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I love Monster Hunter, and that’s why today I bring you a list of all Monster Hunter games available on Switch 2, what’s on the horizon, and other games like Monster Hunter you can enjoy.
Ever since I put my hands on Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate 12 years ago on the Nintendo 3DS. Or should I say, the Nintendo 2DS, which was the only model I could afford back then.
And even the game itself was entirely free since back then Nintendo had an actual good program that rewarded players for purchasing their products.
Thanks to Nintendo’s generous offer, I was able to experience a whole new genre where you hunt monsters to harvest their parts and use them to craft new weapons and armor to hunt even bigger monsters.
Eventually this hunt migrated to the Nintendo Switch with the ultimate version of my favorite Monster Hunter game.
Old School Hunting
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate
This isn’t just a port of Monster Hunter Generations; it’s the ultimate version every Monster Hunter game gets while introducing the G-Rank difficulty.
The main appeal of this game is the absurd amount of content it features. Even before reaching G-Rank, you can easily be going over the 100-hour mark like me. And the reason why is that it’s the game that offers the most amount of monsters to defeat in the entire franchise.
Today this is the most accessible way of playing an old-school Monster Hunter-style game, even though this is still flashier than something like Monster Hunter 4 due to the introduction of Hunter Arts.
Hunter Arts are basically special moves you can perform, and different Hunter Styles allow you to equip different Arts. I absolutely love them, and I like experimenting with different combinations once in a while to spice things up.
It lacks a lot of of quality of live features from modern Monster Hunter games, but even so this is the one I keep coming back to, and you should give it a go to.
If you want to know why, here are all the reasons you need:
“Why you should be playing Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate”
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate – Affiliate Link
Modern Monster Hunting
Monster Hunter Rise + Sunbreak
This is the part where I have to confess I never played Sunbreak, but I have a valid reason.
When a game comes out that I love, I play it like there’s no tomorrow, and that’s how I treated Monster Hunter Rise on release. For 70 hours I hunted and crafted to my heart’s content, and it was marvelous.
With the introduction of the Palamutes and the Wirebugs, this was the most fluid Monster Hunter game I had ever played, and the moves you can perform were flashier than even the Hunter Arts of Monster Hunter Generations.
There was also a decent story to follow through shrouded in mystery, a lot of fun new monsters, and experiencing it all with my bros was super memorable.
I was excited to get my hands on Sun Break, but it came out at an awkward time when my daughter was about to be born at any second. And I also had my eyes set on other titles such as Digimon Survive and Xenoblade Chronicles 3.
I will purchase it one day, though, and as I’m writing this, I’m looking at the eShop sale going on, and it would cost me just 5.99€ to add it to my collection… but I’m too busy playing another Monster Hunter game currently, which I’ll mention in a bit.
Monster Hunter Rise – Affiliate Link
Still to Come: Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter Wilds is coming to the Nintendo Switch at a reasonable $39.99, but you will need to purchase the DLC separately once it drops in 2027. And I expect a huge sale near the launch window of the former, so if you’re hoping to save a few bucks, I’d advise you to wait.
But even so, waiting is what I’ll be doing it anyway, at least until I get my hands on a demo or early reviews. Ever since this was shown on the Nintendo Direct, I’ve had my reservations regarding the visuals and performance. This is a hardware-demanding game, and frame drops are bound to happen.
One thing this game has for it, though, is that it’s the only Monster Hunter game on this list that features crossplay with other platforms. So I know Capcom will do their best with this port, like they did with so many others.
Monster Hunter Wilds – Affiliate Link
What About Monster Hunter World?
I would love to say that Monster Hunter World is available on Switch 2, but unfortunately you’ll need to either get a PC, a PlayStation, or an Xbox for that.
I’ve played it plenty on PC and on Steam Deck, and it’s an excellent game; however, I still prefer Rise or Generations Ultimate.
But hey, if Wilds is coming, I don’t see why an older game like World could not receive a port sometime soon.
Monster Hunter but Pokémon
Is Monster Hunter Stories Worth It If You Like the Main Games?
If you want more of the Monster Hunter world, then look no further than the Monster Hunter Stories franchise, where all games are available on Switch 2. Although, I have to admit I am a bit disappointed with the latest release.
This series falls in the monster-taming genre, and just like in Pokémon, you can raise different monsters from the Monster Hunter franchise and battle with them.
At first this was clearly targeted at kids with a shonen angle, but it had a ton of charm and care, and they even voice-acted the entire game with their own made-up language!
I played the very first Monster Hunter Stories on the Nintendo 3DS, and it quickly became my favorite game on the console, and it made me super excited for Monster Hunter Stories 2.
While I liked it, I was disappointed in seeing the only languages available were English and Japanese, which removed part of the love I had for the series. It was clearly trying to break free from of its shonen roots with a more mature tone, but it didn’t work that well in my opinion in moments where Navirou (the clown of the series) was present.
In terms of gameplay, I don’t think they’ve made any significant improvements either, apart from having a second hunter with you in battle, and they managed to make the most boring endgame ever when compared to Monster Hunter Stories 1.
Then comes Monster Hunter Stories 3, which improved every single aspect of the gameplay with things I wish were available in Monster Hunter Stories 1, but the story and tone are just something I can’t vibe with no matter what.
I’m playing it right now and finished the first act, and while the cutscenes are amazing and everything is well voiced, it doesn’t feel like Monster Hunter Stories to me. It just feels like another generic anime game without the charm the first game had.
