Best Open-World RPGs Where You Hunt Massive Creatures

For fans of open-world RPGs, engaging enemies are crucial. Without challenging foes, exploring the game world can feel empty. Fortunately, many games offer exciting opportunities to hunt down monsters, defeat them in battle, and then use their parts to craft or acquire armor – a lasting symbol of your triumph.

Man, there’s just something so good about finally taking down a really tough boss, and then actually getting to wear a piece of its armor or something. It’s way more than just getting loot; it feels like I’m actually becoming more powerful. It really gets me into the role-playing aspect, you know? Like, I’m this hero who faced an impossible challenge, survived, and now I’ve got the gear to prove it. It’s awesome to show off what I’ve accomplished!

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Monster Hunter Wilds

It Says It Right There In The Name

Large enemy threats with extensive mechanical depth.
Armor sets and weapons built from monster materials.

Monster Hunter Wilds focuses on the cycle of tracking, learning about, and defeating the massive monsters that rule the land. Each hunt unfolds in multiple phases across changing environments, and these creatures act like true predators – they aren’t just stationary targets. Taking them down, even with a team, can be a real challenge.

The real prize isn’t just defeating a monster – it’s what you create afterward. You can use the monster’s scales, claws, and fangs to craft unique armor and weapons that reflect its appearance. Wearing these trophies is a way for hunters to showcase their skill and strategy to the world, proving they overcame a formidable challenge.

Horizon Zero Dawn

Mechanical Monstrosities Ready To Be Toppled

Complex enemy types and attack patterns.
Progression is tied to farming and taking down foes.

Okay, so Horizon Zero Dawn totally flips the monster hunting thing on its head. Instead of dragons and stuff, you’re fighting these incredible robotic creatures in a post-apocalyptic world, trying to help what’s left of humanity reclaim Earth. And these aren’t just simple fights where you just hit things until they die. You really have to think – figuring out how to take these machines apart, finding their weak spots… it almost feels like solving a puzzle with every encounter. It’s way more engaging than just a stat check, honestly.

Even the smaller machines can be intimidating, but the massive Thunderjaws and Stormbirds are truly legendary and demand respect if you want to defeat them. Winning battles provides clear, visible rewards like new armor and weapon improvements, motivating players to hunt down every machine type and become the skilled warrior they’re meant to be.

Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen

Everything From Reptiles To Demons

Big focus on exploration and discovering battles.
Giant free-roaming creatures are found all across the map.

In Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen, massive monsters roam freely, just like the player. You’ll encounter creatures like cyclopes wandering through forests, griffins flying overhead, and chimeras hunting at night. What makes these encounters special is that you can actually climb onto these huge enemies and attack their weak spots from a unique vantage point.

Your surroundings are just as important as your skills. A good position or even a nearby fire can change everything in a fight, so players need to be aware of their environment and choose their battles wisely. Defeating monsters isn’t just about gaining experience; the materials you collect are used to craft unique armor, weapons, and upgrades, making each new item a reminder of a hard-fought victory.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Taking On Challenges Well Above Your Abilities

Cosmetic trophies are earned from completed contracts.
Contracts require research and preparation well before the fight itself.

In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, monster hunting feels like a real job. The game focuses on contracts, making them central to both the main story and side quests. Each monster has its own unique background, vulnerabilities, and behaviors, so hunts become more about investigation and preparation than just fighting. This emphasis on research and tracking makes the world feel alive, as these creatures aren’t simply challenges to overcome – they’re part of a complex ecosystem.

Completing monster hunts usually earns you valuable rewards like rare mutagens and trophies. These trophies can be displayed on Geralt’s horse or used to improve his weapons and armor, offering both cosmetic and gameplay advantages. Ultimately, showcasing a monster’s head or claw is a sign of a job well done and proves the player successfully completed a challenging contract.

Outward

An Open-Ended Map Littered With Enemies

A harsh world with plenty of risk and reward.
There’s a practical component to taking down creatures.

I love how Outward makes monster hunting feel less about being a hero and more about just surviving. The world is genuinely tough, and you’re constantly scrambling for supplies. You don’t go out to slay dragons for fame – you go out because you need stuff to live, and sometimes that means facing something seriously scary!

Players equip themselves with items salvaged from defeated creatures. Whether it’s a rare treasure or simple materials, everything found is useful and worth collecting. The game seamlessly blends survival and combat, so each piece of gear not only reflects a player’s fighting skill but also marks a step forward in their journey – a tangible reward they can wear with pride and use to improve their chances of survival.

ELEX

Mutants And Machines Fused Into One

Hunting and faction progress are combined into one system.
Rare components become primary sources of progression.

ELEX mixes science fiction and fantasy in a post-apocalyptic world filled with huge, mutated creatures and various mechanical enemies. Exploring the landscape is risky, as you’ll frequently stumble upon these dangerous foes. Early in the game, battles can be very difficult, making even the biggest monsters feel truly scary to confront directly.

Defeating enemies can reward players with rare materials used to create strong gear and improvements, helping them face even greater challenges. The armor they find often looks worn and pieced together, fitting the harsh world around them. Through many battles, players will become familiar and connected with the unique creatures of this strange and beautiful land.

Conan Exiles

Man Vs Beast In Its Purest Form

Heavy focus on base-building and survival.
Fights act as perfectly tuned barriers to the next level of gear progression.

In Conan Exiles, surviving and hunting monsters are key to the game. It’s a harsh, open-world experience where you’ll encounter massive beasts and mythical creatures in ruins and desolate lands. To stand a chance against them, you need to carefully manage your resources and prepare for every battle.

Given the wild, natural world of the game, it’s fitting that armor is crafted from the creatures you hunt. However, the sheer variety of armor pieces and monsters remains impressive, even after many hours of play. Stronger monsters also drop rarer materials, which motivates players to keep venturing into risky areas. This creates a rewarding progression system where your power and how you look are both directly linked to your skill at tracking down, battling, and defeating monsters.

Elden Ring

Where Gods And Creatures Collide

Features a huge list of large-scale bosses.
Armor sets directly tie into slain enemies, especially boss armor sets.

Elden Ring takes players to a huge world populated by ancient dragons and terrifying monsters, some of which are strangely comical. While these enemies look intimidating, they can all be defeated with enough skill and perseverance. Many of the most unique and engaging battles aren’t required – they’re hidden away in secluded areas or within the depths of old ruins.

After tough battles, players earn rewards called remembrances, which they can use to get new spells, shields, and weapons. Most boss armor becomes available for purchase once you’ve defeated the boss. Even in smaller fights, enemies drop gear, meaning every battle offers a chance to improve your character’s style and strength.

2026-02-22 08:35