Uncover the chronological path to conquer the Monster Hunter realm: A sequential guide

Capcom's Monster Hunter franchise, celebrating its 20th anniversary last year, roars back in 2025 with Monster Hunter Wilds. This prolific series, spanning generations of consoles, reached new heights with 2018's Monster Hunter World and 2021's Monster Hunter Rise – Capcom's two best-selling games ever.

With Monster Hunter Wilds launching February 28th, let's explore the franchise's history through its most impactful titles, chronologically ordered.

The Monster Hunter Universe: A Vast Landscape

The Monster Hunter series boasts over 25 games, encompassing main entries, spin-offs, mobile releases, and enhanced editions. This list focuses on the 12 most significant games, excluding mobile and arcade-exclusive titles (Monster Hunter i, Monster Hunter Spirits), defunct MMOs (Monster Hunter Frontier, Monster Hunter Online), and the Japan-only Monster Hunter Diary: Poka Poka Airou Village.

IGN's Monster Hunter Reviews: A Retrospective

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Your Monster Hunter Journey Begins

The Monster Hunter series lacks a continuous narrative, offering flexibility in choosing a starting point. For newcomers in 2025, consider waiting for Monster Hunter Wilds reviews (February 28th release). Alternatively, Monster Hunter World (exploration-focused) or Monster Hunter Rise (speed and fluidity) are excellent entry points.

Out February 28### Monster Hunter Wilds - Standard Edition

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A Chronological Hunt: Every Monster Hunter Game

Monster Hunter (2004)

Initially conceived to test the PS2's online capabilities, the original Monster Hunter established the franchise's core gameplay loop: players undertake quests to hunt monsters, utilizing harvested materials to craft and upgrade gear for increasingly challenging hunts. Monster Hunter G, an expanded version, followed exclusively in Japan.

Monster HunterCapcom Production Studio 1Mar 11, 2004

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Monster Hunter Freedom (2005)

This enhanced PSP port of Monster Hunter G marked the series' successful transition to handheld consoles, selling over a million copies and establishing a trend of portable versions outselling their home console counterparts.

Monster Hunter FreedomCapcom Production Studio 1Dec 1, 2005

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