to the needs of your party.
Whether you’re into grabbing NPCs and throwing them over ledges for fun or slaughtering every monster on your way to the final boss, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen is one of the most thrilling RPG games I’d recommend to any Monster Hunter veteran.
You’ll encounter lots of epic hunts and colossal monsters here, as well as memorable NPCs (some of which you can even romance) that make this game’s well-written narrative all the more engrossing.
3. Wild Hearts
| Platforms | PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Microsoft Windows |
| Release Year | 2023 |
| Developers | Koei Tecmo Games, Omega Force |
| Average Playtime | 52 hours |
After playing Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak, Wild Hearts came just at the right time and gave me countless hours of fun while I was “patiently” waiting for Monster Hunter Wilds’ release date.
It’s a refreshing take on the monster-hunting genre that offers the same gameplay loop, strategic combat, and co-op online multiplayer experience that MH games have, but it certainly wasn’t afraid to deviate from the formula.
I particularly liked the implementation of the Karakuri System here, which allowed for more in-depth crafting than most other Monster Hunter games. With it, you can build your very own base of operations from the ground up and craft all sorts of tools, traps, and fancy gadgets that’ll help you on your hunts and make map traversal easier.
It supports crossplay (PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5), too, which makes it a great MH alternative if you like playing with your friends via co-op.
4. God Eater 3
| Platforms | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows |
| Release Year | 2018 |
| Developers | BANDAI NAMCO Studios, Marvelous, Shift |
| Average Playtime | 35 hours |
God Eater 3 will rock your world if you’re into ARPGs with exciting combat mechanics, tough bosses, and a solid story with darker themes. I’ve played one of its oldest predecessors, Gods Eater Burst, quite extensively on the PSP alongside Monster Hunter Freedom Unite way back then.
As someone who leans more towards single-player games with heavier narrative focus, I actually preferred GEB over MHFU (sacrilege, I know). Years later, I was glad to see that God Eater 3 still had the same charms, only now it has more gorgeous anime visuals, smoother combat, and streamlined crafting mechanics.
While I have more love for modern Monster Hunter games these days, getting to wield a God Arc that gets progressively stronger the more Aragami I hunt will always be a blast.
5. Toukiden 2
| Platforms | PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita |
| Release Year | 2016 |
| Developer | Omega Force, Koei Tecmo Games |
| Average Playtime | 32 hours |
Speaking of awesome-looking, powerful weapons you can upgrade, Toukiden 2′s vast arsenal of 11 different weapon types, each with their unique movesets, will surely blow you away.
Aside from its impressive weapon variety and focus on intense, melee combat, Toukiden 2 also boasts some of the best boss fights you’ll ever encounter in any monster-hunting RPG. Sure, even the tougher hunts here aren’t exactly Monster Hunter-level in terms of difficulty, but this actually works in its favor due to the way the story presents your main character.
It’s a solo-friendly game with less-gruelling, yet hype-inducing combat and – more importantly – a badass self-insert protagonist. Nuff said!
6. Final Fantasy Explorers
| Platform | Nintendo 3DS |
| Release Year | 2014 |
| Developer | Square Enix |
| Average Playtime | 30 hours |
Now that you’ve heard about all the great games that run on multiple platforms, how about one that’s console-exclusive, but is just too good to leave out despite its limited accessibility?
In Final Fantasy Explorers, not only can you hunt down some of the IP’s most iconic monsters, but your customizable main character can also transform into well-loved Final Fantasy characters such as Cloud, Squall, and Tidus through the game’s Trance Mode.
I’ve always wondered how a Squenix-style Monster Hunter game would turn out. While titles like Final Fantasy XV and Final Fantasy VII do have good monster-hunting content, Final Fantasy Explorers is still, by far, the closest Final Fantasy title to ever come close to Monster Hunter in terms of core gameplay.
7. Elden Ring
| Platforms | PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows |
| Release Year | 2022 |
| Developer | FromSoftware |
| Average Playtime | 100 hours |
If you’re looking for a different, yet still largely familiar kind of challenge as a Monster Hunter fan, then look no further than Dark Souls games – specifically, Elden Ring. It features next-gen graphics, polished combat mechanics, and a large interconnected map with different biomes that are inarguably more dreary and hostile than what you’ll generally see in Monster Hunter games.
Simply put, you’ll find the very same formula of “epic battles + tough monsters + buildsmaxxing = tons of fun” here, except Elden Ring implements magic and other fantasy-based elements in both its combat and lore, and has more mature themes consistently present in its storytelling.
8. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
| Platforms | PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, GeForce Now, Microsoft Windows |
| Release Year | 2015 |
| Developers | CD Projekt RED |
| Average Playtime | 103 hours |
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt stands proudly among the best single-player games of all time. Its monster-centric elements closely resemble Monster Hunter’s, down to all the pre-hunting preps you need to make for certain bosses, to the contract-based monster hunts you can take via subquests.
This game left such an impact on me that I recommend you play its previous installments, too, as all three games have a phenomenal story, great monster variety, and tons of content for you to explore.
Still, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is undoubtedly the best title in the series, and offers one of the best narratives any Monster Hunter fan is sure to enjoy. It’s the perfect game for all you hunters who like playing solo.
9. Monster Hunter Stories & Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin
| Platforms | Monster Hunter Stories: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS, Android, PlayStation 4, iOS, Microsoft Windows Monster Hunter Stories 2: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows |
| Release Years | Monster Hunter Stories: 2016Monster Hunter Stories 2: 2021 |
| Developers | Capcom, Marvelous |
| Average Playtimes | Monster Hunter Stories: 51 hoursMonster Hunter Stories 2: 61 hours |
Both Monster Hunter Stories & Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin are MH spinoffs that breathed new life into the series. They have vastly different core mechanics compared to the mainline titles, yet they’re the best alternatives to play if you want to delve deeper into the Monster Hunter lore.
In these games, you don’t actively seek to hunt monsters, but instead to become one with nature and its creations as a Monstie Rider.
You still get to fight monsters and collect their parts for gear crafting, of course, albeit via less intense, Pokémon-style turn-based battles. You’re also allowed to capture defeated monsters, add them to your roster, and use them for fighting and map traversal.
10. The Axis Unseen
| Platforms | Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows |
| Release Year | 2024 |
| Developer | Just Purkey Games |
| Average Playtime | 30 hours |
Any Elder Scrolls title from Bethesda Game Studios would’ve been a great addition to this list due to their excellent monster roster and classic RPG mechanics, but what about a standout monster-hunting RPG from a one-man software publisher who used to work on some of Bethesda’s most iconic titles?
The Axis Unseen is an absolute must-have for Monster Hunter fans who are also into fantastic indie games made with passion for the genre and pure artistic vision. Here, you get to track down folklore-inspired monsters and hunt them as you explore a massive, atmospheric open world.
Watch out, though, as this one’s also categorized as a heavy metal horror game, meaning you might find the monsters here a bit more…unsettling than what you’re probably used to.
FAQs
What game is most like Monster Hunter?
The game that’s most like Monster Hunter is Horizon Zero Dawn, which has the same hunt-craft-repeat gameplay loop, breathtaking visuals, and large, challenging creatures for you to hunt.
Another excellent Monster Hunter-like is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
What style of game is Monster Hunter?
Monster Hunter games are action RPGs that excel in enemy variety, gear crafting, and challenging boss fights that are best experienced via co-op.
It emphasizes the hunt-craft–repeat gameplay loop that’s set in several environmentally diverse maps with tons of interactive elements.
