Monster Hunter games are not beloved because of their story. You are here to hunt monsters, carve them up, make gear with their corpses, then go out and hunt more monsters. Anything on top of that core gameplay loop is, for most people, extra.
RelatedEvery Monster Hunter Game In Chronological Order
Monster Hunter continues to be well and alive after almost two decades. With so many titles, it can be confusing to know how to play them in order.
PostsThat said, the series has been paying more and more attention to crafting its story with each new game, and there are definitely some decent ones strewn throughout the series' 20-year history. Below, we'll take a look at a few of the Monster Hunter series games with the best stories.
7 Monster Hunter World: Iceborne
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Like Follow FollowedMonster Hunter World
Action RPG Systems OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 90/100 Critics Rec: 96% Released January 26, 2018 ESRB T for Teen: Blood, Mild Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence Developer(s) Capcom Publisher(s) Capcom Engine MT Framework Multiplayer Online Co-OpWHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALMonster Hunter World marked the beginning of a new generation of Monster Hunter, with a greater emphasis on story that can be seen in the game's cutscenes and, for the first time, voice-acted characters. However, the base game wasn't anything too special, even when considering other games in the series.
The game's expansion, Iceborne, went a bit further, and actually managed to be decent enough, with some interesting lore implications and cutscenes. Overall, both World and Iceborne are far from the best Monster Hunter stories ever told, but they are at least better than most of the rest of the series, earning its place on this list.
6 Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
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Action RPG Systems Released April 20, 2010 ESRB T For Teen Due To Blood, Crude Humor, Fantasy Violence Developer(s) Capcom Publisher(s) Capcom Engine mt framework Franchise Monster HunterWHERE TO PLAY
PHYSICALMonster Hunter 3 Ultimate delivers the Platonic ideal of a Monster Hunter story. You arrive at a village that is being disturbed by out-of-control monsters, so you are sent out to investigate. After hunting around for a bit, you discover the cause behind the disturbances, beat it, then continue on your merry hunting way.
However, what sets Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate apart from other games in the series, at least when it comes to its story, is its atmosphere and OST. These aspects, combined with the somewhat realistic depiction of animal biology as the cause for the issues the village faces, help to create an ideal world to exist as a hunter.
5 Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak
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Action RPG Systems 4.5/5 OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 87/100 Critics Rec: 96% Released March 26, 2021 ESRB T for Teen: Alcohol Reference, Blood, Violence Developer(s) Capcom Publisher(s) Capcom Engine RE EngineWHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALMonster Hunter Rise has you playing as a hunter in the village of Kamura, which is repeatedly beset by Rampages, which cause monsters to become frenzied and attack at random. Similar to World and Iceborne, Rise's base story is fairly typical for the series, but Sunbreak elevates it to a new level.
RelatedEvery Monster Hunter Spin-Off, Ranked
You know and love the mainline Monster Hunter games, but did you know there's a whole bunch of spin-offs too?
PostsThe lore surrounding the fallen Citadel, Malzeno, and the expansion's final boss, Gaismagorm, is interesting enough to bring the story from 'okay' to 'surprisingly good'. Where the base game's monsters are inspired by Japanese Yokai, Sunbreak's Three Lords take inspiration from classic Western horror monsters, like vampires and werewolves.
4 Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
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Action RPG Systems OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 86/100 Critics Rec: 95% Released February 13, 2015 ESRB T For Teen Due To Blood, Crude Humor, Fantasy Violence Developer(s) Capcom Publisher(s) Capcom Engine MT Framework Mobile Franchise Monster HunterWHERE TO PLAY
PHYSICALFor a long time, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate was widely considered to have the best story in the mainline series, but not necessarily for obvious reasons. For the most part, the game's story is fairly traditional, and the pre-World lack of voice acting and cutscenes certainly don't help its presentation.
However, what sets 4 Ultimate's story apart from the rest is its willingness to include the hunts into the story, like hunting specific monsters for their unique materials to make the airship work again, and so on. Plus, the Frenzy and Gore Magala are awesome inclusions, the lore of which has persisted to future games.
3 Monster Hunter Stories
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RPG Action-Adventure Systems OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 79/100 Critics Rec: 68% Released October 8, 2016 ESRB t Developer(s) Capcom, Marvelous Publisher(s) Capcom, Nintendo Engine MT Framework Multiplayer Online MultiplayerWHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALWith 'Stories' literally in its title, you would expect Monster Hunter Stories to have a good story, and it does! This spin-off game has you bonding with monsters as a Rider, fighting alongside them in turn-based battle somewhat reminiscent of the Pokemon series.
The game begins with your village being attacked by a Nargacuga that is inflicted with a mysterious illness called the Black Blight. You set out on a journey to discover the cause of this illness, meeting other Riders and Hunters along the way.
2 Monster Hunter Wilds
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Action Adventure Systems 10.0/10 OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 89/100 Critics Rec: 95% Released February 28, 2025 ESRB T For Teen // Violence, Blood, Crude Humor Developer(s) Capcom Publisher(s) Capcom Engine RE EngineWHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALMonster Hunter Wilds, the latest entry in the series, has a surprisingly good story, especially considering its slower start. For the first time, the player character has voice lines and speaks during cutscenes, which goes a long way to make the player feel more involved and invested in the story.
Wilds also has some of the best cutscenes in the series, with awesome moments sprinkled throughout. However, as we mentioned, it does have a slow start, and a lot of the story is delivered through forced-walking segments, which can definitely feel at odds with the goal of Monster Hunter. If you can look past this though, you're in for one of the better stories in the series.
1 Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings Of Ruin
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RPG Systems OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 81/100 Critics Rec: 85% Released July 9, 2021 ESRB E10+ for Everyone 10+: Crude Humor, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language Developer(s) Capcom Publisher(s) Capcom Engine MT Framework Multiplayer Online Multiplayer, Online Co-OpWHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALMonster Hunter Stories 2 is a sequel to the first game, following a new Rider on their own journey. Near the start of the game, you will meet a Wyverian girl named Ena, who entrusts you with a Rathalos egg from the Guardian Ratha, who is the partner of the Rider from the first game.
The writing in both the first and second games in the Stories series is surprisingly solid, especially when you consider that they are part of the wider Monster Hunter franchise, which isn't known for its stellar writing. However, Stories 2's at times darker tone and more interesting characters make it one of the best games in the series, at least from a story perspective.
Next6 Best Monster Hunter Games For Beginners
Looking to take your first step into the world of Monster Hunter? Here are some of the best games to start with.
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