Published 03/05/2026

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate

For many franchises, evolution is constant. Every game brings something new to the table, changing some inherent element that makes every game distinct from what came before, and what comes after. For other franchises, stagnation might be a choice, or by accident, eschewing progress to hold together what made the series so special. Monster Hunter represents both of these, a series that for the long time was just a number of iterative changes, slowly building up a foundation that’s turned it into the best-selling phenomenon it’s become in the modern day. But, even if it is trapped on the 3DS, lost in the shadow cast by Monster Hunter World’s redefinition of how Monster Hunter looks, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate represents the pinnacle of what Monster Hunter had built over the better part of a decade.

As I said, Monster Hunter has always been a game of iterative additions, slowly building up foundational elements, new monsters and elements to make each new ‘generation’ of games. 4U is prettier (amongst the handheld titles, at least), plays better, has a larger roster, and it is pound-for-pound the ‘definitive’ Monster Hunter game for the 3DS era of the franchise. But at its heart, its facade is that of the Monster Hunter that reared its janky head back in 2005. Much like you can see animations from the original Dark Souls or Yakuza games in even their most recent installments, there’s a certain amount of DNA that is directly transplanted from Monster Hunter to 4 Ultimate which really makes it feel like you’re playing a proper piece of a game’s history.

For those not super familiar with the series, Monster Hunter’s premise is deceptively - or obviously - simple. Selecting from an armory of fourteen weapons, you’ll go out in zone-based locales, and hunt monsters in action combat. As opposed to more traditional action games, fighting in Monster Hunter is a weighty, focussed affair. Enemies move fast, hit hard, and can take as long as half an hour to fifty minutes to give up the ghost. Conversely, your moveset is fairly limited; compared to most other combat-centric games, your attacks will feel slow and clunky, frequently locking you into animations and 99% of mistakes being on your own head. It’ll kick you five ways to Sunday at first, but it’s one of those brutally difficult - at first - games where you just naturally get better at without even realising.

After taking down a monster, you’ll be able to carve it for materials, which can then be crafted into various monster-themed weaponry and armour which will strengthen your hunter, making it easier to fight harder and harder kinds of monsters. Even with all the new bells and whistles every new Monster Hunter game brings, it’s still an incredibly simple combat loop that perfectly bridges the concepts of being incredibly satisfying and immensely addictive.

The Menagerie of Monsters

Despite the fact you’re hunting them rather than training them, I could compare the impact of a Monster Hunter’s monster roster being as important as a new suite of Pokemon games. Trust me, you’ll be fighting some of these jerks dozens of times, you really want them to be fun fights. Clocking in at over seventy large monsters, pretty much all of 4’s new monsters are universally brilliant to fight, and more importantly, they’re all pretty damn interesting.

Rather than the endless hordes of dragons and wolf-like fiends that fills earlier games, 4U branches out into a lot of other archetypes. Aracanids like the Nercylla, Amphibians like Tetsucabra or Zamtrios, or… whatever the hell Kecha Wacha is. He’s like an elephant… monkey… thing?

Either way, I love it, and the fact it’s mask looks like Majora’s Mask is icing on the cake. So many of these monsters tie into the game’s more vertical playstyle - rather than the feet-on-ground combat endemic to Monster Hunter (sans some poorly-thought out attempts at underwater hunting in 3U), 4U will have you leaping, diving, and soaring through the air - especially if you want to use the newest, most powerful weapon in 4U’s weapon arsenal, the Insect Glaive. But to get back on track - 4U’s roster is so damn good, that every time we get a trailer for a new game, I’m praying to see some of its weirder, more unique monsters make a return. Seeing something like Kecha Wacha, Testucabra, or the Seltas Queen returning would seriously make my day.

