Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is a hack-and-slash action game in the vein of Koei Tecmo’s Dynasty Warriors franchise. The title serves as a sort of follow up to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, with its story primarily revolving around the invasion of Demon King Ganondorf.

It features a number of playable characters, including Princess Zelda, Mineru, the Sages, along with a host of new characters. Each character features their own distinct style of gameplay, which can then be further augmented by making use of Zonai Devices.

Along with a single-player campaign, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment also features co-op, both split-screen as well as local wireless multiplayer.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom director Hidemaro Fujibayashi had spoken about how the open-world adventure game’s story was affected by the development of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. In an interview from earlier this month, he discussed how the Sages got a lot of screen time in Age of Imprisonment, while their faces were hidden in Tears of the Kingdom.

“In Tears of the Kingdom there was a central theme running through the main story, and the Sages are depicted with their faces hidden by masks and without names. If we had shown their personalities and faces, the story would have naturally grown too much, so there were many things we intentionally held back,” said Fujibayashi. “That’s why I’m truly happy that the Sages have been more carefully picked up upon here in the Imprisoning War.”

The main plot of Age of Imprisonment involves Zelda getting sent back to the past, right as Gandondorf is on the verge of launching his invasion of Hyrule. Zelda gets to meet Hyrule’s king and queen Raaru and Sonia respectively, and befriends them and a host of other heroes to take on Ganondorf’s forces.

The Legend of Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma has also spoken about the partnership between Nintendo and Koei Tecmo, and how the next mainline entry in the franchise will benefit from it. He also joked about Koei Tecmo being able to beat Nintendo to the punch when it came to releasing the first new The Legend of Zelda title on the Nintendo Switch 2.

“The inspiration we received from this collaboration with Koei Tecmo may be reflected in the (next) Zelda we create,” said Aonuma. “Please picture this while playing Age of Imprisonment, and look forward to our Zelda.”

Fujibayashi also noted that “it was incredibly fun. They always had ideas we never would have come up with on our own, it was truly stimulating,” referring to Koei Tecmo’s expertise in making Musou games and bringing in that gameplay style to The Legend of Zelda.

For more details on Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, check out our review.

When asked about Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, Aonuma joked about how the title had beaten the team working on a mainline entry to the punch when it comes to releasing a new Zelda game on the Nintendo Switch 2. “The Legend of Zelda: Age of Imprisonment is the first Zelda title released for the Nintendo Switch 2. To be honest, we wanted to bring out the ‘first’ (Zelda game on the new console),” he joked, as caught by IGN.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom director Hidemaro Fujibayashi was also part of the interview, and spoke about working with Koei Tecmo to bring the Musou-styled game to life. He referred to the experience by saying, “it was incredibly fun. They always had ideas we never would have come up with on our own, it was truly stimulating.”

Age of Imprisonment’s studio head Yusuke Hayashi was then asked about the general game design philosophy behind the title. He responded by noting that the developers, as well as Nintendo, wanted to make a game that combines classic Zelda gameplay “with the exhilaration of musou, which he described as the feeling of being powerful and mighty while taking down wave-after-wave of weaker enemies.

“We aimed to combine these two approaches; the Zelda-like, strategic back-and-forth of using Zonai gear and varied techniques against powerful foes with the exhilaration of musou (i.e. feeling mighty powerful as you cut down waves of weaker foes),” said Hayashi. Fujibayashi also chimed in by discussing how the back-and-forth communication led to “proposals that elevated [Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment] into something even better.”

Ultimately, this collaboration, according to Aonuma, could even have influences on the next mainline project in the Zelda franchise. He said that, while Nintendo hasn’t yet made any announcement, we will see the fruits of the collaboration and feedback that went into the development of Age of Imprisonment in the next The Legend of Zelda title.

“The inspiration we received from this collaboration with Koei Tecmo may be reflected in the (next) Zelda we create,” said Aonuma. “Please picture this while playing Age of Imprisonment, and look forward to our Zelda.”