I can still recommend all 3 games, and I’m almost certain that if you play Monster Hunter Stories 3, you’ll probably love it. I’m just sour about it because I’m wishing it was a game it clearly isn’t.
Monster Hunter Stories 1&2 – Affiliate Link
Monster Hunter Stories 3 – Affiliate Link
Games Like Monster Hunter on Switch 2
Wild Hearts S
If you’re looking for a game like Monster Hunter on the Switch 2, then Wild Hearts S is the game you need to buy. The entire Monster Hunter formula is here, and every second I spent with this game, I was fooled into thinking I was playing some Monster Hunter Rise spinoff or something.
There is one major difference though, and that’s the Karakuri, a special kind of thread you can weave into traps, springs, walls, and even giant hammers.
As a Monster Hunter fan, I didn’t like this at all when I tried the demo, since it reminded me of Fortnite…
But after experimenting more with it in the full game, it has easily become my favorite mechanic in the entire game, and it’s what differentiates it from every other game in the genre.
And what I love about it is that it actually takes skill to use in battle, especially against aggressive monsters. In Monster Hunter, you can just throw a flash bomb to stun a monster quite easily, but in Wild Hearts, you better know the recipe and the button combination to pull it off.
It sounds a bit daunting, but the game does a wonderful job in easing you into it, so don’t be afraid to give Wild Hearts S a try; it’s awesome!
Wild Hearts S – Affiliate Link
God Eater 3
Next up, we have Anime Monster Hunter with God Eater 3, which was for a long time the best side option for monster hunting on the Nintendo Switch. It runs and plays super well on the Switch 2 as well, and before committing to the purchase, you are free to play the available demo.
While it’s the third entry, you can play this one without playing the first 2 games, although it would help in knowing what you are getting yourself into.
These games have great emphasis on story, like any other anime game with unique NPC characters that have their own story to tell, and you can choose which you’ll take to battle.
The kit you have available in battle is also unique with skills like ‘Devour’ that you can use on the main antagonists, the Aragami, to gain buffs in the middle of the action. Alongside the main 8 melee weapon types, there are 4 other gun types you can take to battle with you, so you better get used to switching between close-range and far-range combat.
This a super fun franchise, and if you have a PS Vita lying around, make sure to play the first 2 God Eater games there, especially the God Eater 2!
Freedom Wars Remastered
Closing the list of games like Monster Hunter, we have Freedom Wars Remastered, another game that was super popular on the PS Vita that saw a much-deserved remaster on the Switch and other platforms.
It resembles God Eater a lot, and if you placed both games side by side at the time, I would have a hard time discerning one from the other. There are some clear differences, though.
In Freedom Wars you are known as a Sinner living in a prison with a 1 million-year sentence, and everything you do in this prison can add up to hundreds of years to this sentence. But there is something you can do to lower this sentence, which is to take on dangerous missions to save civilians from the mechanical beasts called Abductors.
This is where the similarities with Monster Hunter start, while adding its own flavor. In this game you can latch on to the Abductors with your thorn whip and even pin them to the ground. Using this was always satisfying, and you can’t tell me Monster Hunter Rise and Wild Hearts didn’t take inspiration from this game during development.
Although the game looks and runs great on Switch 2, you can clearly tell this was a PS Vita game where the controls are a bit clunky and the movement a bit stiff. Still, it’s a great option to consider if you’re on the lookout for monster-hunting games.
Nintendo Switch 2 Games for People That Like Monster Hunter
This is a small section with a few games I feel you’ll enjoy if you’re into Monster Hunter.
Elden Ring
In Monster Hunter you fight big freaking monsters, and guess what? Elden Ring is filled with them, and right from the start, you can expect G-rank difficulty.
And just like Monster Hunter, it has a deep build system that you can tweak every time you encounter a boss who is proving a bit too difficult for you to handle.
It’s a brutal game, but it’s one of the best games on the system you can play today.
Splatoon Raiders
In Splatoon Raiders you can play in a party of up to four players to tackle different kinds of treasure hunts. The goal here is to go in, splash everything that moves (including the big Salmonids), get the treasure, and get out.
Once at the base, you can use the materials you found to improve your weapons and gear, and then get ready to do it all over again.
I honestly think this is the best Nintendo Switch game I’ve played so far this year, and the last boss fight was nothing short of epic.
Splatoon Raiders – Affiliate Link
Granblue Fantasy: Relink
To close things, we have a game I’ve had my eyes on for quite some time: Granblue Fantasy: Relink.
There’s a demo you can try of this game on the eShop and the moment I started playing something felt familiar. I was in a town that served as a hub, and there was a counter where I could accept quests with up to 4 party members.
Then, I went in, faced, and killed a huge boss, and then I thought, “This feels like Monster Hunter.” And that’s why I have this game on my wishlist just waiting for a good sale. And if you want more games like Monster Hunter, then you should do the same!
Granblue Fantasy Relink – Affiliate Link
The Monster Hunting Games Switch 2 Definitive List?
For now, I’m quite confident that is the definitive list for players that like Monster Hunter, at least until new games drop. I’ll try to keep it updated as much as possible, and if you’d like to receive updates fresh in your email box, then consider subscribing to my newsletter!
Thanks for reading, and I’ll be seeing you again next time, with brand-new content.
