Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is a worthy companion to Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

I admit that I didn't care that much Hyrule Warriors: Age of Confinement. Bye Loved the game preview last monthand I actually dug up his predecessor, 2020s Era of DisasterI wanted it too 2023s Tears of the Kingdom was the perfect swan song for this version Zelda. Not to mention how busy the end of the year will be with so many other games taking up my time.

But since I played more Age of imprisonmentI found myself changing my tune. I not only found this game to be the right game for the moment, but it was a meaningful addition to the game. Breath of the Wild subseries.

First of all, I think the “Turn Off Your Brain” style gameplay is “Musou” Hyrule Warriors in fact, this is a pleasant change of pace from the holiday bustle. This doesn't necessarily require a huge investment; you just take it and fight your way through hordes of enemies. It's catharsis. And since the game has a mission-based structure, I liked being able to do a few here and there at my leisure.

And beyond that, I appreciate what it adds to Tears of the Kingdomto which it serves as a prequel. Where Era of Disaster was a wild tale from an alternate universe, Age of imprisonment is actually canon, and this connection is used to great effect. In particular, we will be able to follow Zelda as she travels through time and fights in the War of Imprisonment, which was briefly depicted in Tears of the Kingdom. In this conflict, Zelda teams up with King Raaru and other allies to imprison Ganondorf and destroy Link to ultimately defeat him.

It's a refreshing change of pace from the start Zelda series, as it gives the titular princess a rare starring role, and in a more narrative experience than last year Echo of Wisdom. But on a deeper level, it recontextualizes everything in Tears of the Kingdom. Link was only able to complete his mission in this game because of all the struggles and sacrifices of Zelda, Raaru and friends in this game.

And it's not just members of the royal family who get the chance to shine. Throughout the almost 20-hour story Age of imprisonment shows the everyday people who contributed to the war, from the Gorons and Gerudo to the Zora and Hylians. But the real highlight is Kalamo, a mischievous Korok with a mysterious design that more than closely resembles Link. The dynamics between the two are perhaps the best part of the game, especially in the on-rails shooter sections that shake up the pace of the game.

But for the most part, this is a traditional Musou experience, for better or worse. Like Era of Disaster, Age of imprisonment does a brilliant job of combining stale hack-and-slash combat with the core elements Breath of the Wild. On a basic level, this means keeping the same lush cel-shaded aesthetic and familiar menus and sounds, but it goes further with things like perfectly timed dodges that allow you to unleash powerful barrage attacks. Otherwise, at its core, it sounds the same as any other button-based Musou.

Admittedly, this means that it can feel repetitive and monotonous at times, especially in side missions that consist of a lot of copy-and-paste that repeat “capture this outpost” type objectives. And while the above focuses on supporting characters from various Zelda Races enhance the narrative, but also make the main combat less interesting. IN Era of Disasteryou should play as many of these archetypes as possible, with the added benefit that these are characters you probably knew and loved from Breath of the Wild. But going back to the same wells with more ordinary faces isn't all that appealing.

However, there are real flashes of inspiration among the 19 playable characters. Raaru, for example, feels like a beast thanks to his combination of heavy spear attacks and energy projectiles. Meanwhile, the pint-sized Kalamo amusingly compensates for his tiny sword with the same elemental fruits that Link cooked with in the main games. But the highlight for me was Mineru, the scientist who wields the Zonai Constructs. It's a real treat to see her use many of the gadgets you may have encountered (and even built) in Tears of the Kingdom, such as giant spiked balls, four-wheelers, catapults, and even mechanical soldier enemies.

Age of imprisonment also rewards playing with a full squad with the new Sync Strike mechanic, which allows characters to perform special team attacks. (When the CPU isn't making them stupidly move away from you, anyway.) With Mineru, Zelda will ride a giant Zonai mech and charge it with her magic, allowing you to savagely beat down the enemy. Meanwhile, Raaru and Zelda fire concentrated energy beams that you can individually target with each analog stick. It's exciting to see what unique and awesome Sync Strike you'll get next.

But my favorite new wrinkle is that Age of imprisonment represents in fact the one that is most inspired Tears of the Kingdom. During combat, you can use various battery-powered Zonai devices, just like in the main game. For quick and intense damage, you can throw a flamethrower. For crowd control, there is an Ice Emitter that can freeze both enemies and puddles of water. And for fast movement, the rocket can either sweep across the battlefield or explode at your command. It's an ingenious way to capture on the fly the thrill of working with the Zonai devices that was such a highlight Tears of the Kingdom.

And it ultimately feels like Age of imprisonment leaves me with him. While I find some elements of the gameplay boring both in terms of mission design and character diversity, overall it feels lovingly authentic to Zelda featuring a winning combination of crisp graphics and sound, stunning team attacks and a Zonai arsenal. Plus, this story made me better appreciate Link's journey to Tears of the Kingdomwhich prompted me to replay this fruitful game at some point. But for now, I will enjoy completing missions here and there as my boy Kalamo. He's the best.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is now available exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2.

Image credit: Nintendo