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One of the greatest feelings when playing any video game is when a player defeats a difficult, incredibly large, or even towering boss. But what if that feeling could happen more often than the end of every level? In fact, what if the point of the game was to hunt these monster-sized bosses? Well, there is a genre of games that focuses on battling bosses and hunting large beasts during the whole game rightfully titled, monster hunting games.
- Shadow of the Colossus (2005)
One of the most jaw-dropping experiences of the late 2000’s was the game “Shadow of Colossus.” The main character of the game, Wander, seeks out to destroy the many sentient stone beasts with the blade of his sword to take their energy and save the maiden, Mono. The beasts of this game range in size, but all are larger than Wander, making the threat seem that much greater. The scale of this game is also large due to the monsters’ sizes, the player can feel so tiny and fragile compared to the monsters, making the feeling of defeating the beasts that much more rewarding.
- Dragons Dogma (2012)
Ever had a dragon steal your heart, leave you for dead, then become your prey? “Dragon’s Dogma” gives the player this experience, as the player character must hunt and prepare for defeating this dragon. This game has some of the best RPG mechanics to date and has become one of the most famous monster hunting games. Chimears, hydras, griffins, and more can be hunted in this game, and each one makes the player feel that much closer to getting to fight against the dragon.
- Toukiden: Kiwami (2014)
When Japanese demons, or Oni, begin to appear in the world, warriors, also known as Mononofu, are sought out to hunt these demons and slay them. With a medieval Japanese theme, this game has a lot of culture and uniqueness to it. The demons in this game are distinct in both design and scale, making the player feel threatened by their appearance. With many weapons, armors, and skill sets, this game shows just what it would feel like to have the title of demon slayer.
- God Eater 2: Rage Burst (2011)
When the world is brought to its knees by the Aragami, a special division of monster killers called the God Eaters rise up with their giant weapons in hand to defend what’s left of the human race. “God Eater 2: Rage Burst” has an anime-rich theme, due to this franchise doubling as an anime series. Customizing their weapons and avatar, the player can then pick a team of characters to go out on missions with them. With the addition of “blood arts,” a mode that gives the players a broader attack bonus, this game does its best to deliver one of the best monster hunting games.
- Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (2013)
This game franchise is the prime example of the Monster Hunter game genre, as these games test player’s skills to dodge monstrous attacks and find openings to unleash their own attacks. By planning new strategies to break off specific pieces on the monsters, the player can make better armors and weapons. But what makes “Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate” better than past installments of this franchise? That is the new mechanic of being able to mount the monsters by jumping off ledges and cliffs. Nothing feels more satisfying than getting onto the back of a tough monster and knocking it down to the ground to get more hits on it.
While the monsters in the other games on this list look unique, the ones in the monster hunter games have unique ways in fighting, unique patterns and sub species, and have such creative designs that tie in with their elements. With the customization, side games, and large amount of replayablility and encouragement to play online with friends, these games are still the top dogs in the monster hunting genre.
Monster hunting games are a very small genre for now, but many have already felt the thrill of the hunt and want more. With sword, hammer, lance, or gun in hand, hunters heed the call to these games to prove their skills at hunting, taking down large beasts, and disproving the odds of size.
