This year, the Monster Hunter franchise is celebrating its 20th anniversary, looking back on many titles before the latest installment, Monster Hunter Wilds, hits the shelves on February 28, 2025. On this occasion, we are interested in your opinion: What do you think – which is the best part of Monster Hunter?
The journey into the realm of hunters, who are on the trail of great monstrosities, began in 2004 with the first Monster Hunter. Since then, many installments and various spin-offs have joined, making monster hunting accessible on various platforms. Not all titles have been released in Europe.
In the process, the series has undergone significant development, which is why we wonder which Monster Hunter is actually the best and what makes it so special. Therefore, we are asking you now! We are mainly interested in the titles that have been released in Europe. We have also excluded the spin-offs from our survey. Feel free to let us know in the comments why you particularly like your favorite part or which part you found particularly gruesome.
Here you can see some impressions from our studio tour in Japan:
The Games of Monster Hunter at a Glance
To indulge in nostalgia and perhaps help some of you remember, we have compiled a brief overview of all the titles:
- Monster Hunter
The very first Monster Hunter was released in 2004 in Japan for the PlayStation 2 and then in Europe in May 2005. Even the first installment offered multiplayer for up to 4 hunters, which was discontinued in January 2008. Back then, you could hunt 13 small and 17 large monsters. There were only 7 weapons: Great Sword, Sword and Shield, Dual Blades, Hammer, Lance, a light and a heavy crossbow. Rathalos was the main monster in this part, laying the foundation as an icon for Monster Hunter. - Monster Hunter Freedom
Freedom was released in Europe on May 12, 2006, for the PlayStation Portable. Rathalos was also the flagship monster here, which could be hunted with the same 7 different weapons. It came with numerous new large and small monsters. The Kokoto Farm was introduced as the first farm in the series, where you could grow and collect materials. You could also embark on treasure hunts in the form of coop quests with a friend. - Monster Hunter Freedom 2
The next installment for the PSP was released on September 7, 2007. For the first time, you could also go into battle with a Great Sword, a Gunlance, a Hunting Horn, and a Bow. Alongside other new monsters, Tigrex entered the scene as a new flagship monster. Additionally, there was a hunting area in the snow for the first time. Treasure hunting could also be done alone for the first time, and Akantor became a dragon elder and final boss that stood in your way. It was also the first time to participate in event quests, and a farm was again available in the form of the Pokke Farm. - Monster Hunter Freedom Unite
Freedom Unite could be played on the PSP from June 26, 2009. You could look forward to Nargacuga as the flagship monster. The new installment also brought along fresh behaviors and attacks from the other monsters. For the first time, you could store each material up to a quantity of 99, and you could save up to 20 equipment sets, which made life significantly easier for many hunters. The Pokke Farm was revamped, and the best part: You could finally take Felynes with you on your travels! - Monster Hunter Tri
With Monster Hunter Tri, the franchise made its way to the Nintendo Wii on April 23, 2010, bringing with it a completely new way of control. If you did not want to, you could also play with a Classic Controller Pro. For the first time, it was also possible to play cooperatively with split-screen.
This installment also featured the infamous underwater battles with the new flagship monster Lagiacrus, which frayed a few nerves but was somehow still fun. Additionally, there was a new companion called Cha-Cha that you could take on quests. New weapons introduced included the Switch Axe and the Medium Bowgun. It was also possible to assemble a bowgun from various parts. - Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate brought underwater battles as an expansion to Monster Hunter Tri on March 22, 2013, for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. With Brachydios and the Azure Rathalos, hunters encountered two flagship monsters in this installment. It was possible to play locally with a Wii U and up to three 3DS devices. The Fog Peak and the Rotting Sea were also added as new areas. However, the Medium Bowgun was removed, as well as the ability to assemble one yourself. - Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
On February 12, 2015, you could get started with Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate on the Nintendo 3DS and 2DS. With the new weapons Insect Glaive and Charge Blade, you could face the flagship Seregios, uniting all 14 weapons available to this day. Apex monsters made their appearance due to a mysterious illness and were significantly stronger than their healthy counterparts. Players could also become infected by the virus and had to get rid of it. For the first time, the Dunes, the Plarfeld, Castle Schade, and the Trap Grounds could be explored. - Monster Hunter Generations (Ultimate)
As the last Monster Hunter for the Nintendo 3DS, Generations was released on July 15, 2016, and received an updated version with expansions through G-ranks for the Nintendo Switch on August 28, 2018. Here, hunters faced 4 flagship monsters in the form of Astalos, Gammoth, Mizutsune, and Glavenus, while Generations Ultimate awaited you with Valstrax and Bloodbath Diablos. Felynes were again your loyal companions and could also be played. - Monster Hunter: World / Iceborne
In 2018, the most successful installment of the series was released with Monster Hunter World, along with its later expansion Iceborne. World was the first title to be released simultaneously for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC (though not at the same time). You could again hunt with up to four other players here. You would face Nergigante and Velkhana, two particularly dangerous Elder Dragons.
As part of a research commission, you explore the “New World” using Scoutflies. Other new features include the Clutch Claw, which sparked some discussions, and the Sling, with which you could distract monsters or fire a grappling hook to move around. Or you could climb on monsters and make them run into walls. The cute Felynes (Palicos) also returned to accompany your adventure. - Monster Hunter Rise / Sunbreak
Monster Hunter Rise is the latest installment in the series and was released on March 26, 2021, for Nintendo Switch. Here, you could face the flagship Magnamalo and take a loyal Felyne (Palico) and for the first time a mount in the form of the dog-like Palamute. The title was later released for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation. On June 30, 2022, the title received a comprehensive expansion with Sunbreak, introducing Malzeno as a flagship monster.
MyMMO editor-in-chief Leya had already had the opportunity to take a look at Monster Hunter Wilds for 7 hours. Afterwards, she also had the chance to talk to the developers about some questions. A monster was also mentioned that does not seem to be very popular with you, which Leya absolutely cannot understand: Because you were mean to the Rompopolo in Monster Hunter Wilds, his designer was saddened, and that is not okay