4U’s gigantic cast does result in some issues on the larger scale; typically Capcom essentially just ports old monsters in sequels, with only basic additions and changes between games. This can lead to encounters with monsters from older generations of games - such as the Khezu, Gyceperos, or Yian Gargua having much jankier hitboxes, more frustrating tells or are just generally a lot less interesting to fight. Newer monsters, like the Zamtrios, Seregios or Gore Magala feel like dreams to battle, and kind of make these older re-inclusions feel a lot worse by comparison. Still, there are very few monsters that are outright awful to fight, but there are certainly ones I’ll avoid if possible.

If Red Khezu was scorched from this earth, I’d be pretty happy, actually.

For those who’ve come from the more recent bestsellers like World, Rise, or Wilds, be warned: while it’s not the hardest of the ‘Old Era’ of Monster Hunter games, 4U is nothing short of brutal at times. Monsters will carve away your health in only a few hits, and your own movesets are generally a lot simpler than the modern, ‘HD’ games. Basically, unless you’ve got a shield, there is very little you can do to face tank in this game, so you’re going to have to learn *quickly* how to survive in this monstrous land. Maybe I’m overexaggerating a bit, but the steep difficulty of MH4U is stymied somewhat by the pretty decent curve in regards to the power and complexity of monsters you’ll be fighting. Stuff like the Great jaggi and Tetsucabra will teach you how to react and deal with basic monster behaviour, before having to deal with more complex, dynamic - and outright harder-hitting - fights like Zamtrios and the vaunted Gore Magala, before scaling into more and more stronger and complex foes.

Nice Claw, Rathalos - I Think I’ll Take It

But as with every Monster Hunter game, the satisfaction that comes from dominating these foes is unparalleled. There are some monsters that might even take dozens of encounters to get a rare drop from, and you’ll be learning every single time. A fight that takes 25 minutes will turn into 20, before getting shorter and shorter as you learn every little trick, get that little more comfortable with your chosen weapon, and learn all those little tells that were devastating your health pool just four encounters ago. Look, if anything sells the addictiveness of this game, just know that I killed THIRTY Rathalos in an attempt to get a singular Rathalos Ruy. I don’t even LIKE fighting Rathalos that much, and I fought him THIRTY times for this shit. Trust me, I got GOOD at killing that wind-whirling, aimbotting-poison asshole.

In a game with no level-up system, no direct way to permanently, inherently, power-up your Hunter, getting your hands on rare materials is critical. Unlike most games, your hunter themself aren’t able to be powered up. There are no inherent levels, no permanent power-ups to be found. Take off all your armour, and you’ll be exactly the same a hundred hours in as you were hour one. That’s why you won’t just be hunting to progress the story, you’ll need to be hunting a wide variety of monsters to create an equally wide amount of weapons. This is where the bulk of your time will be spent in this game - grinding 4U’s roster to dust in search of those sweet, sweet drops.

Not all weapons from a particular style are made equal, either; different weapons made from different monsters will have different stats - one might be sharper, raising its overall damage multiplier, but have lower base damage, so it’s a poor trade-off. Additionally, every monster will have certain strengths and weaknesses to elemental damage many weapons can utilize, so that’s an additional aspect you’ll need to play around with. Crafting and upgrading in this game is the true progression of the game - sure, there are always the god-like players who’ll be able to beat high-level monsters with weaker equipment, but for the shmucks like you and me (no offense), get the best equipment you can have, and pray.

I’ll be honest, I’m very prone to getting overwhelmed with choice paralysis in regards to what weapons and armour are worth using, so I’m the kind of person who’ll go online and get some basic ideas on what I should be aiming for. For armour alone, each different piece of armour you’ll be crafting feature different skills to allow you to carve out a playstyle all your own. If you’re the kind of person who loves to theorycraft and get the most efficient, devastating loadout, 4U is an incredibly versatile game.

