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Zelda and Link left a deep mark on the history of video games. This mark has only grown with the release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, both of which are deep, emotional stories that captivate anyone who plays them. The same thing happened to me with Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. After playing Tears of the Kingdom, I was left with a strong desire to learn more about Hyrule and its past, and Age of Imprisonment arrived to fill that void with an incredible story and exceptional gameplay that perfectly translates the franchise’s mechanics into this legendary war.
I Have Been Here Before
One of the most critical points in Tears of the Kingdom is that Zelda ends up traveling to the past. I would issue a spoiler warning, but what are you doing in this review if you haven’t played Tears yet?!
In Age of Imprisonment, we see how, from the moment Zelda arrives in the past, she becomes fully involved in the needs of her ancestral Kingdom. Not only that, but King Rauru and Queen Sonia, the founders of Hyrule, take Zelda in so that she can develop her powers. Of course, we are also witnesses to how events at that time continued to affect the present and to how they changed history.
What I enjoyed most was learning more about the lore of the latest Legend of Zelda games, but above all, the princess’s participation. In fact, there are several games in which Zelda proves that she is not the damsel in distress that Link must rescue as if she were a burden. Zelda sometimes demonstrates her incredible intellect and powerful abilities. It’s compelling to see Zelda’s development, as she grows in confidence and takes on a leadership role.
The Same, But Different
Apart from the captivating story, the gameplay shines just as much, if not a bit more. If you’ve played any Musou game before, you might already know what to expect. Your 1v100 action but with a Zelda coat of paint. Yet, I don’t say this to undermine what Age of Imprisonment did. On the contrary, out of all the Zelda Musou games we’ve seen, this one is the one that takes the cake due to how well it translates some of the mainline games’ systems into this frenetic, action-packed experience.
In terms of combat, you have your basic and charged attacks, which you can then weave into different combos that are sometimes shown on the screen as you fight. This is an excellent addition for those jumping into a “Warriors” game and struggling to follow the chain combos most of the time.
Since Age of Imprisonment draws on everything from the Zelda universe, especially the features from Tears of the Kingdom, there are some systems that players of the open-world RPG might recognize, albeit with a more action-oriented approach. For instance, Fusion lets you use Zonai devices directly, without having to place them in a weapon first. The UI felt a bit cluttered at times with the Zonai devices, character skills, and other items, but it was easy to understand, especially when fighting against a horde of enemies.
Age of Imprisonment gives you a huge roster of characters, each one with different playstyles. You have Zelda with her time magic and a wand that she uses to smack Moblins around. The King, who focuses on Light magic to defeat waves of enemies with ease, and so on. You’ll unlock more as you progress through the story and complete a few side objectives.
Frankly, I was expecting to feel overwhelmed by the huge cast of playable characters, but I didn’t. While I had my favorites, with the King being at the top of the list, it was nice to take everyone for a spin, especially since the game rewards you with some experimentation as you pair some characters together.
One of my favorite systems in the game was the Sync Strikes, which trigger when a specific pair of characters is together and launch devastating moves. You can’t pull these attacks off with all characters, but it was always a pleasant surprise to discover these combinations that often led me to try some unexpected lineups.
Outside of the main story missions, you’ll also find several requests or side missions that you can tackle to obtain resources or to bring new characters together to get a feeling of their playstyle. These are way smaller than the main missions, but I quite liked them because they offered some straight-to-the-point action without taking up too much time on strategy or character placement.
Another big selling point of this entry, and one that didn’t really convince me, was the addition of co-op. In truth, I was disappointed by it. I was expecting the game to let me experience the whole story in co-op mode, but a few levels forced me into solo mode. It may not be a big deal for some, but I didn’t like having to boot the other person out while I was on my story mission, only to invite them back.
Still, despite my complaints about the UI and co-op mode, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment surprised me way more than I thought it would. It strikes this perfect balance of involving one in its story to how deep it is and how it flawlessly fills the gaps before Link’s second rodeo in Hyrule, but it also offers that fast-paced action of a Musuo game.
A Worthy Successor
As someone who is just getting into this genre, Age of Imprisonment is excellent for those veteran Musuo warriors, but also an excellent starting point for the classic Zelda fans. Of course, it will make more sense for those who played Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, but that doesn’t mean that players who prefer to focus more on combat can’t join in. It is both accessible and challenging, and that’s commendable. My only big problem is how limited the co-op feels at times, but it wasn’t something that ruined my experience.
Ultimately, if you’re a Hyrule nerd, Age of Imprisonment will give you plenty of narrative content that is perfectly crafted to tie in Zelda’s story with Link’s adventure. And if you’re someone who comes from Dynasty Warriors: Origins, this is yet another Musuo hit that will keep you occupied for hours, due to its depth, replayability, chaotic battles, and freedom to experiment.
Review copy provided by Publisher.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment (Nintendo Switch 2 Reviewed)
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is another superb entry in this series that does an excellent job at combining some classic Zelda systems with the Musou action we all love.
Pros
- A superb adaptation of many gameplay systems
- An excellent way to fill some gaps in Tears of the Kingdom
Cons
- Limited functions for co-op mode
