What makes a monster-taming game memorable? Is it the character design, the combat, an active or passive playstyle, or simply nostalgia over time? Luckily for fans, Metacritic took out the guesswork when it comes to rating the games.
Updated January 28th, 2023 by Jacob Buchalter: The monster-taming genre is one that only seems to grow and become even better over time as new series learn, innovate, and adapt upon their predecessors. The genre is now long past the days of the original Pokemon Red and Blue and new games are coming out all the time that introduce new ways to collect and team up with tons of different magical, heretical, or even globular creatures. So, let’s comb through them all again and see what monster-taming game franchises reign supreme as the best of the best.
Disclaimer: For games that are on multiple platforms and therefore have multiple Metacritic listings, we’ll only be using their highest score (regardless of platform) as a metric.
16 Persona 5 & Persona 5 Royal – 93 & 94
Those that enjoy monster-taming games or are in need of excellent JRPGs (of course including Fire Emblem: Engage), in general, have likely fiddled a bit with the Persona series. Persona 5, not to be confused with its Strikers counterpart (which is still well-liked but not quite as universally), is perhaps the best entry in the long-standing series, holding an impressive 93 in its rating.
Persona 5 is a great release for those that enjoy dungeon-crawling, monster-taming, some of the catchiest tunes, all with some slice-of-life elements tossed into the mix. Personas can be caught, used in battle, and upgraded into more intense versions by fusing them with others, a mechanic similar to “evolving” in many other monster-taming titles.
Additionally, the Persona series has made a habit of releasing their game and then coming out with a more expansive release of the game somewhere down the road that adds more to the overall experience. Persona 4 had this with Persona 4: Golden and now Persona 5 has Persona 5: Royal. Royal is just Persona 5 but better in just about every single way. Lots of quality-of-life changes, new characters, tons of new story elements, and even new mechanics easily explain why Royal ranks slightly above the base game with a score of 94.
15 Dragon Quest V: Hand Of The Heavenly Bride – 90
Curiously, though this game originally came out on the Nintendo DS in 2009, the iOS version of the game has the higher score on Metacritic with a whopping 90 overall.
This RPG title is the second of the Zenithian Trilogy that was originally released on the SNES in 1992. Though it features a basic JRPG setup, gameplay includes decking out a wagon full of unique monsters, which is different from most of the other Dragon Quest games where players have a party of human or human-like companions to deck out instead.
Players will enjoy classic turn-based combat, an orchestrated soundtrack, beautiful 16-bit graphics, and a whole host of iconicDragon Questmonsters to befriend.
14 Monster Hunter World (As Well As Rise & Stories 2) – 90, 88, & 81
In recent years, the Monster Hunter franchise has absolutely returned to where it rightfully belongs at the forefront of gaming. Despite the incredible Metacritic score of 90 for Monster Hunter World and the equally impressive score of 90 for its Iceborne expansion, another game in the series actually better fits the monster-taming criterion vs. turning them into literal equipment is Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, with an 81 Metascore. This sequel game, along with its predecessor, allows players to collect and hatch eggs, create teams, raise monsters, chain combo attacks, and even ride their pets around. The game also features a historic “rock, paper, scissors” combat system.
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Not only that, but even their most recent release (at the time of writing this) Monster Hunter Rise takes what they learned from MHW and makes the gameplay a bit more snappy overall. Not only that, but players also have a whole new monster companion besides the Palicos to befriend in this game, the Palamutes. Rise has a score of 88 on the Nintendo Switch, landing it right in the middle between Monster Hunter Stories (both 1 and 2) and Monster Hunter World.
13 Monster Rancher 1 (& The Entire Series) – 86
Monster Rancher embraced technology in a unique way in that the actual ’lore’ of the games said that every CD has a monster inside it. Also called Monster Farm in Japan, the franchise includes many games and an anime TV series. But the original game was released for the PS1 in 1997.
It bridged the digital and the real worlds in a unique, visceral way. Monster designs were original and compelling and players could breed them, too. Players could raise monsters for tournament fighting but needed support to perform at their best. It also had players combing through their library of Playstation games, trying all of them to see what monsters were unique to each one.
The first game in the series maintains a Metascore of 86, while later entries in the IP range from the high 70s to the low 80s.
12 Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch Remastered & Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom – 86 & 84
Level-5 developed this game for the PS3 to be released in 2011 in Japan and in 2013 in Western regions. The remaster was released for Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Windows PCs in 2019. And, surprisingly, many fans have called it the best way to experience the game.
