Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment Review: Ultrahanding Out Beatdowns
Nintendo and Koei Tecmo have once again won me over with their Warriors collaborations and spinoffs. Rather than simply placing popular characters into the Musou formula, Koei Tecmo enhances it by adapting mechanics from each franchise. This approach was successful in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, and continues with Age of Imprisonment.
Using the power of the Switch 2, this title delivers improved performance and stands as a strong spinoff to the outstanding Tears of the Kingdom. The story picks up from Tears of the Kingdom, much like Age of Calamity, by exploring events hinted at but not deeply covered before.
Plot and Characters
The focus centers on the conflict between the original King of Hyrule, Rauru, and the Gerudo chieftain turned Demon King, Ganondorf. If you completed Tears of the Kingdom, you know the outcome, yet Age of Imprisonment dives deeper into the narrative, showing Zelda's efforts to reunite with Link in the future. The game offers significant screen time to characters who were only briefly seen in Tears of the Kingdom.
Gameplay and Experience
- Smart adaptation of Tears of the Kingdom mechanics enhances the Musou gameplay.
- Enjoyable cast of characters with expanded backstories.
- Smooth campaign benefiting from the Switch 2’s hardware capabilities.
“Koei Tecmo isn’t just strapping fan favorite characters to the Musou formula. Instead, it is augmenting that formula with adaptations of the mechanics from the franchises it is handling.”
“Age of Imprisonment tells us the in-depth story that saw Zelda strive to reunite with Link in the future.”
Overall, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is a solid spinoff that successfully builds on the foundation set by Tears of the Kingdom, blending familiar characters and fresh gameplay improvements into an engaging experience.
Summary: This spinoff deepens the lore of Tears of the Kingdom with smart gameplay adaptations and compelling character focus, elevated by enhanced performance on the Switch 2.