For me, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment was perhaps one of the more surprising parts of April’s big Switch 2 reveal event. After the original Hyrule Warriors Wii U game, its multiple ports and the Age of Calamity spin-off, I didn’t really see where the series would go next.
In hindsight, I feel silly for thinking that, since Age of Imprisonment rather wisely focuses on the Imprisoning War that tees up Tears of the Kingdom. In doing so, the game also slots neatly into the Breath of the Wild series’ canon, something that 2020’s timeline-hopping Age of Calamity didn’t really do. But I’ll also confess that I’m not someone who’s ever cared all that much about Zelda lore, outside of Majora’s Mask, my favourite game in the series. I can certainly appreciate how these Age of games expand upon the relatively thin narratives of BotW and TotK, but on the whole, they don’t really do much for me.
But it’s how Age of Imprisonment incorporates some of the mechanics of TotK that’s really appealing to me so far. At a recent preview event, I got to play a 10-minute demo of the game twice and also watched my friend and MobileSyrup contributor Andrew Mohan run through it two times. My big takeaway is how it feels like a natural extension of TotK. Of course, the same lovely cel-shaded visual style helps with that, as do some returning mechanics, like the Flurry Rush timed dodge and counterattack.
On a deeper level, though, Age of Imprisonment in some ways feels like TotK dialled to eleven. That’s because you can use all kinds of pre-made Zonai devices in battle. Where TotK offered incredible freedom in what you could build with these contraptions, Age of Imprisonment cleverly recontextualizes them for the classic Musou game setup of “fighting waves upon waves of enemies.”
For instance, you can carry a flamethrower and move around in circles to burn through a horde that surrounds you. On the flip side, maybe you’ll want to strategically position it somewhere to fend off incoming forces as you wail away at a more powerful foe. I found this particularly handy against a big frog boss. After throwing a bomb into his mouth to stun him, I could leap onto his back and hit vulnerable parts for more damage. Naturally, then, having the flamethrower there helped with crowd control. Other Zonai devices include a fire hydrant or a fan, the latter of which can be placed vertically or horizontally to blow enemies in different directions.
It’s a brilliant way to distill the creative spirit of the Zonai devices from TotK into a linear, fast-paced action game. At the same time, they operate here on a battery system just like they did in TotK, so you can’t just spam them. This ensures they feel balanced and, as a result, you have to be more methodical about using them.
And while those devices can be used by any character, Mineru actually incorporates them into her playstyle. For navigation, she can ride around on a Zonai wheel, and when attacking, she’ll summon Zonai constructs to attack. But her best move is getting to ride on her big mech-like machine, whose massive Dr. Octopus-like appendages give you the glorious power fantasy as you smash through waves of fiends. And even during these most hectic instances, the game runs at a consistent 60fps on Switch 2, a welcome leap from Age of Calamity‘s 30fps.
That said, I do have a few smaller apprehensions. Nintendo has yet to confirm the final roster for the game. For context, the base Age of Calamity experience pre-DLC included 18 characters, and its place in the larger story meant that you could have a decent variety between mainstays like Link, Zelda and Impah to the Guardians and other newer faces. I do wonder, just how large and diverse Age of Imprisonment‘s full lineup will end up being, especially since it could be limited due to being set during this very specific time period. The three characters in the demo, Zelda, Mineru and Raaru, felt pretty distinct, even if the princess’ energy sword and bow attacks do feel like a variation of Link’s arsenal. But I’ll definitely want to see more.
Both Andrew and I also found that the ally AI was a bit spotty. Sometimes, it felt like they were off doing their own thing, which could be frustrating in instances when you want to use one of the new mechanics, the Sync Strikes. These stylish moves allow two characters to team up for unique special attacks, like Zelda and Raaru shooting twin energy blasts that you can aim individually with the two analog sticks. Letting these rip at the right time would, in theory, add a bit of strategy, but we sometimes couldn’t do so because the desired teammate wasn’t nearby. This at least won’t be an issue in co-op, which is graciously even easier to do this time around since Game Share is supported, meaning only one person needs to own the game to let a friend play on their own Switch 2.
Those aren’t major gripes, though, and on the whole, I’m much more interested in Age of Imprisonment than I was going in. I won’t have to wait long, either, as the game launches exclusively on Switch 2 on November 6.
Image credit: Nintendo