The game owes its fantastic Metacritic score of 86 to its beautiful and nostalgic animation style thanks to the hands of the masters in the industry as Studio Ghibli. The Ni No Kuni series as a whole delivers a relaxing, traditional RPG experience sure to bring a smile to the face of new players and Pokemon veterans alike.
The second game, Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom, somehow manages to improve upon the already mind-blowing visuals of the first game and it also adds to the gameplay systems as well. While fans of both games do say that the first title excels in combat difficulty and story while the second game excels in visuals and mechanics, both are absolutely deserving of their scores of 86 and 84 respectively.
11 Viva Pinata, Trouble In Paradise, & Pocket Paradise – 84, 82, & 82
Viva Pinata merges monster-taming, resource management, and a sim game all into one intuitive and fun experience. Though it was released in 2006 for the Xbox 360, it still maintains a Metascore of 84.
The game was a bit ahead of its time with hundreds of customizable elements. Players needed to foster a garden ecosystem in real time to attract other pinata species. The game included more than 60 species with infinite ways for players to design their gardens and bring in new pinatas.
Not only that, but almost no one is aware that there are multiple Viva Pinata games, and three of them have equally favorable scores to the original. The ‘sequel’ of sorts that introduces co-op play, Viva Pinata: Trouble In Paradise, has a score of 82 while the handheld game, Pocket Paradise, is at exactly the same level, also with a score of 82.
10 Yo-Kai Watch: Wibble Wobble & The Entire Yo-Kai Watch Series – 83
Level-5 (makers of Ni No Kuni) also created this seires that features yokai (AKA spirits) from Japanese folklore. Despite being an iOS title, Yo-Kai Watch Wibble Wobble has the highest Metascore of any game in the series with an 83. However, it is more of a puzzle game than a monster-taming one.
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Fans looking for a more traditional monster-taming game should pick up Yo-Kai Watch 3, which has an 80 for its Metascore. These games focus on battling, befriending, and helping the Yo-Kai in a very similar way to Pokemon, but with just enough mechanical and systematic changes to give it its own very recognizable and unique identity.
9 Pokemon Legends: Arceus – 83
Technically, Pokemon X and Y are the highest ranked on Metacritic at the moment with a score of 87, but since then Pokemon Legends: Arceus has come out to receive a score of 83, and it is absolutely the more modern entry in the franchise to play for true monster-taming gameplay. Legends is a game that attempts to switch up the classic Pocket Monster collecting formula in a myriad of ways. Players are in a completely different time period, approach combat as well as catch Pokemon in completely new ways, and characters are often actually more terrified of wild Pokemon than ever before.
While it’s not a ‘mainline’ Pokemon game and more of a spinoff, Pokemon Legends: Arceus is absolutely the Pokemon game that people will remember fondly for trying something different when they look back 5-10 years from now.
8 World Of Final Fantasy Maxima – 81
Somewhere between Kingdom Hearts, Pokemon, and Final Fantasy lies the World of Final Fantasy Maxima game. It was released in 2018 for all 4 major platforms (Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC) having originally come out in 2016. The game features Champions who tame Mirages (monsters) mixed in with classic JRPG writing.
The game features floating islands that are settings from past Final Fantasy games. It also features many characters from past games like Quistis Trepe (FFVIII), Terra Brandford (FFVI), and Vivi (FFIX). It is a wonderful experience for new players and a trip down memory lane for long-time fans of the franchise. Though let’s be honest, with all the references in the FF7 remakes, the absurd number of references and homages throughout the FF14 MMORPG quests, and of course, with Maxima, Final Fantasy fans spend more time reminiscing on the classic games than they do experiencing the new content.
7 Slime Rancher & Slime Rancher 2 – 81
Slime Rancher puts players in the shoes of Beatrix LeBeau – a young rancher traveling to the Far, Far Range. She wants to wrangle some slimes and make some money in the region a thousand lightyears from Earth.
Developer Monomi Park has supported the super-cozy indie title with dozens upon dozens of free updates. The dual slime collector and farming sim were even named “Best Simulation Game” by Game Informer in 2017.
Players can discover new slimes, create new gadgets with Slime Science, and explore all the regions of the Far, Far Range. Plus, for a game all about collecting different types of slime balls, Slime Rancher, which has an 81 on Metacritic, has one of the most rabid fanbases of all time ready to go up to bat for their indie darling at any moment.
