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Hunting is one of those “primal” things that humanity does because they love it, and they feel it serves a purpose. If you’re not a fan of the “great outdoors,” however, you have options to do it inside these 15 video games.
#16 Wild Hearts
Platform: PC February 16, 2023
Release Date: PS5 XSX|S February 17, 2023
Steam | Playstation | Xbox
Who doesn’t like taking down massive monsters to showcase that you can do it? If you’ve wanted to jump into some monster-hunting titles but wanted one that’ll be a bit easier to get into, Wild Hearts is the one to check out.
The game puts you in a version of Japan in the medieval age with some fantasy twists. Those twists are a sect of monsters known as Kemono who terrorize everything around you.
To save the day, you must wield powerful weapons and technology to kill the beasts before they ruin everything. It won’t be easy, as numerous types of monsters must be slayed, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. So plan accordingly!
#15 Dauntless
What, you thought that we were only going to discuss games featuring the hunting of “actual animals”? Broaden your scope! There are plenty of video games out there that thrive on letting you hunt fictional monsters to your heart’s content!
One of them is Dauntless. In the title, you’ll play as a Slayer, and it is your job to journey across a vast world to defeat the monsters known as Behemoths!
Plus, you can work with other players to get the job done and slay the beasts! Become the best slayer ever so that none in the world can stop you! The world, and monsters, await!
#14 Dinkum
Dinkum isn’t your typical hunting game, but you will do hunting in it!
The game is inspired by the Outback of Australia and asks you to build a place to call home for yourself and others! You’ll start with nothing but a hammock, then work the land and harvest its resources to develop and expand!
The better you do, the more people that come to visit! Then, they may decide to stay in your little village.
You’ll get to work the land to your desires, shaping it however you want. Then, wander around the nearby environments to get more resources, food for people, and more!
#13 Far Cry Primal
There are multiple entries in this list reserved for the Far Cry series, so be ready for that.
Our first look at the franchise comes from Far Cry Primal, a title that was arguably the biggest risk Ubisoft ever made for the franchise.
In it, you’ll play a neanderthal in the Stone Age. Your tribe has been wiped out, save for you. Now, you must avenge them and travel the primal world to get weapons, weed out threats, and arise as the Apex Predator of the land!
It won’t be easy. You’ll have to face others like you and the dangerous beasts that call this land home! Will you be able to survive ancient times?
#12 Bigfoot
Many people have hunted for Bigfoot and claim to have seen it. But in the game called Bigfoot, you’ll get to hunt it or become it!
Yes, this is a 4v1 asymmetrical multiplayer title where four players rally together to take on a singular threat. That threat is Bigfoot. It’s not happy that people keep trespassing on its land, so they’re fighting back!
Whether you play against an AI or another player as Bigfoot, you’ll need to work together through your hunting party to get weapons, set traps, and lure the beast to your advantage point to take it down.
Or, you can become Bigfoot and maul through the other players with epic brutality. The choice is yours.
#11 Way of the Hunter
Many hunting titles try to be realistic, but ones like Way of the Hunter go the extra mile to ensure their realism can’t be questioned.
For example, within the title, you’ll need to not only shoot your prey but shoot them in the right way. Whether you use bows or guns, they all act a certain way, affecting your prey depending on where you hit it. Realistic physics guides each shot and accurately depicts what will happen when it hits. Or if it hits.
Add to that, the game’s environments are “alive” and will react to you as you wander through the various spots in the US and Europe.
#10 Far Cry 6
The most recent entry in the series, Far Cry 6 takes you to the nation of Yara. Yara has been in the iron grip of a ruthless dictator who tries to paint himself as a hero. But the nation’s people know the truth, and it’s a horrible one.
What’s worse is the ruler is attempting to raise his son to follow in his footsteps! Therefore, you must join a guerrilla force and hunt down those that serve the dictator to free your nation and its people.
You’ll face many obstacles along the way and have to do various activities to ensure you get complete control of the nation back to its people. But nothing worth doing is easy, right?
#9 The Isle
The Isle is the only game on this list where you won’t be a human in any form. Why? Because the game takes you back to ancient times and lets become you become a dinosaur!
That’s right; you’ll be on an island full of dinosaurs and have to survive the carnage that awaits you. The game prides itself on its “no handholding” and forces you to think like an ancient creature. How will you survive in a world where everything is trying to kill you? How will you evolve to ensure survival? These are the questions and challenges that await.
