Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment Review
The best Hyrule Warriors action to date redeems an otherwise disappointing story. While The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a masterpiece, it left many questions about the pivotal event known as the Imprisoning War, where Demon King Ganondorf was sealed away.
One might expect Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment to serve as a prequel, exploring the era of Hyrule’s founding as Princess Zelda travels back in time. However, fans seeking deeper story insights will be let down. The game focuses more on delivering the series' signature fun, exaggerated fanservice and gameplay power fantasy.
This installment consistently favors gameplay over narrative, making it my least favorite story among Zelda's Breath of the Wild-related titles by a notable margin. Yet, it stands out as the most enjoyable Hyrule Warriors experience so far.
The series merges the world of The Legend of Zelda with the intense 1 vs. many combat style of Dynasty Warriors. Age of Imprisonment features roughly 18 hours of gameplay across numerous familiar battlefields in an ancient version of Tears of the Kingdom’s Hyrule.
- Battle across iconic locations including the golden Sky Islands
- Face enemies in the dark, Gloom-infested Depths
- Experience large-scale battles on dozens of recognizable maps
The game is described as "the best Hyrule Warriors has ever felt to play," despite its weak story focus.
Overall, Age of Imprisonment offers thrilling combat and fan-favorite action, but it falls short as a detailed narrative prequel to Tears of the Kingdom.
Author’s summary: The game excels in delivering fast-paced, satisfying combat, but its story fails to provide the meaningful lore exploration fans expected from this Zelda prequel.