Now the second game, Slime Rancher 2, technically doesn’t qualify to be on here given that it’s an Early Access game and as such doesn’t have a Metascore yet. But, considering that the overall consensus in the Steam reviews is that it improves upon basically everything in the first game and it has about 15,000 Overwhelmingly Positive reviews on Steam in 4+ months (at the time of writing this), it should at least be mentioned.
6 Monster Sanctuary – 80
Those that are looking for something a bit more difficult than the other entries on this list may want to check out Monster Sanctuary, a Metroidvania/Monster-taming hybrid that features some great elements from each genre.
This indie release has gained a lot of positive buzz from fans, even if it didn’t seem to sway “proper critics” in the same manner with its 80 overall Metascore. At the end of the day, Monster Sanctuary is a fantastic release with a lot to offer fans of platformers and monster-battling games.
5 Nexomon: Extinction – 80
Nexomon are the monsters in Nexomon: Extinction and there are more than 300 of them to encounter. The tyrant Nexomon seeks dominion over monsters and people. So a guild of tamers must journey to restore balance to the world. This, of course, includes capturing, taming, and training a team of Nexomon. This game, released in late 2020 for all major platforms, ticks every box for a great monster-taming game. It has unique monster designs, colorful graphics, cute monsters, and addictive gameplay.
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This one, despite one of the lower overall scores on here at 80, might be the best recommendation for someone who just wants a game eerily close to Pokemon yet different enough to feel ’new’.
4 Temtem – 79
Moving on to probably one of the more ambitious entries on here, Temtem. Temtem is a game that was in early access since early 2020 and was only recently released as a full product in September 2022 (and still gets frequent updates). That said, the years spent in early access obviously did a lot because the game is an incredibly completely monster-taming MMORPG.
Players can simply complete the single-player campaign or they can, join a co-op playthrough of the story with their friend, focus on the cosmetic parts of the online experience such as home customization, or dedicate themselves entirely to climbing the PvP ladder. Temtem has a ton to offer players, separates itself from the Pokemon comparison in a ton of different ways, and is ultimately a success story worthy of the 79 rating on Metacritic.
3 Bugsnax – 78
If there’s anyone out there looking for a game about exploring, discovering, and capturing all sorts of sentient food monsters in a world full of Sesame Street-esque puppet people, then first off… wow what a specific thing to be looking for. Secondly, Bugsnax is the perfect recommendation for that person. Bugsnax has players controlling a journalist exploring the mystical island of Snaktooth to find the eccentric yet ingenious leader in the study of Bugsnax, Elizabert Megafig.
Overall, Bugsnax is a surprisingly complex game with some pretty heavy topics sprinkled throughout. Not only that, the designs are hilarious in all sorts of different ways, all the characters are memorable, and the puzzle aspects of the game are pretty engaging as well. It’s a bit of a wild ride, but Bugsnax’s 78 rating is at the very least fair for a game of this quality.
2 Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition – 76
This list has talked about Pokemon and Monster Rancher, but where’s the Digimon representation? Well, here it is in the form of Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth. This franchise is one that was large enough (back in the late 90s to early 2000s) to actually split the monster-collecting demographic of kids mostly down the middle between it and Pokemon. With the tv show, high-production movies, games, and more, Digimon kept up with Pokemon to some degree.
But, in the last decade or so, they haven’t been around in the spotlight all too much, until now. Digimon Cyber Sleuth is every bit the Digimon game that fans were asking for, but with a compelling and unique mystery story piled on top. Sure, the game has its fair share of repetition problems and other small gripes, but overall the Digimon fanbase still seems happy enough with this entry to earn it a 76 score rating on Metacritic.
1 Coromon – 75
Coromon sits right up there with Nexomon as a game that is very obviously an ‘homage’ to the Pokemon games while differentiating itself in a couple of key ways that earn it the 75 score that it currently has.
For one, Coromon has some beautiful pixel art and over a hundred incredibly unique designs for its monsters. Two, the amount of quality-of-life features in this game can’t be overstated, players can pretty much control just about every aspect of their game to some degree. Three, the difficulty of the game, on every level, is well thought out. And finally, Coromon’s soundtrack is absolutely stellar. All in all, it’s just a very good game for any fan of Pokemon to try out, and they may find themselves more hooked than they were with any of the more modern entries in the Pokemon franchise.
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