The games have a large focus on preparation such as bringing hot drinks when traveling to the tundra or antidotes when facing poisonous monsters as heading out into the wilderness without proper preparation will end in a quick death. There are no levels or leveling and the hunter’s ability to bring down a beast is instead determined by the material and shape of their equipment, proper use of items, and strategy in combating the monster’s natural defenses and maneuvers. Monsters have no health bars so the hunter is forced to look for signs of weakness such as excessive drooling, limping, regular taunting, weakened attacks and fleeing the battle which will usually be followed by devouring carcasses or sleeping.

The games are sparse on lore, but what is known is that a highly advanced civilization once existed but now lies in ruins, sometimes seen in the game's environments. The long-lived Wyverian's (pointy eared people) are linked to the ancient civilization somehow and guide the Hunter's towards maintaining a balance with nature and the natural order. They have been hugely successful. The landscape supports vast stretches of untouched wilderness and ruins reclaimed by nature. Massive, thriving creatures are abundant in every ecosystem. The humans are thriving too, with an abundance of food and resources for trade and craftsmen. They live in relative stability and embrace danger as a way of life, not as a means of survival. The relationship between Hunter and monster is not inherently antagonist. The Hunter's create tools and gadgets to keep pace with the creatures they hunt, develop insane skills, and learn to read the creatures. They gain an intimate understanding of the creature and turn it's power into their own through better gear. An anomaly exists in the form of Fatalis, an ancient dragon with a hatred for humanity, and unlike the other monsters it actively seeks humanity's destruction.

Affinity is the probability of doing critical damage, expressed as a percentage ranging from -100% to +100%. Strong hits (positive Affinity) do 25% more damage and weak hits (negative Affinity) do 25% less. Pay attention to both raw damage and Affinity.

• A weapon that does 206 raw damage with 0% Affinity will do more damage on average than a weapon with 200 raw damage and 10% Affinity, (206 x 1 = 206).
• A weapon that does 211 raw damage with -10% Affinity will also do more damage than the 200 raw damage plus 10% Affinity weapon (211 x .975 = 205.725). A relatively small increase in raw damage can completely offset a negative Affinity stat.