Plus, there’s a mystery to the island itself. Can you last long enough to unravel it?
#8 Monster Hunter Rise
Going back to the “hunting monsters” part of the list, let’s look at Monster Hunter Rise. The recent entry into the beloved series has taken many aback by its quality. It was first released on the Nintendo Switch, then ported to PC. But both game versions are fantastic, and the sales prove it.
The primary campaign has you protecting a village from a monstrous rampage. Then, you’ll head out to stop the problem at the source by hunting every monster you see! True to the game’s nature, you’ll collect items and materials to build better armor and weapons.
When you’re done with the main game, the Sunbreak DLC brings more adventures, monsters, and fun.
#7 TheHunter: Call of the Wild
TheHunter: Call of the Wild aims to do one thing: to put you in a realistic hunting scenario within the gaming world.
The environments of the title were built to recreate the wonder and beauty of nature and make it feel like a thriving entity. They even say you aren’t a “visitor” to this place. You are a living part of the world, and your actions affect it.
Arguably the best part of the title is you don’t have to hunt alone. Instead, you can bring your friends via online play and make a hunting party! There are plenty of species to hunt in the title, so work together and bag the prize of your dreams!
#6 Red Dead Redemption 2
Yes, we know you wouldn’t play Red Dead Redemption 2 simply for hunting, but you can do it in the game! Thus it belongs on this list!
What really drives the game is the story and the expansive Wild West you find yourself in. You’ll play as one of the last outlaws of the old west. The “untamed” parts of the world are slowly being roped into shape, and outlaws like you are less welcome than ever.
With dissension in the ranks on what to do next, you’ll travel the lands, getting scores and trying to survive. But the fate you find at the end of the road might be what you expect.
#5 Far Cry 5
Arguably the best title in the series, Far Cry 5 takes you to the wilds of Montana to show you a beautiful landscape seeded with darkness.
A cult has all but taken over the area. You’re brought in to resolve things, but negotiations don’t go as planned. You must work with the local townsfolk to overthrow the cult before things worsen.
While the game plays very much like its predecessors, there is special time and activities dedicated to hunting. Ubisoft went to great lengths to recreate Montana and its environments, and you’ll see that firsthand as you travel and hunt for yourself.
#4 Fishing Planet
There is more than one way to hunt, and that’s through fishing! It’s totally “hunting for fish,” just using different materials and “weapons!”
Anyway, Fishing Planet is an expansive online multiplayer title that’ll have you fishing the world’s waters for the best fish! There are over 170 species of fish you can find in the game, and each has an individual AI based on how the fish acts so that you won’t reel them in easily.
You’ll find those fish in over two dozen locations, each with photorealistic graphics.
You’re itching to get on the reel and catch something, right? Well, it’s free to play! So get in a boat and fish!
#3 Hunting Simulator 2
Most hunters will tell you that the biggest thrill is not just the hunt but roaming the vast expanses of the wild, looking for that perfect prey.
Hunting Simulator 2 will grant you that experience in game form. Here, you’ll have three different regions to explore. You can wander across Colorado’s lush fields, wade through the Texan desert, or head to Europe and waft through its forests!
With a total of six square miles to hunt in, you’ll have plenty to do and plenty to look for! Of course, you’ll need to do work on your end, too, to bag your prey. That includes outfitting your hunter with the best weapon and gear to get the job done.
#2 Monster Hunter World
The Monster Hunter franchise is the best franchise when it comes to hunting monsters. That’s why it’s had multiple entries on this list. But if you were to ask fans what the best game of the lot is, that’d be Monster Hunter World.
The title was the one that made the franchise a global phenomenon. With its seamless open-world gameplay, you’ll be able to travel across a vast landscape to fight monsters.
Or, more accurately, to kill monsters and get the materials they drop for yourself! Build the best weapons and armor to take on the most dangerous beasts within the land, including dragons! Do you have that ability with you?
#1 The Hunter Classic
While we have ‘cheated’ a bit on this list, we will end it with a proper hunting game. The Hunter Classic came out in 2014 and boasted that it was the most realistic hunting experience ever in video game form. So if you want to see if they’re telling the truth, or just spouting hot air, now is your chance.
You’ll notice immediately that you’ll have plenty of environments to hunt it. Plus, those environments have day and night cycles, multiple types of weather for you to account for, and more!
But what are you hunting? How about 45 different species of animal? Bison, elk, deer, and turkey are only a few of the ones you’ll have access to.
So load up and get to hunting!