Discussions about the next Zelda game had also taken place recently through an interview on developer Monolith Soft’s website. In this interview, Zelda franchise general manager Daiki Iwamoto said that Nintendo wants Monolith Soft to “use the know-how we’ve developed by working together” to “create a unique title in the series together.”

In the meantime, check out our review of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, which is available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch 2.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is not unlike Age of Calamity, another Hyrule Warriors title that promised to tell the story that took place a hundred years before Breath of the Wild in a musou style action game format, except this time, we’re reliving the past events from Tears of the Kingdom instead.

Since this is now the third Hyrule Warriors game (and the fifth Warriors game based on a Nintendo IP overall), I have to assume most people know what they are getting into here. These games are not a lot like the franchises they are based on. So if you are hoping for Zelda’s dose of adventuring, exploration, dungeon delving, and upgrades, Hyrule Warriors Age of Imprisonment will not provide that to you. It is, rather, a game that prioritizes large scale battles with waves upon waves of trash mobs, taking over and holding objectives, holding off big bosses… that whole formula is all here. And since, like Age of Calamity before it, Age of Imprisonment is technically set during a war, the style of game does lend itself well to it.

In terms of pure production value and design iteration, this is the best Hyrule Warriors game. In fact, there is an argument to be made this might be one of the best Warriors games overall. For starters, unlike Hyrule Warriors and Age of Calamity, both of which suffered heavily from being constrained by the hardware they released on at the time, Age of Imprisonment looks and runs… fine! The gameplay targets and mostly holds a 60fps frame rate, which is especially impressive not just by contrast to the previous games, but also because this game emphasizes a lot more alpha effects and transparencies and colours and explosions on the screen at all times.

While there are frame rate drops when things seem to get especially hectic, the frame rate never seems to drop below the low 50s, which means that the drops, when they do crop up, almost feel more like hitstun effects rather than actual performance issues.

That right there I would argue automatically makes this game a good recommendation to anyone who likes the Hyrule Warriors series – you are getting the best performing and looking game right off the bat. That said, there are still issues here – the game’s resolution is extremely low, for example, running at 720p-900p in docked mode, and lower than 600p in handheld mode; these are resolutions that I would have hoped we had left behind in the Switch 1 era; unfortunately, Koei Tecmo’s technical proficiency has never been particularly great, and the Warriors games, in particular, always underperform relative to what you may expect of them.

I will say that by and large, much like the framerate, the resolution doesn’t stand out as an issue that often. It is most noticeable when the game switches from gameplay or in engine footage to pre-rendered cutscenes – the cutscenes seem to be rendered at a lower resolution than the gameplay, and the image feels a lot softer in them as a result. Unlike the rest of the game, the cutscenes are also all seemingly in 30fps, which makes them stand out even more.

It is, however, to the game’s merits that it runs well enough that the big complaints with its visuals and technical facets hew closer to nitpicking this time around. Age of Calamity in particular was infamous for its absolutely horrid performance and visuals on the Switch, and remains to this day one of the worst looking and performing games on that system, 5 years after its initial release. Age of Imprisonment has its shortcomings in this regard, but it also represents a big improvement over its predecessors.

"In pure gameplay terms, this is arguably the most fun and differentiated roster a Warriors game has had."

This holds true elsewhere too. For example, the actual gameplay is arguably the best here than it has ever been across the Hyrule Warriors series. Now, Age of Imprisonment is limited only to the cast and locales from Tears of the Kingdom; not just Tears of the Kingdom, actually, it is limited to a very small part of Tears of the Kingdom’s story. This automatically limits what is arguably one of the biggest strengths of the Warriors games – the crossover from all sorts of characters, and how well and differentiated they all tend to be in how they play.

