the last time that Nintendo He sold us a Hyrule Warriors (d)Age of Calamity), the promise of a Canon prequel became a “what if“That he felt like a fanfiction with a happy ending. Therefore, when they swore triforce what Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment It was the canon, we distrust. After more than 34 hours of play, we can confirm it with a smile: this time it was true, and it is the prequel to Tears of the Kingdom what we needed
The feast of Lore we expected
If you played ad nauseam Tears of the Kingdom (d)TOTK) and you were left wanting more, Age of Imprisonment It’s an awesome new title. This is the prequel that they owed us tells exactly what happened with Zelda In the past, your time with rauru and Sonya, and the context of the original war.
Unlike the Musou generic, here the story is the central pillar. The kinematics have a production level “clawed” and the tone is serious when it should be. Finally we play with the “gross”: rauru, , mineru and the Wise men original. The plot bumper game TOTK and makes you understand why Ganondorf He was so feared from minute zero. If you are a fan of Lore of Zelda, this is the Gospel according to rauru that you were missing
The Musou combat, elevated to perfection
Let’s be honest, gender Musou (1 vs 1000) can be repetitive. The loop From “Conquer Base A, Kill 2000 Types, Go to Base B” Follow here. side missions sometimes fall into the Grindfest of “Joint 10 of this”.
But (and it’s a huge “but”), This is the Musou More polished and deeper than Omega Force has made. The gameplay is by far the best that the saga has had Hyrule Warriors, thanks to the brilliant integration of the mechanics of Tears of the Kingdom:
- Varied and unique roster: The Roster of almost 20 characters is crazy, and No one feels like a reskin. play with mineru (invoking constructs) is totally different from playing with rauru (using light power). Each character forces the player to relearn the combat.
- Strategic Zonai Mechanics: This is what breaks the monotony. It’s no longer just pushing buttons. An enemy with an ice shield? You use the flamethrower. Enemies covered in mud? a hose. The ZONAI battery management adds a tactical layer that the genre needed.
- Technical combat: the use of Parry (perfect lock), the Lightning attack (Perfect dodge) and character rotation to exploit elementary weaknesses is vital, raising the learning curve.
- Deluxe Performance: As the exclusive title of switch 2, the game is a technical feat. Maintains 60fps fluids (In single player) with hundreds of enemies and effects on screen. It is an excellent demonstration of the power of the new console.
This is the most important tip of the entire review, based on our 30+ hours of play, Don’t play it on normal difficulty. In “Normal”, the game is a ride that turns into a joke. All those cool mechanics (ZONAI, , Parry, elementary combos) could feel little squeezed, because enemies die before you need to use them. If you want a real challenge that forces you to dominate the fight (which is the best thing about the game), put it in “difficult” from minute one. Trust us, the experience improves 1000%.
Verdict: The best Musou we deserved
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment It is a fantastic proposal. is the best story of Zelda that is not a Zelda main, tied to the combat system Musou More polished, deep and strategic to date.
If you hate gender Musou In a visceral way, perhaps the repetitive side missions exhaust you. But If you love him Lore of Tears of the Kingdom And you enjoy the massive action (now more polished than ever), these 30 hours of fanservice Canonical are an almost obligatory purchase.
