Dark Souls II vs Monster Hunter: World
Dark Souls II is an action-RPG open-world game from FromSoftware (2014) while Monster Hunter: World is an action-RPG JRPG game from CAPCOM Co., Ltd. (2018).
Quick answer: Monster Hunter: World rates higher, 8.5 to 7.9 on the GamingPickz Score, and Monster Hunter: World is the cheaper at $29.99.
What each one is
Dark Souls II is filed under Action-RPG and Open-World. In contrast, Monster Hunter: World under Action-RPG and JRPG.
Developed by FROM SOFTWARE, DARK SOULS™ II is the highly anticipated sequel to the gruelling 2011 breakout hit Dark Souls. The unique old-school action RPG experience captivated imaginations of gamers worldwide with incredible challenge and intense emotional reward.
Welcome to a new world! In Monster Hunter: World, the latest installment in the series, you can enjoy the ultimate hunting experience, using everything at your disposal to hunt monsters in a new world teeming with surprises and excitement.
Story, characters and reception
Plot
Like its predecessor , Dark Souls II employs minimalist storytelling to convey its plot and lore. Historical events in the world and their significance are often implicit or left to player interpretation rather than fully shown or explained. Most of the story is given to the player through dialogue from non-player characters , flavor text from items, and world design; how players progress through the story can vary heavily depending on their actions. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Edit on Wikidata Dark Souls II received universal acclaim, according to review aggregator platform Metacritic . Critics praised the game's story, atmosphere, visuals, and environmental design, though some were critical of the boss quality, combat mechanics, and increased difficulty, adding that, in these regards, it fared poorly in comparison to the previous games ( Dark Souls and its spiritual predecessor, Demon's Souls ). Famitsu reviewed the… (Wikipedia)
Plot
In an unnamed high fantasy setting, humans and other sentient races have set their eyes on the New World, a separate continent from the populated Old World. The New World is an untamed wilderness where many powerful monsters roam free, and where researchers have been drawn to uncover new mysteries. Several ocean-bound Fleets have been sent already to establish working bases, safe from monsters, and operations are led by the Research Commission. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Monster Hunter: World received "universal acclaim" from critics on Xbox One and PlayStation 4, and a "generally favourable" reception on PC, according to review aggregator website Metacritic . Reviewers generally praised the game for being able to retain and not sacrifice the core Monster Hunter formula while opening it up to be amenable for new players to the series, being able to take advantage of the higher processing power of consoles… (Wikipedia)
At a glance
| Dark Souls II | Monster Hunter: World | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 7.9/10 | 8.5/10 |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (88%, 46,773) | Very Positive (89%, 516,159) |
| Critic aggregate | 91/100 | 88/100 |
| Price | $39.99 | $29.99 |
| Install size | 12 GB | 52 GB |
| Steam Deck | verified | verified |
| Released | 2014 | 2018 |
| Developer | FromSoftware | CAPCOM Co., Ltd. |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Dark Souls II vs Monster Hunter: World, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Dark Souls IIAction-RPG open-world gameMonster Hunter: WorldAction-RPG JRPG gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Dark Souls IISouls-like, RPG, Dark FantasyMonster Hunter: WorldCo-op, Action, Open WorldThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Dark Souls IIScore 7.9 · 88% on Steam · 91 criticMonster Hunter: World ✓Score 8.5 · 89% on Steam · 88 criticThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
Dark Souls II46,773 reviews · 4 add-ons · 12 GBMonster Hunter: World516,159 reviews · 200 add-ons · 52 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Dark Souls II$39.99Monster Hunter: World ✓$29.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
Dark Souls IIVerifiedMonster Hunter: WorldVerifiedValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
Monster Hunter: World takes 2 of the marked rounds to 0. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueDark Souls II and Monster Hunter: World on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- PC
- Xbox
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The higher-rated of the two: Monster Hunter: World (GamingPickz Score 8.5)
- The cheaper right now: Monster Hunter: World ($29.99)
- Lighter on storage: Dark Souls II (12 GB)
- The safer bet by weight of reviews: Monster Hunter: World (516,159 reviews)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
Souls-likeRPGDifficultAction RPGActionAdventureExplorationAtmospheric
Where they differ
Dark FantasyUnforgivingEpicPvPImmersiveDark
Character CustomizationSingleplayerGreat SoundtrackHack and SlashJRPGMMORPG
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Dark Souls II is demanding, for players who want a challenge. Monster Hunter: World is demanding, for players who want a challenge.
System requirements, side by side
| Dark Souls II | Monster Hunter: World | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | NVIDIA® GeForce® 9600GT | NVIDIA®GeForce®GTX 760 |
| Minimum CPU | AMD® Phenom II™ X2 555 3.2Ghz | Intel® Core™ i5 4460 |
| Minimum RAM | 2 GB | 8 GB |
| Install size | 12 GB | 52 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Dark Souls II · Monster Hunter: World.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 1 accessibility feature for Dark Souls II and 6 for Monster Hunter: World. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are Dark Souls II and Monster Hunter: World in scope?
Dark Souls II has drawn 46,773 Steam reviews, ships 4 add-ons and installs in 12 GB. Monster Hunter: World has drawn 516,159 Steam reviews, ships 200 add-ons and installs in 52 GB.
Is Dark Souls II or Monster Hunter: World better?
By the GamingPickz Score, Monster Hunter: World rates higher (8.5 to 7.9). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, Dark Souls II or Monster Hunter: World?
Monster Hunter: World is cheaper right now at $29.99, against $39.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Should I get Dark Souls II or Monster Hunter: World?
Monster Hunter: World rates higher, 8.5 to 7.9 on the GamingPickz Score, and Monster Hunter: World is the cheaper at $29.99. It also depends on what you want: the "which to pick" section above calls out which is cheaper, lighter on storage, better on a Steam Deck and the safer bet by weight of reviews.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
All comparisonsHow we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.