Distributor provided a review copy.
It's a great time to be a Zelda fan in more ways than one.
After the superlative Echoes of Wisdom, we've got a second spin-off in the series featuring the titular elven princess; this time as the lead of her own Hyrule Warriors adventure that sees her take on major events in the ever expanding Triforce saga.
This is the second Warriors-title set during the Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom era. The first was Age of Calamity, released a few years back on the Nintendo Switch. Sadly, I missed out on playing that part of the story, and can't say how it compares to Age of Imprisonment, though everyone of my friends that did play it has nothing but good things to say.
As for Age of Imprisonment, it is a familiar yet immensely refined addition of the genre. While the storytelling isn't as well-defined as with the Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom mainline adventures, the result is still an emotional and thoroughly engaging action adventure that's bound to satisfy fans.
Joonatan Itkonen
The story picks up at the start of Tears of the Kingdom, where Zelda and Link are torn apart by the resurrection of Ganondorf. Zelda is cast into the distant past, where the founders of Hyrule battle against the rising tide of evil spirits and a lurking evil they can't explain. Uncertain of how she got there, Zelda joins forces with her ancestors to save the kingdom and find her way home.
Those who've played Tears of the Kingdom already know how the story ends, but it doesn't make Hyrule Warriors any less interesting to play. While the emphasis is very much on the over-the-top combat, Hyrule Warriors manages to sneak in some surprisingly touching moments and plenty of the signature pontification about the enormity of time and destiny the series is known for.
If you haven't played a Warriors game before, the basics are simple: It's you versus thousands of enemy opponents on large scale battlefields where you have to capture points of interest and take out increasingly difficult captains of the opposing forces to win the day.
Age of Imprisonment doesn't break from this format during its almost 20-hour campaign, but it does introduce numerous little additions from the Zelda-series that make it stand out. My favorite element is how it weaves in the Zonai technology found in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom to the massive combat mechanics of the Warriors series.
Combat itself is immensely satisfying, especially once you get a handle on how to expose enemy weaknesses with a combination of skills, magic, and technology. Here, I found the regular Switch controllers a little fiddly, but luckily the Pro Controller proved to be the perfect companion for battle. Though that just might be me with my big hands and cognitive disabilities – your mileage may vary.
Age of Imprisonment happily offers three difficulty levels to choose from, each of which is distinct in the challenge they offer. None of the content is locked behind a difficulty wall, which is always great to see. You can experience the game on your own terms and skill level without being punished for it.
Like with other Zelda games, Age of Imprisonment follows a linear structure that introduces new skills and enemies in each chapter. Eventually you'll gather a roster of items and talents to use, though you'll probably want to make extensive use of the quick-select toggle, as I found the menu system to be just as frustrating as in Echoes of Wisdom, where you had to select items for an ever-expanding menu wheel.
My least favorite part of Age of Imprisonment deals with enemy-specific abilities and counters, which I just found too difficult to parse through in the thick of battle. They've always been a part of this genre, but I think that others, like Dynasty Warriors Origins, have implemented these character-specific actions better. It's immensely annoying to focus on a single enemy and to figure out the right counter as a thousand others are breathing down your neck.
Luckily the Sync Strike mechanic makes a comeback, and it's perfect for clearing out the battlefield when you're stuck in a pinch.
On a technical level, Age of Imprisonment is a marvel. It's one of the first major titles apart from Donkey Kong Bananza to really showcase the potential of Nintendo's newest console, especially this early in its lifespan.
During my time with the game, I didn't notice any major frame drops or technical issues, and the game ran smoothly from beginning to end even in the most challenging scenarios. Like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom in their remastered forms for the new generation, this is the best way to experience the iconic adventures, and they feel brand new thanks to Nintendo's superb optimization.
Granted, Age of Imprisonment isn't for everyone. It isn't a traditional Zelda title and the emphasis on constant combat without any exploration or puzzle-solving will probably disappoint some. But if you're already a fan of the genre and love the series for its vast mythology, Age of Imprisonment is a brilliant addition that will keep you occupied for dozens and dozens of hours.
