The formula to perfecting the monster collector genre is providing an exciting variety of well-designed creatures you’d be eager to have in your care and engage in battles with. What about some of the existing games that already have an iconic enemy variety we all know and love, but are underutilized in this respect?
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Over the decades and across the genres, from action-adventure, survival horror, and sci-fi fantasy, came a wonderful collection of creatures still roaming their environments without any player character companionship. ThePokemonseries may be among the most popular, but perhaps some of these could one day give it a run for its money.
10Doom
Id Software’s first-person shooterDoomseries has been around for 30 years with still no aspect of monster-collecting in sight. The classic demonic entities across the generations of games have all undergone intricate evolutions to their design, and it’s about time their purpose is for more than just glory kills.
In an unconventional twist to the genre, the Doom slayer can have a recruitment-adjacent system as inShadow of Warand turn to smaller enemies like the Cacodemons, Arachnotrons, Revenants, Imps, and Lost Souls to enlist their aid in combat. It can mimic a gorier Pokemon-style aesthetic of demon-on-demon action.
9Silent Hill
Of all the existing horror game series, the one that would surely stand out as a monster collector would be the atmosphericSilent Hillseries. With the series experiencing a resurgence, perhaps it’s only a matter of time before you can roam around the eerie setting of Silent Hill and acquire some of its iconic monsters.
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And there’s a countless list of them, with each game introducing new grotesque creaturesrepresenting their characters' darkest psychological traumas. Imagine having everything from the Nurses to the Mannequins, Rompers, and Double Heads alongside you to battle larger enemies like the dreadful Pyramid Head.
8Metroid
Metroidcertainly wouldn’t be the first Metroidvania-style game to fuse monster-collecting mechanics.Monster Sanctuarymore than proves that the mechanics of maintaining a band of creatures and defeating enemies in a 2D pixelated world with platforming is an achievable and fun combination.
Like Nintendo’sSuper MarioandThe Legend of Zeldaenemies, the ones in the Metroid series are equally noteworthy and deserve Samus Aran’s mercy to join her as supportive members in battles with theother terrifying creaturesyou might encounter. Being able to upgrade their abilities as you can Samus' suit sounds like an idea everyone can get behind.
7Mass Effect
When the firstMass Effectcame out in 2007, it revolutionized the RPG genre with its branching dialogue wheel mechanic and the ability to formsame-sex relationships with other characters. Of the four titles that have launched, the only remaining feature still left out is any form of creature-collecting.
From the Milky Way to the Andromeda galaxy, Mass Effect offers a host of fantastic alien races and species like Thresher Maws, Echidnas, and even Space Cows. With a squad-based combat system already in place, some of these monstrous extraterrestrials getting to tag along for the battles would add wonders to the sci-fi experience.
6Devil May Cry
A series as old as Silent Hill andResident Evil,Devil May Cryis one of the originals in the hack-and-slash genre that sees you progress by slaying hordes of demons. Had there been more RPG elements tied into the action-adventure gameplay, you’d perhaps get a system of a similar fashion to theShin Megami Tenseigames, where you can gather and level up demons for combat.
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In fact, Devil May Cry puts a great emphasis on ranking your combat and missions by giving out grades of D through S based on completion time and the amount of damage taken. It’s a game ripe with spectacular enemy design, and some of the lesser demons like Kyklops, Beelzebubs, Empusas, and Riots can maybe help to improve your rank.
5Subnautica
The exotic array of alien aquatic species lurking in the oceanic depths ofSubnautica’s Planet 4546B makes a compelling case for the survival gameplay to shift more toward monster-collecting. Both games already include multiple modes, such as creative, where you don’t need to worry about hunger and oxygen levels, along with hardcore and survival. So why not an additional monster-collecting mode?
The vast underwater environment is home to rich and diverse biomes of kelp forests, caverns, and dunes, among others. you’re able to hatch eggs scattered throughout these biomes and befriend certain fish with bait, but it would be nice if they would stick by your side as protection when in conflict with more giant carnivorous species.
4Fallout
The fourth installment allowed for a dog companion, andFallout 76experimented with a co-op experience, but theFalloutseries has yet to include an official monster-collecting entry where you can add multiple mutated creatures from the nuclear wasteland onto your team. From the Radscorpions to the Giant Mantises, Mirelurks, and Mole Rats, there areplenty of popular onesto pick from.
The open-world survival aspect of Fallout has the potential to become even more interesting were you able to befriend some of these otherwise threatening creatures you encounter. They can follow you along your journey through the wasteland and defend you from Ghouls, Raiders, and the further menacing Deathclaws.
3The Witcher
Geralt of Rivia deals withan extensive bestiary of mythological creaturesthroughoutThe Witcherseries, all remarkably designed and coming with in-depth lore. But what if there was an option for you to obtain one rather than slay them and collect their various parts? Possibly a new magical sign you can learn that allows you to enchant them to your side.
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The open world of The Witcher, especially the third entry in the series, is equal parts immersive as it is massive, so it should host sufficient room for Geralt and a party of Drowners, Nekkers, and Wraiths to engage with the more formidable Royal Griffins and Werewolves, and even the fights with the Wild Hunt.
2Horizon
Horizon Zero DawnandForbidden Westput on full display their unique variety of animal machines that populate the stunning post-apocalyptic landscape. As the main character, Aloy, you can take control of certain ones through override ability and utilize them as a mount, and some may also assist in combat.
It’s nowhere as detailed as each machine receiving a health bar and sticking by your side as a collective. However, the taming system used to extend the hacking to a more diverse range of enemy machines, like grazers and burrowers, can be expanded to better strategize battles with their respective abilities in a similar light toMonster Hunter Stories 2.
1Borderlands
When you think of a series likeBorderlands, the first things that may come to mind are the distinct art style, humorous characters sticking it to villainous corporations, and signature looter shooter gameplay. Though these are what ultimately shape the Borderlands games, the various creatures scattered amid the planetary environments shouldn’t be overlooked.
Borderlands 3gave a tease as to what an in-depth monster collector-style game could mean for the series with its pet companion system for the character FL4K, but it can go even further than limiting it to just one pet and only choosing from three particular species. Aside from Jabbers and Skags, there are Dregs, Varkids, and countless variations of native Pandoran animals.
