Summary
TheMonster Hunterseriesis not known for its simple, easygoing nature. Rather, the games revel in throwing players into battle against massive monsters that want nothing more than to protect their territory. In addition, the games have an extensive number of mechanics that canoverwhelm someone who is jumping in for the first time. Because of this, the games have garnered a reputation for being pretty tough for newcomers to learn how everything works.
However, some of the games have made an effort tomake it easier for people to get into. While a lot of this does come down to preferences, there are some game design choices that have objectively made certain entries much easier for newer players. Knowing which ones are the best to start with is a great tool so that a player can learn the ropes of the series before moving on to the tougher options. To helpMonster Hunterrookies get their feet wet, here are the easiest titles in the series for beginners.
While this entry has its quirks that make it tough to play, it is a lot better than some other ones in the franchise. It’s a port of the originalMonster Hunterthat comes with an improved experience from the base version of the game.While it still has its difficultyin terms of accessibility thanks to the limitations of the PSP, the game is still the best way to experience that original title.
The biggest downside to this version of the game is that it doesn’t have the best multiplayer functionality, which caused most players to have to grind things out by themselves.The series is at its best when playing with others, so making the majority of the game solo play is a tough pill to swallow.
This entry in the list is a massive one, as it did a lot of good things for the series. First, it brought the experience ofMonster Hunter 2to the West, since the game was only exclusive to Japan at release. This version alsobrought even more content to the game.
However, the gameplay is still pretty niche, and it’s missing a lot of the gameplay tweaks thatMonster Hunterplayers have gotten used to in modern titles. It is the best way to experience the second entry, but it is stillgoing to take some time to get used to.
While not an actual entry in the series' mainline series, this game offers a great chance for new players to get into the world of theMonster Hunterseries. This is due to the gameplay systems being rather shallow, thoughthat isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The game still offersa wonderful combat systemto sink time into.
Being able to learn the systems quickly means that players can get used to them much faster. Plus, it’s a great way for new players to introduce themselves to the lore and the monsters before jumping into the expansive major titles. But it not being the trueMonster Hunterexperience means it’s not higher on this list.
When the third game in the series was released, titledMonster Hunter Tri,fans were disappointed to see that it had reduced a lot of the content from the previous games, as it had fewer monsters and fewer quests. That was changed when the Ultimate edition of the game came out andadded everything that players could ask for: more quests,a ton of monsters, and lots to do.
Most impressively,it gave the game much better controlsso that players would not get as frustrated when hunting their targets down. It also added features like cross-save and online multiplayer, something that would stick with the series for a long time afterward.
Continuing the trend of the Ultimate editions bringing the base versions of each entry to where they need to be, this game does just that and makesthe entire thing better for everyone to experience. It has a bigger emphasis on movement, including allowing players to climb walls more fluidly than previous titles.
It also added the ability for players to jump ontomonsters to attack and mount them. It removed the maligned underwater sections from the previous game, which was a general positive for many players.
This title is kind of a “Best Of” version of the series, featuring an incredibleamount of monsters, quests, and systems to dive into when playing. Because of this, it canfeel overwhelming for new players, but it still deserves a spot on the higher end of this list.
The gameplay of this title issome of the best in the series. Specifically, it streamlined the process of gathering resources and setting up multiplayer sessions. It also gave unique animations to its weapons, which makes using each one refreshing.
One of the best entries in the series,Monster Hunter World, is regarded as one of the easiest games for new players to get into. It does a solid job of breaking down its systems and walking players through each one as they come up. While that can make for a bit of a long tutorial, ithelps to prepare people for the game to come.
However, it’s still a massive game. As players keep completing main hunts, they will unlock a ton more side content to take downeven more monsters. This can easily overwhelm a new player, and since the series is all about doing these side quests to grind out new equipment,this can still be a bit much.
WhereasMonster Hunter Worldblew the series open in the best way, this title took a step back, but not in a bad way. Since it was originally a Nintendo Switch exclusive, the world was reduced and players wouldn’t have an open world to explore, but rather would beput into smaller missions for each hunt.
This also made the gameplay loops easier to get used to, and everything was segmented so that new players could learn things one by one. While it wasn’t as immersive as previous titles, it certainly made itthe easiest game for new players.
