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Twenty years ago, the original Monster Hunter first introduced players to an ever-expanding arsenal of weapons and unforgettable monsters. Since then, the series has grown in popularity around the world, and has been refined into one of the best multiplayer experiences gaming has to offer. There’s still a special sense of satisfaction that comes from taking down a massive, unfathomable creature by the skin of your teeth, coordinating with your fellow hunters, and skillfully using everyone’s weapons and abilities to take down the most terrifying enemies out there.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the series – and Monster Hunter Wilds Next release February 28 – Let’s examine how the series has evolved alongside PlayStation since its debut in 2004.
Monster Hunter | PS2
The greatest giants often arise from humble beginnings. The game that started it all was released in Japan in March 2004, with a North American release a few months later in September and a European release in March 2005. It provided the foundational gameplay that would define Monster Hunter gameplay for decades to come. : Quest-based progression, gathering and managing resources, crafting weapons and armor, and the need to approach and attack ferocious monsters through strategy, planning, and perseverance to succeed.
By the series’ current standards, Monster Hunter seems a bit sparse, with only seven weapon types and thirty monsters (including several now-iconic creatures like Rathalos), but the game offered a great deal of variety in quest types and difficulty. Also, the game was designed around online multiplayer when that was still fairly new, even offering special event missions that can only be played online.
Monster Hunter did very well in Japan, and as Capcom worked on the follow-up, they released Monster Hunter G, an upgrade with improvements, new features, more monsters, and missions of higher difficulty.
Monster Hunter DOS | PS2
The true Monster Hunter sequel will appear late in the PS2 era – and only in Japan. Monster Hunter Dos was released for the PlayStation 2 in February of 2006, with new weapons, sub-quest additions, a unique day/night and seasonal system, and the addition of armor upgrades, among many other small tweaks and improvements. Monster Hunter Dos was warmly received in Japan, and was the last Monster Hunter game on the PS2. But for the larger global market – and the future of Monster Hunter – Capcom has been looking towards PlayStation Portable.
Monster Hunter Freedom | BSP
Even before Monster Hunter Dos launched, Capcom wanted players to be able to hunt on the go. Monster Hunter Freedom, known as Monster Hunter Portable in Japan, was released in December 2005 in Japan and May 2006 in the rest of the world. It was based heavily on the aforementioned Monster Hunter G, introducing both new monsters (including the debut of Yian Garuga) and high-level “G”-rank quests for players to enjoy.
In retrospect, it’s easy to see why the PSP felt like a true “home” for Monster Hunter: the PSP’s ability to play on a dedicated LAN, coupled with its advanced graphical capabilities and analogue control, fit Monster Hunter’s gameplay like a patchwork prop. It was followed by Monster Hunter Freedom 2, which took cues from Monster Hunter Dos by expanding the weapon repertoire (adding a series of staple items such as the Hunting Horn and Gunlance to the armory) and revisiting various Dos locations.
Monster Hunter Freedom Module | BSP
“Phenomenon” is exactly the word to describe how huge Monster Hunter Freedom’s following is in Japan. Monster Hunter Freedom Unite was released in 2008 in Japan as Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G, expanding on the success of the previous game and turning Monster Hunter into a household name. Freedom Unite would go on to sell 3.8 million copies globally, with many of those sales coming from Japan.
Building on Freedom 2, Freedom Unite introduced a range of quality-of-life improvements to the core experience while adding more environments, more monsters, additional monster behaviors, and a host of new higher-difficulty quests. It introduced the concept of CPU-controlled support characters by giving solo players the use of a Felyne companion to assist in battle – a feature that later games in the series would build upon.
Monster Hunter Mobile 3Third | BSP
Released on the PSP at the end of 2010, Monster Hunter Portable 3rd is another Japan-exclusive Monster Hunter game – although that didn’t stop it from becoming one of Capcom’s fastest-selling games of all time. Portable 3rd pushed the PSP to the limit, showcasing some of the best visuals on the system and setting the standard for the high-quality visual designs that the series would continue in later installments. Portable 3rd also marks the first appearance of Zinogre, a fan-favorite monster to this day.
Monster Hunter World | PlayStation 4
If there was ever a turning point where enthusiasm for Monster Hunter went global, it was probably 2018’s Monster Hunter World. Monster Hunter World, whose eerie title was Elder Dragon Nergigante, was a massive evolution for the series both graphically and gameplay-wise, using the PS4 to create A smooth fishing experience – in more ways than one.
Not only have the tutorials and early game experience been improved for beginners to the series, but the various “areas” that make up the large hunting environments (and the transitional loading times they entailed) have been streamlined into one large, open space for an epic monster hunt. For the first time ever, Monster Hunter is released simultaneously around the world, allowing players from around the world to collaborate and experience the thrill of creating new hunting strategies together. Judging by the name of the game’s setting, it seemed like a new world had opened up for the Monster Hunter series.
Monster Hunter World proved so successful globally that the Iceborne expansion was released the following year, reintroducing some of the cold weather mechanics seen in previous Monster Hunter titles. Monster Hunter World still has an active player base to this day.
Monster Hunter Rise | PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4
Monster Hunter Rise, along with its flagship monster Magnamalo, jumped onto PS5 and PS4 in early 2023. It brought with it a host of unique additions to the game: fast-traveling, air-launched Wirebugs, a new type of Canyne companion called the Palamute, and “Rampage” battles. The Hunters are tasked with protecting Kamura Village from the onslaught of several monsters at once – including particularly dangerous Apex monsters. Additionally, besides hunting and capturing monsters, you can actually control massive monsters for a brief period using the Wyvern Riding feature.
The already massive adventure grew even larger with the Sunbreak expansion, transporting hunters to the faraway kingdom, adding several new monsters (including the new flagship monster Malzeno), additional hunting locations, and many new skills for all weapons.
Monster Hunter Wilds | PS5
Monster Hunter’s evolution from cult favorite to Japanese sensation to global popularity has been an incredible journey, and anticipation for the upcoming Monster Hunter Wilds has already reached fever pitch. From stunning new weather effects to new abilities enabled by a bird-like mount called Seikret, there’s a mountain of new features for players to take note of.
Last year’s closed beta attracted a lot of interest from old and new players alike. Fortunately for those of you who want to get your hands on the Hunting Horn again on a journey into the Forbidden Lands, you won’t have to wait much longer – Monster Hunter Wilds will be released on February 28th.
