Monster Hunter is an incredibly unique franchise that has a dedicated audience ready to sing its praises at the drop of a hat. It’s easy to see why, too. The Monster Hunter games are incredible and the worlds they let you explore are very immersive.
If you’ve played the original Monster Hunter, you’ll know that the game prides itself on a high difficulty level, uniquely designed enemies, and tons of customization. Games like Monster Hunter are those that combine larger-than-life boss battles with difficult gameplay meant to test players to their limits.
Even the best games run their course, though. If you’ve finished playing through Monster Hunter and you want something else to play, we’ve got you covered. Here’s the 11 best games like Monster Hunter to check out.
11. Praey for the Gods
Praey for the Gods is a lesser-discussed game that takes huge inspiration from the popular title Shadow of the Colossus. In this game, you will face off against massive enemies and will have to scale them in order to land the killing blow.
The gameplay here requires careful management of your surroundings and stamina, and each boss acts like a pseudo-puzzle. Players will need to not only figure out just how exactly to start climbing atop each boss but uncover where their weak points are as well.
Praey for the Gods shares a lot of similarities with Monster Hunter. One of the biggest joys in games like Monster Hunter comes from taking on massive, hulking beasts with little more than a blade at your disposal.
You are always the underdog in Monster Hunter, and the same is true for Praey for the Gods. It’s a fantastic game with some wonderful boss designs.
10. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Skyrim is a game that continues to provide audiences with exciting content despite it being released more than a decade ago. Playable on pretty much every console under the sun at this point, Skyrim has been rereleased so many times that there is no excuse for having not played it yet.
What is great about Skyrim is the vast open world absolutely teeming with things to do. If you’re looking for more games like Monster Hunter that give you heaps of freedom and autonomy, this is the one for you.
Players can invest thousands of hours into Skyrim without ever finishing the main quest. To this day, people are still uncovering hidden caves or new NPCs that they never encountered on any of their previous play-throughs.
Exploring the world is more than incentivized here, as even a small cave that you choose to venture through as part of a side quest may lead to a sprawling underground city! Additionally, these said side quests all have multiple different endings, which encourages repeat play-throughs of the game.
Furthermore, thanks to the various classes and abilities on offer, Skyrim is almost endlessly replayable. Playing through the game as an Archer is completely different than playing through the game as a Mage, and playing through with fire magic offers a completely different experience to ice magic.
Skyrim also has a great DLC for you to try out. And, if you somehow manage to complete everything Skyrim has to offer, there is a huge modding community for the game where the community introduces new missions, new enemies, and new abilities.
Similar to Monster Hunter, Skyrim has no shortage of larger-than-life enemies. The various dragons in particular which must be slain to acquire new shouts bear a striking resemblance to the popular Rathalos of Monster Hunter.
This is one of the most legendary open world adventure games on Steam, and if you’re a fan of games similar to Monster Hunter, you’re sure to fall in love with this game too.
9. Dauntless
Dauntless is a free-to-play co-op RPG that takes heavy inspiration from Monster Hunter.
Dauntless feels a lot more simplified than most games like Monster Hunter, though. It takes a lot of time and dedication to master or even understand all of Monster Hunter’s mechanics. Having to invest so much time into a game just to understand the basics can be a little, pardon the pun, daunting.
Dauntless is a lot more accessible to new players and, due to its nature as a free game, is a lot more accessible to those without excess income. For a free-to-play game, Dauntless offers an immense amount of content.
At the end of the day, Monster Hunter will always be the deeper game. There is far more content to be found in Monster Hunter and, once mastered, the gameplay is far more satisfying.
However, as a free alternative, Dauntless is still an amazing game. The world is beautiful, the monsters have interesting designs, and the combat feels impactful, too. It’s absolutely worth checking out.
8. Toukiden: Kiwami
Toukiden is another franchise that borrows heavily from the strong foundation found in Monster Hunter.
Gameplay is as you would expect here. You will equip gear and weaponry before venturing out into the world to slay colossal creatures more than twice your size.
The gameplay is fun and very faster-paced. Combat feels more like a traditional hack-and-slash than it does a Monster Hunter title. There are also tons of unique weapons to be found here, which switches up gameplay immensely.