Plus, having such a wide variety of weapons and armour to build just helps have a much larger variety in monsters to hunt; if you play, say, the Bow, Dual Blades, Longsword and Switch Axe, there’s a good chance you’ll need to build two or three different armour sets to support them, and that’s *before* crafting the actual weapons themselves. It can feel overwhelming, trying to grind out the myriad of drops each monster’s death provides, but each time you cross off an item on your mental checklist… man, there’s little else like it.

My point is, don’t feel afraid if you are overwhelmed! There are some amazing resources online if you want to get into the nitty-gritty of what does and doesn’t work, so just jump in and reference what weapons or armour you need when you feel that panic rising.

The Caravan v. Gore Magala

Talking about monsters in this game, we can’t forget the game’s flagship monster - and the story surrounding it. 4U is widely regarded as having the best storyline in any Monster Hunter game You play as the hunter in a caravan of genuine weirdos exploring the world, all in search of the origin of an ancient artefact. I really, really love the cast in this game; they always got stuff to say with each new hunt, and by the time credits roll, you really feel like you’ve been inducted into the family of the Caravan. A family of complete nutcases, consisting of a crazy old man, a near-mute blacksmith, a cat chef, and a woman who may or may not be sexually attracted to a monster.

Ahh, family.

The story also helps provide that little bit of story context as to why you’re hunting any specific monster - most previous games just gave you a set of monsters to hunt, expecting you to kill a certain selection of them, and repeat. But I think I much prefer 4Us more linear, contextual reasoning - after all, you’re on an adventure with a goal, rather than just ‘local town’s local hunter’.

But the crux of 4U’s story is your rivalry with the game’s flagship monster, the Gore Magala. Whilst every game has the build-up and showdown with its flagship, the battles against Gore Magala feel personal. Each fight it feels as if your hunter and Gore are getting stronger and stronger, with more and more abilities on show, culminating in a final showdown that ranks amongst Monster Hunter’s best fights. It’s proof that Monster Hunter games don’t need in-depth stories, full of twists and turns and all that. 4’s story is a pure tale of a beast that defies explanation, and the hunt to kill it before it devastates the world. That’s all you need. That’s all you need!

Technically, the Gore Magala story only makes up the Low Rank portion of the single player quest, with High Rank transferring to a tale about building up a city’s defenses before the arrival of the vengeful Elder Dragon, the Rusted Kushala Daora. As compared to your adventure with Gore Magala, the High Rank story isn’t quite as strong, with less of its world-spanning, adventuring vibe. But, thankfully, the character interactions continue to be great fun, along with a greater focus on a group of Ace Hunters you met during the Gore Magala storyline.

The Old Country

But I feel one of the big reasons that Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is frequently called one of the best, most beloved games in the series is that it’s the perfect form of ‘Old’ Monster Hunter’s gameplay loop. In modern games, it feels like you’re getting showered with rewards beyond just what you carve from your victories. Not here. 99% of materials aren’t going to come from special rewards or trading in other materials; you need to get out there, dust off your weapon, and just grind it out, no matter how long it takes. It was rare that I felt genuinely stiffed on a drop - sans the 30-odd Rathalos fights for that damn Ruby - so I think MH4U got the drop rates down to a science this time around.

Even just farming up materials and supplies beyond kitting up your gear never feels like too much of a pain. Unless you’re some sort of god I need to shield my eyes from, you’ll be constantly going through potions, flash bombs, poisons and all manner of expendables, so there’s some level of upkeep to prepare for each hunt. Thankfully, MH4U provides alternate ways to get a lot of hunting supplies to set up for certain monsters, sometimes with almost no input from yourself, but you’ll always still have to go out on foraging expeditions for rarer and more hard-fought materials and reagents.

