What Is Behind Massive Success Of Monster Hunter?

Monster Hunter is a media franchise developed by Capcom, one of the leading entertainment companies in Japan. It all started with the release of the Monster Hunter game for PlayStation 2 in 2004, and since then, the game has had several sequels, including spin-offs, remasters, and expansions.

The first sequel was released in 2006, also for PS2, while Monster Hunter Tri was launched in 2009 for Wii (later ported to PS3). Nintendo 3DS was the original console for Monster Hunter 4, released in 2013, while Xbox One and PS4 hosted Monster Hunter: World. It became the most popular title in the series, selling more than five million copies in the first three days after the official release.

The franchise had many spin-offs — we won’t even bother listing them all here. What’s important to know is that the game was so popular that it even became a part of the slots online world and had a pachinko slot of its own, which is widely regarded as a top 10 pachinko game of all time in Japan.

The question remains — why did Monster Hunter games become so popular in the first place? Well, take a look at the three main reasons good enough to turn every casual gamer into a hardcore fan of the franchise.

Realistic Ecology of Fantasy Creatures

Monster Hunter developers did an outstanding job with the monsters themselves. They came up with a complex system involving dozens of creatures, each with unique powers and weaknesses.

While researching them, you’ll be able to learn more about their order, suborder, infraorder, and family. That means the developers came up with entire categories of monsters to make the game more realistic.

Each monster has a habitat of its own, belonging to a specific ecological niche. Once you learn more about the monster you want to hunt, you’ll be able to maximize your success. In other words, you’ll have to learn about their eating habits, habitat, biological specifications, behaviour and more.

Loveable Characters

Every Monster Hunter game features characters galore, and each one has unique traits that will make you fall in love with them right away (or hate their guts all the way through). Some of the Monster Hunter: World characters that led many players to enjoy this game, even more are Handler, Commander, Admiral, Field Team Leader Seeker, Second Fleet Master, Huntsman, and others.

Even the Spin-Offs Are Dominating

The last time we checked, 12 Monster Hunter titles were not considered part of the main series. Some were adapted for specific devices, such as Monster Hunter Dynamic Hunting, a fighting spin-off released exclusively for iOS devices. Several other titles were released exclusively for Android and iOS users during the last couple of years.

The franchise reached a level of dominance that allowed them to come out with some country-exclusive releases. For example, Japan had dozens of exclusive Monster Hunter games that weren’t available elsewhere.

The game was even available as an MMORPG from 2013 to 2019, but exclusively for the Chinese market.