Hunting games allow players to test not only their stealth skills but also their tracking skills as they stalk after various animals and monsters in games in the hopes of getting a successful kill. Players have found even more enjoyment in these hunting games, which also allow them to explore an open world where the various targets could be anywhere on the map for players to find.

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While some of these open-world hunting titles are realistic in nature as they task the player with hunting deer or other animals, others give players more of a challenge, such as tracking down and defeating huge mystical creatures. These are by far the best open-world hunting games a player should try.

8 Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunt

Metascore: TBD

A player aiming at a dinosaur in Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunt
  • Release Date: June 1, 2021
  • Developer: Digital Dreams Entertainment
  • Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

Many players are likely to have an interest in prehistoric life-like dinosaurs, some may wish to make fantastical dino zoos like in Jurassic Park, while others may instead wish to challenge their hunting skills. In Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunt, players do exactly that as they are transported to an alien planet where they are left to their own devices to freely explore and hunt dinosaurs.

These dinosaurs are exactly like the ones that went extinct with players hunting some of the most-loved, such as the T. rex. Each dinosaur will also react differently to the sights, sounds, and smells of the player to make each dinosaur encounter different.

7 Hunting Simulator

Metascore: 58

A player watching its prey in Hunting Simulator

  • Release Date: June 9, 2017
  • Developer: Neopica
  • Platforms: PC

As an epic hunting adventure, players are free to travel the globe to places like Texas, France, and Scotland to hunt various wildlife in Hunting Simulator. With 37 different animal species for players to track, each with their own realistic behavior, players are in for an immersive experience that attempts to simulate what a hunter realistically.

What makes Hunting Simulator feel so realistic is the trademarked weaponry that Hunting Simulator has available to it, such as the Browning or Winchester Models, which are actual models of guns that make players feel as if they are actual hunters tracking their prey in the wilderness.

6 Project Hunt

Metascore: TBD

A player with a deer in their sights in Project Hunt
  • Release Date: August 16, 2023
  • Developer: Mind Marvels
  • Platforms: PC

Although Project Hunt may not be as flashy as some other open-world hunting games, players still enjoy semi-realistic classics like this to relax with, as they are simply left to explore the forests looking for moose, deer, and other prey to track and kill.

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Even while simplistic, players still have a wide range of weaponry and ammunition to choose from that they will be challenged to practice with if they hope to successfully take down their prey. Especially as players still need to consider the bullet drop and the direction of the wind before they even consider taking a single shot.

5 theHunter: Call Of The Wild

Metascore: 64

Tracks in theHunter: Call of the Wild
theHunter: Call of the Wild

Platform(s)
PC , PS4 , Xbox One
Released
February 16, 2017
Developer(s)
Expansive Worlds
Genre(s)
Simulation

Another realistic and immersive open-world hunting game players are likely to enjoy is theHunter: Call of the Wild. This game has been constantly updated since its first release in 2017 with new open-world environments to explore and animals to hunt. Even without any of the extra content, the base game is still something players are likely to enjoy either solo or even going hunting with friends.

Since it's the player's hunt, they get to choose what they hunt and what they use to hunt it due to the wide variety of weaponry available for the player to choose from. Then they just need to successfully track, lure, and ambush their target with the right weaponry for a great hunt.

4 BIGFOOT

Metascore: TBD

A player being attacked by bigfoot while their friends watch defenceless in Bigfoot
  • Release Date: January 31, 2017
  • Developer: CyberLight Game Studio
  • Platforms: PC

As seen, not everything that a player hunts needs to be a realistic animal, though some may argue that the target players are hunting in this title is very real. BIGFOOT sees players set up hunting cameras and waiting for the night to arrive to hunt the forest cryptic known as Big Foot on his very own home turf.

Players can either play alone or with friends as they finally prove that Big Foot isn't just a myth or a legend, but actually a living thing that is now trying to hunt them as much as they are trying to hunt him. A player can even control Big Foot themselves to work against their fellow players to see who will win in the end.

3 Way Of The Hunter

Metascore: 65

Way of the Hunter - Buck
  • Release Date: August 16, 2022
  • Developer: Nine Rocks Games
  • Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S

By far the best of the classic open-world hunter titles has to be Way of the Hunter. This game tries its best to be as realistic as possible while tasking a player to hunt and kill various prey. Way of the Hunter prides itself on its animal behavior, as players will notice as they explore the open world of this hunting title that the wildlife available closely acts like the real thing.

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This not only makes an immersive experience but also means that players will need to think strategically and like real hunters when deciding how to approach their prey that they've been tracking for a while.

2 Far Cry 3

Metascore: 88

A jaguar pounces on one of Vas's pirates at an outpost in the game Far Cry 3
Far Cry 3

Platform(s)
PS4 , PS3 , Xbox One , Xbox 360 , PC
Released
November 29, 2012
Developer(s)
Ubisoft Montreal
Genre(s)
FPS , Open-World

Far Cry 3 may not be predominantly a hunting game. However, players are likely to find themselves exploring with a bow often if they hope to upgrade their gear. On the fictional tropical pirate islands known as the Rook Islands, players are sure to encounter all sorts of animals, from the sharks that hunt in the warm waters to various big cats that are sure to make the player their dinner.

For the player to successfully progress through the story, they will need to increase the amount of ammo they can hold or healing supplies and the only way to increase this is through crafting bigger pockets or bags. This will require the player to go hunting for these animals to get the pelts needed. Eventually, they may even need to complete hunting side missions that give them even more valuable pelts for the final upgrade.

1 Monster Hunter World

Metascore: 90

Players hunting a Nergigante in Monster Hunter World
Monster Hunter World

Platform(s)
PS4 , Xbox One , PC
Released
January 26, 2018
Developer(s)
Capcom
Genre(s)
Action RPG

While Monster Hunter: World may not be the most realistic hunting game available, it is certainly one of the best with players enjoying the franchise for countless years. In Monster Hunter: World, players are free to choose from a variety of weaponry to use to attack the furious monsters that lurk in different areas of the map.

Players are free to choose different locations that allow them to then explore a small open-world map where various different monsters can be found. This means players should put on their tracking heads as they look for dead prey or footprints to track their foes. Finally, players will need to learn the weaknesses of their monster prey if they hope to down it swiftly.

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