Monster Hunter 2

Monster Hunter 2, also called Monster Hunter Dos, is an action role-playing game from Capcom that came out for the PlayStation 2 in 2006. As the second major entry in the Monster Hunter series, it launched in Japan during February of that year. This installment brought in a day-night cycle, changing seasons, and weapon classes like the Long Sword and Hunting Horn, all of which became regular fixtures in later games. An unofficial English fan translation was made available in 2023.

The core gameplay sticks close to earlier titles while adding new mechanics. Players take on quests to hunt large or small monsters or gather materials, using the rewards to craft weapons and armor. The weapon tree was improved, and armor could be upgraded. As in other Monster Hunter games, equipping armor pieces grants skills and abilities. A fresh addition here is the gem system: gems provide skill points that work alongside those from armor and weapons. Players create gems by combining ore and monster parts, then attach or remove them from armor and weapons that have special gem slots.

Reception was generally favorable, with Japan's Famitsu magazine giving it a score of 37 out of 40.

A related game, Monster Hunter Freedom 2 (released in Japan as Monster Hunter Portable 2nd), is a partial port of Monster Hunter 2 for the PSP. It adds new features and makes several changes to the original.