The Hyrule Warriors series has made quite an impact on the Nintendo Switch as a formidable Musou experience that blends Dynasty Warriors with the lore of existing flagship Zelda titles.
While these previous titles lacked the performance needed to handle multiple enemies on screen at the same time, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment finally bucks that trend with new hardware, delivering solid performance and even better action.
It doesn’t have a memorable story, but the many battles and abilities make it one of the best entries in the series.
Zelda, where are you?
While Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity was a prequel in an alternate timeline, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment feels like a direct entry point in that it takes place before the events of The Legend of Zelda: Kingdom of Tears.
Here we find out what happened to Zelda during the events of the Imprisonment War. Zelda is basically teleported into the past to fight Ganandoroff, along with King Raul and Queen Sonia, the first rulers of Hyrule.
Credit: Nintendo
As far as lore goes, I like how this fits into Tears of the Kingdom, but I felt the 30-or-so hour story, which weaves in a lot of dialogue and cutscenes, lacked any real emotional punch or big stakes, given that it leans heavily towards the finale, which is ultimately Tears of the Kingdom as we know it.
Zelda befriends a character known as the Mysterious Construct, and while it gives us some cool moments as to who this character is and what his purpose is, it doesn’t give the story enough breadth to make it engaging overall. It’s not terrible, but it feels like the action takes a backseat.
tide of war
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment certainly steps up the action, and the series is even better at that. You can mash the Y and X buttons to come up with different combinations of light and heavy attacks. All of which are consistently satisfying and pack a powerful punch.
In keeping with Tears of the Kingdom, other playable characters like Zelda and Raul and Sonia can also utilize Zonai devices to change the course of battle. These devices can provide useful attacks to the player, usually to exploit enemy weaknesses. Some cover enemies with fire, some freeze them, and some fire projectiles, all of which can be powered by finding Zonai batteries in the environment.
Credit: Nintendo
It’s a nice touch and helps tie the experience a little more closely to Tears of the Kingdom while relying on combat, but only when it applies to combat. For better or worse, these devices are used for attacks, not necessarily for purposes such as puzzle-solving or traversal. Age of Imprisonment doesn’t really have time for that kind of thing.
The gameplay loop is still satisfying and full of things to see and do, but it definitely relies on the existing formula. Explore the battlefield and defeat enemy troops and bosses, upgrading your weapons and characters along the way. There are several missions to choose from, and certain missions also require you to donate certain resources along the way.
The best thing about Age of Imprisonment is that each chapter keeps you on your toes, presents new enemy types with new weaknesses, and encourages you to experiment and mix and match the use of your Zonai Devices. Up to three characters can be on the battlefield at any given time, and it’s fun to switch between each character on the fly, each with their own unique weapons and abilities.
Credit: Nintendo
King Raul’s combination of range and speed is a highlight, and it’s worth nothing that all the characters can fill up the Synchro Strike Gauge and join forces to deliver devastating attacks to most enemies. Players can also pre-select to quickly switch to a specific character whenever an enemy unleashes an attack that only they can counter.
Combat is generally fast-paced and consistently fun, and along with new Zonai devices, playable characters, upgradable weapons, and synchronized strikes, it manages to keep you on the edge of your seat without ever feeling tiring or repetitive.
look at the part
We’ve always wished that previous Hyrule Warriors games would run a little better on aging hardware, but the Nintendo Switch 2 feels like a revelation to Age of Imprisonment.
Most of the time, the game maintains 60 FPS in docked and handheld modes during single-player gameplay, and features gorgeous scenery and polished visuals.
Credit: Nintendo
However, split-screen co-op play is a different story. Gameplay drops noticeably to 30 FPS and stutters fairly regularly beyond that. It’s not unplayable, but it feels noticeably unpredictable as a result.
All in all, it’s a much smoother experience that you would have found on the original Nintendo Switch, so we consider this a win.
final thoughts
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Prisonment is a solid sequel that builds on its approach to chaotic action. While it lacks a compelling story, it does a great job of getting through 30 hours of fighting new enemies and tinkering with Zonai devices.
The single-player experience is also much smoother than on the Nintendo Switch 2, and while I wish the local split-screen co-op was similar, I have to say that it runs better overall.
While this may feel like a game you’ve played before in previous Hyrule Warriors titles, it’s still a game worth jumping into for the polished combat alone.
4 stars (out of 5)
Highlights: Solid combat. New enemy types and playable characters. great single player performance
Cons: Lackluster story. Poor performance during local split-screen co-op play
Developer: Koei Tecmo, AAA Games Studio
Publisher: Nintendo, Koei Tecmo
Platform: Nintendo Switch 2
Available: Currently
Review was conducted on Nintendo Switch 2 using an activation code provided by the publisher.
A featured header image is also provided by the publisher.