Above all, this feels like the last game in the series where monsters truly felt like monstrosities you’re just trying to survive, rather than dominate. Every game that followed - Generations Ultimate, World, Rise and Wilds - just gave hunters more and more tools without really giving monsters much recourse. 4U has none of that. Every hunt comes down to learning how a monster fights, and using your own, inherent, skill set to survive. There is the occasional bullshit death or janky hitbox, as I’ve already detailed, but nearly every death, I’d let out a big-ass sigh, and know that I’d made some mistake. Maybe it was the fact I hadn’t healed two minutes ago, or I went in on a shaky opening, but it was almost always my fault. Usually. Don’t get me wrong - I really love everything that’s come out since 4U, especially it’s direct follow up, Generations, but this game feels like the final truly ‘pure’ Monster Hunter game before this beast of a series had the tips of its talons sanded off.

Limitations Of A Large World On A Small Screen

Honestly, I think the hardest part of going back to 4U these days is playing on the console itself. Bookended by 3U, which got a Wii U release alongside its 3DS entry, and followed after a couple of years by Monster Hunter World which featured a much friendlier control setup, playing on the 3DS can be… claustrophobic. Whilst not as horrendous as the infamous Claw Setup from playing the series on the PSP, playing MH4U, regardless of your method, will give you handcramps within an hour. Playing 4U on a New 3DS is pretty much required, due to the addition of the analog stick/nub/nipple thing which can rotate the camera, otherwise you’ll be spending a lot of time resetting the camera to keep your target in camera. All this to say, I’m just praying they re-release this game on the Switch 2. Seriously, Capcom, I’m shameless, I’ll pay 100AUD to play Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate on a TV with a proper controller!

It’s also not an inherent issue with the game, but much of 4U’s endgame is tied to the mythical G-Rank, the final difficulty level of quests in the game. Whilst Low Rank and High Rank have single player selections to pick from, G-Rank is exclusively tied to the online mode of the game. Now, whilst it is 100% possible to solo all, or at least the vast majority, of 4U’s content, G-Rank is made with multiplayer in mind, and it’s now been over a year since the 3DS lost its online features. Now, unless you’ve got some friends next to you, if you want to see everything the game has to offer, you’ll be tackling that brutal difficulty all on your own. And that’s frustrating if you’re ‘just okay’ at this game like I am, because there’s a pretty decent chunk of unique monsters and gear you’ll just miss if you’re unable to break into G-Rank. But it’s not really an issue with the game itself, and at the very least, if you’re the kind of person who likes modding your 3DS, there might be a Pretend ‘Tendo that could help you out…

And the fact that all this, the best of the world Monster Hunter has crafted over the years, runs pretty much perfect on a Nintendo 3DS is insane to me. Hitting an almost consistent 60FPS, sure the visuals can be a bit blurry from time to time, but the art direction is astounding, creating a world that feels far more vibrant and unique than the more ‘photorealistic’ locales depicted in the modern Monster Hunter games. At worst, I would notice a bit of a frame drop when particle heavy or large scale events were going on, and even then it was still perfectly playable. As with a lot of other games suited for weaker, handheld titles, Monster Hunter makes the best of less, with bright, colourful, eye-catching visuals prioritized and, frankly, trumping more high-quality assets.

And do you know what the big kicker is? The most incredible fact that casts everything I’ve gushed about in a new light?

I’m *awful* at these games, and I still love it, so, so much.

Any complaints I have towards Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate are minor in comparison to the fact that it’s probably, pound for pound, the very best of what the series has to offer. The last of the ‘pure’ hunting experiences, it features the strongest new cast of monsters, all of which are engaging and interesting to fight, even if they’re not always the funnest. It’s pretty much the only non-MMO game I can think of where I truly believe you could play a thousand hours and still be finding new things to do - high level quests, top-tier equipment, or grinding out the specal achievement-esque Awards, it’s insane. I’ll always love this franchise, no matter what twists and turns it takes, but I think I’ll always be going back to 4 Ultimate when I want some that stands as a perfect balance; enough of the old, the foundation that made Monster Hunter so beloved, but polished and sharpened to a mirror sheen, full of some of the best monsters, the best weapons, the best characters, and just very much the best Monster Hunter experience you could possibly look for.