Best JRPGs That Focus On Monster Hunting

Key Takeaways

• Final Fantasy 12 offers intense monster hunting, tactical combat, and a vast world map for a complete JRPG experience.
• God Eater 3 stands out with fast-paced Aragami hunting gameplay, customization options, and a robust multiplayer system.
• SaGa: Scarlet Grace – Ambitions provides non-linear exploration, challenging monsters, and narrative rewards for a compelling monster hunting game.

Games in the JRPG genre are not only fun to play because of their combat, but also because they usually feature great stories with likable characters, offering players a wonderful experience. With complex dialogues, multiple branching storylines, and powerful abilities, there’s always something new to discover in this genre, regardless of the focus of the game.

When monster-hunting game mechanics are involved, things are taken a step further, as players can plan different strategies to face vicious creatures and emerge victorious from the adrenaline-rushing battles that will take place upon encountering them. Here are some of the best JRPGs that focus on monster hunting.

5 Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age

Hunting For Marks Is Essential To Rid The World Of Danger

• Platform(s): Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
• Released: October 31, 2006
• Developer(s): Square Enix
• Genre(s): JRPG, Adventure game
• Great variety of Marks to hunt
• Studying the enemy before attacking is key to planning tactical approaches

While Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age is not an open-world game, players can’t be blamed for thinking that it is due to how extensive and complex this title’s map is. Featuring strategic combat and a great system that encourages players to hunt monsters, also referred to as “Marks”, throughout the Kingdom of Ivalice, this game offers tons of fun and a complete, entertaining experience for anyone looking for an adventure.

There is a considerable variety of Marks spread throughout the Kingdom of Ivalice, ranging from common beasts to vicious monsters that will not hesitate to attack players and end their run early. Like in similar games in this genre, players will have to plan out tactical approaches to defeat Marks, ensuring that they’ve studied every creature carefully in order to maximize their chances of success.

4 God Eater 3

Players Must Hunt Down The Dangerous Aragami In This Fast-Paced Title

• Great customization options
• Fast-paced combat that will keep players on their toes

God Eater 3 is arguably one of the best JRPGs of the last decade. With fast-paced action and intense adrenaline-rushing combat, this game focuses heavily on the hunting of creatures known as Aragami. As they explore the world, players will control characters wielding powerful weapons known as God Arcs, which are not only very effective at dealing with Aragami, but also play a key role in the game’s story.

Like other creatures in this genre, the Aragami can range from lesser threats to world-ending beings that will stop at nothing to fulfill their evil purposes. One of the greatest features of this game is character customization, as players can choose from several different character abilities, weapon loadouts, and battle styles. God Eater 3 also features a robust multiplayer system that allows players to cooperate from the very beginning. Overall, this title offers a very complete experience for players who are fans of the Monster Hunter franchise and want a similar, yet very different experience in many areas.

3 Tales of Zestiria

An Open-World Adventure With A Good Deal Of Hunting

• Hellions are created from the negative emotions of humanity
• Open-world mechanics and fast-paced combat

While Tales of Zestiria has several other great aspects to it, it does have a strong focus on the hunting of mythical creatures known as hellions. Unlike previous entries in the series, this game features open-world mechanics which offer a refreshing perspective and allow players to have more freedom as they search for NPCs to interact with and hellions to take on.

According to the game’s lore, hellions are created from impurities resulting from the negative emotions of humanity. Tales of Zestiria explains that hellions are a threat to humanity, which not only justifies the need to haunt them, but also adds another layer of complexity to the story. The game features various party members with different abilities and fast-paced combat that’s always fun and pleasing to look at.

2 SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions

A Complete Monster Hunting Game With Various Attacks, Spells, And Powers

• Non-linear exploration game mechanics
• The game features 20 high-ranking Scarlet Fiends

In SaGa: Scarlet Grace – Ambitions, players are tasked with hunting down monsters that threaten the world and those who inhabit it. With non-linear exploration mechanics that offer players the freedom to choose which monsters to take on and where to travel, this game offers hours of fun for those who play it.

While there are other aspects that players can explore throughout the story, monster hunting is key to unlocking certain narrative developments and prized rewards. There are many different regions in this title, each populated with its own creatures. To get the best experience possible, players must balance exploration, combat tactics, and proper resource management and gathering.

SaGa: Scarlet Grace – Ambitions features 20 high-ranking monsters, known as Scarlet Fiends, which represent a considerable challenge and will test players’ resilience and patience.

1 Blue Dragon

An Interesting Concept Of Shadow Creatures And Monster Hunting

• Interesting concept of shadow creatures
• The game’s open world isn’t as complex as in other titles, but it still delivers an enjoyable experience

Blue Dragon will have players control a group of young heroes who have been imbued with the power of shadow creatures. These brave protagonists will have to fight monsters and hunt them down throughout the vast world the game is set in. Unlike other games on this list which are based on real-time combat mechanics, Blue Dragon opts for a turn-based approach instead.

While Blue Dragon does not feature open-world mechanics as complex as other games do, it does have some non-linear action, even when it’s often story-restricted. The game offers hours of fun for players as they take on different creatures to reach their ultimate goal. All in all, while the game is a bit lacking on the exploration side of things, it really shines in terms of its combat and its interesting concept of powerful shadow creatures.