Monster Hunter: World is the fifth game in the Japanese franchise Monster Hunter, which is about hunting giant beasts. It is set in a medieval fantasy setting, on a continent known as the New World that is being colonized by the humans from the Old World. The plot revolves around a dragon migration called Elder Crossing. Your protagonist is a hunter, whose name and appearance can be customized. You traveled from the Old World to study and hunt the dragons and other local monsters.
The hunter, accompanied by an assistant, starts at the city of Astera, from where they can freely wander the open world. There are six regions in the New World, each with its own base camp. The camps are where you have to thoroughly prepare before every expedition, gathering equipment and provision. Before you can fight monsters, they need to be tracked down using Scout flies and studied to discover their habits, strengths, and weaknesses. There are no character levels, so your hunter’s effectiveness relies on the hunting gear you have equipped. Advanced armor and weapons can be created using a detailed crating system. Many items that you found on missions, including body parts of monsters, can be used for crafting.