Toukiden is a great alternative for those that don’t have the time to learn all the mechanics of Monster Hunter nor have the time to spend taking down some of the more difficult bosses.
7. Attack on Titan 2
Fans of the Attack on Titan series will already know about the similarities this series has with Monster Hunter. This is one of the best anime games on Steam, and it’s a must-play for anyone who wants to battle immense bosses.
For those unaware, Attack on Titan follows the life of Eren Jaeger. After the demonic titans invade his home and murder his mother, he swears undying revenge against every single titan on the planet. Eren subsequently joins the Recon Corps along with his childhood friends Mikasa and Armin, and the three work to eradicate every last titan from existence.
Attack on Titan 2, with regards to gameplay, is pretty much what fans would expect. Web-slinging, fast-paced combat against hulking titans is par for the course here.
Much like Monster Hunter, the joy of playing Attack on Titan is taking down enemies more than twice your size by utilizing the weapons and skills at your disposal.
Attack on Titan 2 does an adequate job filling in newcomers to the plot as well. Unfortunately, the game does rehash story beats from the start of the series (something also done in the first Attack on Titan game). This means that those who have already played the first game or watched the series will have to sit through several rehashes.
Still, if you love Attack on Titan and don’t mind hearing the great story multiple times, the gameplay is solid enough to justify the wait. Attack on Titan 2 is a solid game, and worth checking out if you want more games like Monster Hunter.
6. Bloodborne
Bloodborne is a FromSoftware game designed to push even the most hardcore gamers to their very limits. It’s a Soulsborne game, meaning that it’s incredibly intricate, challenging, and full of grotesque bosses to tear into shreds.
However, unlike other games like Dark Souls, Bloodborne does away with the fantasy aesthetic in favor of a more Victorian design. As such, the enemies all feel a lot more gothic as opposed to the traditional dragons and knights found in other Dark Souls games.
Monster Hunter never gets too dark, both with regards to its landscapes and its overall tone. If you want a grittier, bloodier, and much tenser game overall, Bloodborne is a great alternative to the more light-hearted vibe of Monster Hunter.
That being said, this game is not for the faint of heart. Bloodborne is a brutally difficult game, and you will die a lot. These deaths can be frustrating, but they never feel cheap. It is up to you to pick up your controller after each death and try to decipher the enemy’s attack patterns.
Bloodborne is a great game, and it’s worth checking out if you want to find games like Monster Hunter that will test your skills with every boss fight.
5. God Eater 3
God Eater 2 shares a lot of similarities with Monster Hunter. The overall game feel, mechanics, and four-player co-op will all feel very familiar.
However, God Eater feels a lot faster-paced than Monster Hunter. Action is a lot less reliant on you performing pinpoint, accurate moves, and the bosses themselves feel a lot easier to take down. This is by no means a bad thing. A complaint many newcomers to the Monster Hunter franchise have is its unforgiving difficulty.
Additionally, God Eater allows players to freely switch between ranged and melee weapons on the fly, whereas in Monster Hunter, you must select your weapon before embarking on a mission.
Both Monster Hunter and God Eater share a lot of similarities, and instead of deciding which one is better, why not just play both? Games like Monster Hunter are incredibly fun and God Hunter has some fantastic bosses to tangle with.
4. Nioh
Nioh is a franchise all about taking down supernatural and mythological monsters.
The initial game is set in a reimagined version of the year 1600. Players will follow the journeys of William Adams, a character inspired by an Englishman who became one of the only Western samurai.
In Nioh you will battle against huge monsters, just like in Monster Hunter. In Nioh, most of the enemies take inspiration from traditional Japanese Yokai.
Yokai are monsters or spirits from Japanese folklore that can take on the guise of people, animals, or worldly elements like fire or wind.
Several of Monster Hunter’s bosses are also based on Yokai. Some of these include:
- Magnamalo (Hitodama)
- Aknosom (Kasa-obake)
- Tetranadon (Kappa)
- Great Izuchi (Kamaitachi)
- Bishaten (Tengu)
- Goss Harag (Namahage)
Monster Hunter as a franchise lives and dies by the unique designs of its titular enemies. Luckily, Japanese Yokai make for great inspiratory material, and Nioh knows this just as well.
Furthermore, Nioh also allows you to do battle against humanoid enemies. These include treacherous villains like the Yukki-Onna or the Jorougumo.
