With Monster Hunter Wilds out on February 28, we’re looking back on the franchise's history with a list of the series’ most important games, ordered chronologically by release

The Monster Hunter games have never lacked a story per se, but it's always been a gameplay-focused franchise first and foremost, with some strong worldbuilding and a generally-acceptable plot. Now, with this greater emphasis on storytelling, director Yuya Tokuda speaks about this new direction in an interview with Gamesradar.

The second weekend of Monster Hunter Wilds open beta 2 starts at the following times in your time zone: The above times are also when each period will end — so for those in North America, it’ll end on Monday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. PST / 10 p.m. EST.