Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Imprisonment Review

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With the current Zelda series, beginning with Breath of the Wild in 2017, coming to a close, I find myself reflecting on it with great fondness.

Even though I had some issues with Tears of the Kingdom and felt its storyline stretched on a little too long, it’s been an amazing experience overall. Now, we’re reaching the end of this chapter in the Zelda series.

As a huge Zelda fan, I think Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment feels like the perfect ending to this particular style of Zelda game. It’s been amazing, and I’m really grateful for everything, but honestly, I’m excited to see what comes next and what new direction they take the series in!

Now, let’s talk about the game itself. Age of Imprisonment is the latest installment in the unexpectedly fantastic Hyrule Warriors series.

I was surprised to find myself enjoying this game, as I hadn’t played many ‘Musou’ style games before – like the Dynasty Warriors series. I’d always been hesitant, unsure if that type of gameplay would appeal to me.

Koei Tecmo is known for its fast-paced, action-packed combat, which they’ve developed for both their original games and titles based on popular franchises like Zelda and Fire Emblem.

I rely heavily on the Hyrule Warriors series because it’s the only game of its kind I’ve ever played.

This new game is one of the most fun Zelda side stories I’ve experienced, and it cleverly explores a key part of the Zelda universe’s history. While it’s not exactly the Zelda game I’ve been hoping for, it’s a great substitute for now.

Playable Zelda, Kind Of

Fans have been asking for a Zelda game where you can play as Princess Zelda for a long time, but Nintendo hasn’t fully delivered – until now. While recent games like Echoes of Wisdom have offered glimpses of that idea, the game that’s come closest to letting players control Zelda is actually Hyrule Warriors.

It’s not exactly the Zelda game I’ve been hoping for – I’m really wanting a fully 3D, single-player adventure starring the famous princess. Still, I shouldn’t complain too much.

Queen Sonia and King Rauru are a lovely pair, and Mineru’s passion for technology brings a bit of modern, scientific energy to the otherwise traditional royal family.

I feel that way because Zelda isn’t always the main focus of the game. It features a lot of different characters, and sometimes Zelda feels like she’s just one piece of a bigger story.

Thankfully, the entire cast is pretty engaging for the most part.

Queen Sonia and King Rauru are a lovely pair, and Mineru’s passion for technology brings a bit of modern, scientific energy to the otherwise traditional royal family.

While several other characters appear throughout the game, the story mainly centers around these key figures. I especially enjoyed how the game introduces some significant changes around the middle point.

Age of Imprisonment tells a story rooted in Zelda lore that has been subtly referenced throughout the series, including in games like A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, and Tears of the Kingdom.

The Imprisoning War has long been an important element of the Zelda series, and this game really brings it to the forefront.

Age of Imprisonment tells a story about betrayal, destiny, and overcoming insecurity with bravery. The game delivers this narrative through particularly well-made cutscenes – something you don’t often see in Zelda games.

Surprisingly, the series often struggled with storytelling despite having well-made cutscenes. With Breath of the Wild, the developers truly began to create a more impactful and engaging narrative.

Age of Imprisonment keeps up this strong performance. The story scenes are truly engaging, featuring excellent voice acting and skillful direction.

Honestly, the music is a huge part of what makes this game so good. They’ve blended classic Zelda tunes with brand new music perfectly. Every time I hear a familiar melody, like Zelda’s theme, it gives me chills! And the rest of the soundtrack takes those older sounds and does something really special with them. It’s just a fantastic score overall.

Hack And Slash, Then Hack And Slash Again

This game is a classic Musou experience. You’ll battle through 3D environments, taking on large groups of enemies to advance and unlock new areas.

If you don’t typically enjoy this type of story, Age of Imprisonment won’t appeal to you. It’s unlikely to change your opinion.

I’ve never been a huge fan of this type of game, but I can really get into it if it’s based on a franchise I already enjoy. As a longtime Zelda player, I was immediately hooked by Age of Imprisonment.

The game moves quickly from map to map, constantly throwing you into new waves of enemies. While it’s fast-paced, there are also options to explore different routes.

What is impressive is the way it handles such a huge number of enemies on screen at any given time.

It’s a shame these routes don’t offer engaging side stories, instead just throwing more enemies at you. But that’s pretty typical for this type of action game, whether you like it or not.

The game is really impressive because it can display a massive number of enemies on screen without slowing down. While the original Switch would have struggled to run this game, the new Nintendo hardware handles it flawlessly.

Since this is a Musou-style game, the fighting can get repetitive if you’re not already a big fan of the series. It definitely happened to me!

What helps is that the game has some remarkably fun special moves and abilities.

The game frequently becomes a spectacle of powerful attacks and special moves. Switching characters to defeat tougher enemies is satisfying and offers a nice change of pace from the fast-paced combat against large groups.

One of the game’s weaknesses is that it reuses bosses and big enemies too often. Considering the game takes around 20 hours to complete, it’s a bit frustrating to encounter the same bosses so frequently.

Fortunately, the enemy types are much more diverse now. The game draws from the large and interesting collection of enemies found in the Zelda series.

You’ll battle familiar Zelda foes like Keese, Lizalfos, and Chuchus. While it would have been great to see some rarer enemies like ReDeads or Deku Babas, there’s already plenty of variety to keep things interesting.

The End Of An Era

Many fans see Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment as the end of this particular storyline for Zelda. With that comes a lot of pressure, and while the game does some things really well, it also falls short in others.

It’s a little disappointing that the game is being released as just a spin-off of the Dynasty Warriors series. It’s even more of a letdown that Link only makes a brief appearance.

This game smartly centers around Zelda, one of the most popular characters in the series. It’s great to see her take the lead, and I hope the developers continue to feature her prominently in future games.

Age of Imprisonment was a pretty enjoyable game. It’s not groundbreaking, but if you’re looking for a lighthearted, action-packed game with a decent story, it’s worth checking out.

The game offers more than just fighting. Exploring the 2D world map between battles is enjoyable and adds to the overall experience.

When you’re getting ready for a new, story-driven campaign, the world map lets you do a lot of useful things. You can improve your weapons, upgrade your campsites, and even fight in quick, smaller battles on the side.

There isn’t a ton of extra content, but what’s there is fun. You won’t necessarily feel driven to do everything, but if you invest some time, the optional stuff in Age of Imprisonment can be surprisingly engaging.

However, the game does feel a bit padded at times. Certain chapters are only accessible after finishing optional side missions, which can interrupt the main story. While not a major issue, it does slow down the experience when players would rather just keep moving forward.

Even so, that’s not quite enough to prevent this from being the best Hyrule Warriors game to date.

Closing Comments:

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is the newest installment in the Zelda-based action series, focusing on fast-paced, hack-and-slash gameplay. It’s the strongest entry in the Hyrule Warriors franchise so far, with plenty of features and a lot of fun to offer. The game runs incredibly well thanks to the improved power of the Switch 2. If you haven’t enjoyed this type of action game before, this one likely won’t change your opinion. However, if you’re a Zelda fan eager for more adventure while waiting for the next major Zelda game, Age of Imprisonment is definitely worth playing.

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2025-11-09 22:11