For even more unique monsters also inspired by the same material used for Monster Hunter, be sure to check out the Nioh franchise.
3. God of War
Fans of the original God of War trilogy might be surprised at just how different this entry is. No longer will you be pulling off fast-paced combos as you hack-and-slash your way through a horde of enemies.
Instead, this God of War leans much more into its narrative. The game is far slower-paced, and it isn’t until you reach around halfway through the game that players will receive Kratos’ patented chain blades.
The story in this game follows Kratos as usual. However, following the death of his wife, Kratos embarks on a journey with his son to the top of the tallest mountain. There, they will spread his deceased partner’s ashes as per her last wish.
God of War has always been centered around revenge, action, and over-the-top scenarios. This more personal story is a drastic shift in tone, but one that better suits an aged Kratos. Revenge has left him hollow, and a more subdued story fits this kind of character a lot more.
Combat has also seen a shift, as mentioned previously. Now, we play in a third-person over-the-shoulder style that, while slower-paced than in previous games, is still a lot of fun.
Much like Monster Hunter, you’ll still be able to take on larger-than-life enemies, all with reference to various Greek mythology.
It’s understandable how fans of the original God of War trilogy saw this newest title as nothing but disrespect to long-term fans. However, for people who stick with it, there is truly a great game to be found here. Different doesn’t always mean bad, and we can respect the developers for trying something new.
2. Elden Ring
Elden Ring is a game that managed to deliver on every promise it made in the lead-up to its release. Not only is the game incredibly enjoyable from start to finish, but the narrative is immensely engaging, too.
Much like Monster Hunter, Elden Ring has some massive boss battles for you to take down. Similarly, the story in both of these games acts more like a conduit funneling the player to the next intense boss battle.
Monster Hunter is a game that prides itself on its difficulty. Having no health bars aims to increase the tension players feel during each boss fight. You could be one hit away from victory or one hundred.
While Elden Ring does use health bars for each of its bosses, the difficulty here is immense. Like all other FromSoftware games, Elden Ring is a Soulsborne game targeted toward a small subset of masochistic hardcore gamers.
You will die in Elden Ring a lot, and there is no shame in looking up as many Elden Ring guides as you can get your hands on. Luckily, each boss has unique mechanics that you can memorize in order to take them down.
There are tons of different endings for you to unlock each time you play through Elden Ring, making it incredibly replayable as well.
One of the strongest contenders thus far for the game of the year, Elden Ring is a must-play for any gamer looking to test their mettle.
1. Shadow of the Colossus
There aren’t many games like Shadow of the Colossus out there. The game itself is less like a traditional video game and more like a piece of interactive art.
In Shadow of the Colossus, you play as Wander on a quest to revive your deceased partner. After making a deal with a benevolent spirit, you will need to slay 16 colossal monsters in return for having your wife resurrected.
As you play through Shadow of the Colossus’ story, it becomes more and more apparent that you are the true antagonist of this game. Yes, the monsters will fight you, but only after being provoked by your own selfish actions.
Some Colossi, like Phalanx, will not attack you at all, collapsing in defeat after you brutally take their life.
The gameplay in Shadow of the Colossus is very puzzle-like. Not only do you have to manage a stamina meter in order to scale these hulking beasts, but you must find ways to discern their weak points. Defeating each Colossi feels a lot like solving a riddle.
Shadow of the Colossus has a community enthralled by its vast yet empty world. Forum posts spanning thousands of entries attempted to pick apart the game and uncover a possible 17th Colossus. This fan reaction to the game spurred the developers to include a final Easter Egg in the game’s rerelease.
Yes, things can get a little finicky at times. There are occasions in which it becomes difficult to cling to a monster. Additionally, certain bosses require you to ride on horseback, and the choppy camera is not your friend during these fights.
However, for any minuscule complaints lobbied at Shadow of the Colossus, there exist mountains of praise to counteract any negatives.
For those unaware, you could not always mount enemies in Monster Hunter. You had to bash away at them with your weapon. We can all agree that grappling with enemies was a great inclusion to the Monster Hunter series and really helped to spice up the gameplay.
If you want to try mounting an enemy ten times the size of a typical Monster Hunter boss, Shadow of the Colossus is the game for you. It’s one of the best games of all time.
