5 games to play before Monster Hunter Rise

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Monster Hunter: World is arguably the game that kicked off the recent MH craze in the West.

Your goal, either solo or co-operatively, is to hunt down your target monster and slay or capture it using a huge variety of weapons, items and even the environment. By taking advantage of the deep combat system and the game’s allowance for methodical planning, you’ll be finished in no time.

If victorious, you’re rewarded with loot to help you create more impressive weapons to help take down the next target.

While not quite as open-ended as Monster Hunter, the Souls franchise is famous for its punishing bosses, forcing you to precisely calculate every move as if it could be your last. Focusing more on world-building and atmosphere, Dark Souls has always delivered when it comes to that sense of accomplishment after defeating a towering foe. 

The twisted design of its enemies is sure to satisfy any fans of MH.

Another win for Capcom, returning to the formula everybody loves, Devil May Cry 5 masterfully executes its fast-paced and stylish hack n slash combat against a huge variety of enemies and bosses. You’ll be mastering each character’s unique combat style effortlessly to the game’s kick-ass soundtrack. 

Master combos to increase your rank as you learn the intricacies of its deep combat.

A seemingly prehistoric world filled with futuristic technology and colossal robot dinosaurs will almost certainly scratch that monster hunting itch. You play as Aloy as she fights to uncover the mystery of her and her home’s past. 

This former PS4-exclusive forces you to take on giant robotic creatures with your bow, staff and equipment to overcome what can often be a cruel landscape. So, plan carefully and have fun.

Plus, the Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition on PC includes a host of extra content, including The Frozen Wilds expansion.

Taking heavy inspiration from Monster Hunter, this free-to-play co-op gem has you hunting a huge variety of monsters using whatever means necessary with a charming art style and soundtrack. It stands out as being a highly accessible entry to the genre and despite being free-to-play, it still offers a huge amount of content for everyone to enjoy.