8 Best Monster Hunter Games Ranked: Best Titles in 2026

So here’s the real shortlist. Whether you’re brand-new or chasing crown sizes like a maniac, these are the Monster Hunter games worth hunting down (pun definitely intended).

Our Top Picks for Monster Hunter Games

Curious which Monster Hunter games actually rise above the rest? Here are our team’s top picks – three heavy hitters that sit among the most celebrated action RPG entries ever made. Great for newcomers, perfect for veterans, and guaranteed to scratch that monster-hunting itch.

Monster Hunter Wilds

ACTION RPG

Arguably the best title in the Monster Hunter series yet, offering better graphics, combat mechanics, monster AI, and character-driven plot than its predecessors.

Monster Hunter: World

ACTION RPG

The Monster Hunter series’ first breakout hit that brought it to mainstream popularity, introducing fans to streamlined hunting mechanics, better character customization, more intensive storytelling, and a massive expansion that could be considered an entirely different game.

Monster Hunter Rise

ACTION RPG

Features faster-paced, more action-packed hunts that are complemented by its superior optimization for all platforms compared to all other modern titles.

Don’t agree? Just scroll further down and see five other Monster Hunter games that made the series as well-loved as it is today, with each title making a very good case on why they should be in the top spot instead.

8 Best Monster Hunter Games for Your Next Big Hunt

What you’ll see below are the very best the Monster Hunter series has to offer – eight awesome games that are ranked based on community feedback, gameplay value, and my personal experience with the franchise, as well as the reasons why they’re worthy of their placements in any top Monster Hunter games list.

Monster Hunter Wilds

Overall Best Monster Hunter Game

• Our Score
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, GeForce Now, Microsoft Windows
• Release Year
• Average Playtime
• 40 hours
• Best Features
• Next-gen visuals, smarter monster AI, seamless cross-play co-op, streamlined QoL upgrade

Monster Hunter Wilds

, despite being the new kid on the block, has proved to be the best title in the entire series yet.

It’s undoubtedly an all-around improvement to the franchise as a whole in terms of visuals, story, map sizes, online multiplayer, and QoL features. It’s one of the best games of 2025 and is practically guaranteed at least a few nominations in this year’s Game Awards.

This game takes the number one spot in my list due to its gorgeous, modern Resident Evil-grade graphics (thanks RE Engine!), a relatively short yet well-written main storyline, and a more interactive open world compared to past titles.

Capcom might be more famous for their horror and kickass fighting games, but they sure did their Monster Hunter franchise justice with this one!

My Verdict:

Monster Hunter Wilds

feels like Capcom finally cracked the formula. The open zones breathe, the monsters hit harder, and the whole hunt flows without the old stop-and-start friction. Weapons feel weighty, traversal is smoother, and the world reacts to you instead of just hosting you. If you want the Monster Hunter experience at its biggest, boldest, and most flexible, Wilds is the one I’d recommend without blinking.

Monster Hunter: World

Best Monster Hunter Game for Modern Players

• Our Score
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
• Release Year
• Average Playtime
• 144 hours
• Best Features
• Huge living ecosystems, smooth weapon feel, co-op that actually works, steady difficulty curve that pulls new players in
• The first
• Monster Hunter
• game that was a breakout hit for the global audience is none other than

Monster Hunter: World

• – the title that arguably
• exploded the franchise to mainstream popularity
• , and is one of the
• best action RPGs

for all you adventure-seekers out there.

It’s the first MH game to feature multiple save data slots and minimized loading screens, allowing for a more action-packed and seamless gameplay. Here, you get to see returning monsters from some of the previous games, such as Kushala Daora and Teostra, which is a great nod to long-time fans of the series as well.

I also consider it the best MH game for beginners to start with. If you’re looking to start your hunting days without settling for a significant downgrade in graphics and gameplay quality compared to Wilds or Rise, then consider starting a new game on

Monster Hunter: World

first, then see how you like Monster Hunter’s patented gameplay loop.

My Verdict:

Monster Hunter: World

turned the franchise from a niche grindfest into a global obsession. The maps feel alive, the monsters behave like actual predators, and every weapon swings with ridiculous style once you get the timing down. The pacing makes it the easiest entry point for anyone jumping in today. It’s polished, generous, and it still feels incredible years later.

Monster Hunter Rise

Best Fast-Paced Monster Hunter Game

• Our Score
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, GeForce Now, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X/S
• Release Year
• Average Playtime
• 80 hours
• Best Features
• Wirebug mobility, slick vertical maps, aggressive monster behavior, smooth online hunts, deep build crafting
• While

Monster Hunter: World

• put the
• Monster Hunter
• franchise on the global map,

Monster Hunter Rise

• gave it more than enough steam to keep the hype train going, which eventually led to

Monster Hunter Wilds

• ’ record-breaking success. It’s on our list of the
• best multiplayer games

for a reason, after all.

The Wirebug mechanic featured here gave players better mobility and more options to engage a monster, allowing you to string together attack combos more smoothly and finish hunts faster than older games. This is a point of contention for lovers of the slower-paced combat that old-school Monster Hunter had. Still, I enjoyed it, and so would other fans who prefer this approach over MH’s usual slugfests.

It’s widely considered the easiest Monster Hunter game (combat mechanics-wise, at least). While I still recommend starting with

Monster Hunter: World

if you’re a newcomer to the franchise,

Monster Hunter Rise

is a better starting point if you find World’s hunts tedious.

My Verdict:

Rise is Monster Hunter with a caffeine boost. The Wirebug turns every fight into a parkour brawl, and once you learn the timing, you start flying around monsters like you’ve got somewhere better to be. The maps are built for speed, the monsters don’t wait around, and the whole loop feels tuned for players who want action right now. If you want a faster, flashier Monster Hunter that never drags, Rise is your playground.

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne

Best Monster Hunter Expansion of All Time

• Our Score
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• ☆
• ★
• Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
• Release Year
• Average Playtime
• 167 hours
• Best Features
• Master Rank monsters, brutal difficulty spikes, clutch claw mechanics, huge endgame loop, dense snowy biomes

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne

• is the expanded version of

Monster Hunter: World

• , yet most fans of the series consider it a completely separate game due to the
• massive amount of story content
• it gives you access to, not to mention the
• QoL improvements and complimentary features
• included, such as the addition of Endemic Life (basically
• MH
• ’s pet system) and the infamous Clutch Claw. Despite its expansion status, I still consider it one of the
• best adventure games

in its own right.

Now, I know some hardcore fans might crucify me for even mentioning the C-word as one of this expansion’s best features. Still, I didn’t mind the addition of the Claw and saw it as a commendatory feature for endgame content. Moreover, it showed Capcom was at least willing to try out new things with MH’s combat instead of playing it safe, which, as we saw in the titles following Iceborne, clearly paid off.

My Verdict:

Iceborne is

Monster Hunter: World

on hard mode. The Master Rank jump smacks you immediately, and the monsters feel meaner, faster, and way more unpredictable. The clutch claw adds a whole new layer to every weapon, and once it clicks, the hunts get addictively tactical. This expansion turns World from “great intro” into “serious commitment,” and the endgame grind is ridiculously satisfying. If you’re ready for the real challenge, Iceborne delivers it without apology.