The original Hyrule Warriors, for example, pulled in major and minor characters from across the entire decades long history of the Zelda franchise. It was a delight to see fan favourites and deep cuts alike return in that game, and even more so to see how they were translated into the Warriors template. Age of Calamity was a downgrade in this regard, limiting itself solely to one specific Zelda game; but it did pull from the whole breadth and range of that one game, and, owing to its lack of regard for the canon of the events it was depicting, managed to have a fairly wide and varied roster too.

Age of Imprisonment stumbles here. Now, to be clear, I want to note one thing – it does an amazing job of fleshing out the moves of each character and translating them from the original game to this title’s Warriors style combat. Mineru, for example, the secret fifth sage from Tears of the Kingdom, returns as one of the primary playable characters this time around. In Tears, she took on a construct form, and knew a lot about Zonai tech and powers like Ultrahand Autobuild thanks to her extensive research; in Age of Imprisonment, that manifests with her combat essentially being her constantly pulling, summoning, and constructing Zonai devices and constructs to mow down waves upon waves of enemies. And this game is full of examples like this, where it’s a delight to see something familiar recontextualized in the framework of an action game.

The issue, however, is that the roster it can pull from is by definition limited – you get  Zelda, Queen Sonia and Mineru, but in terms of familiar characters that is about it. You get other characters joining you, don’t get me wrong – from Koroks, Gorons, Gerudo, to even a construct that basically plays exactly like Link and is this game’s way of allowing players to have a Link moveset in combat without Link himself being there (since his presence there would contradict canon). These other characters are all incredibly fun to play with, very fleshed out, with very unique and differentiated moves.

In pure gameplay terms, this is arguably the most fun and differentiated roster a Warriors game has had. But the problem is, most of these characters basically amount to fanfic OCs; they are original characters who didn’t appear in Tears of the Kingdom (or were barely alluded to), all of a sudden taking centerstage. I can care about them because of how much I enjoy playing as them, but in terms of narrative investment, there is a barrier here – I don’t care about these characters because I have no reason to.

This ends up tying into the biggest problem that I feel Age of Imprisonment has – the story. Now, I am going to discuss general vague spoilers for Age of Calamity, the previous Hyrule Warriors game that promised to depict the events leading up to Breath of the Wild, here for a bit, so skip ahead if you haven’t played that game already, and care about spoilers.

When Age of Calamity was announced, it was announced as the game that would depict the cataclysmic events of 100 years before Breath of the Wild – essentially a prequel. At the time especially, this was a very exciting prospect. Breath of the Wild’s backstory and lore was arguably the most interesting part of its tale, and getting to see it fleshed out was a tantalizing prospect.

The game’s placement in the Zelda timeline at the time was unclear, so the idea of getting more information was exciting. And most of all, the actual events of 100 years before Breath of the Wild are essentially a longform tragedy – everything goes wrong, the good guys lose, and that’s how Link finds himself having to clean up the mess a hundred years later by himself. The idea of playing a Zelda story that had such a depressing and unflinchingly tragic bent was exciting too.

"To me, the story was actually the most disappointing thing, especially because of how much it limited the game elsewhere."

However, Age of Calamity pulled a fast one on everyone by not being an actual prequel after all. Instead, it ended up being an alternate story set 100 years in the past, featuring a version of those events where the good guys do manage to win, in part due to assistance from characters from Breath of the Wild, who traveled back in time to help them out. In other words, it was not a prequel, it was arguably not even canon, what it was instead was a nonsensical excuse to have as many characters together as possible in the roster. And that was… fine. It was extremely disappointing that we didn’t get the story we had been looking forward to, but it was maybe wrong to expect that from a Warriors spin off game to begin with.

I went into all this detail to point out how Age of Imprisonment is different – unlike Age of Calamity, nothing that happens in this game contradicts canon. For all purposes, this is a true prequel. The issue is, it’s a bit of a nothing burger. Look, the stories in Zelda games, while compelling enough to frame the adventures they set players off on, and featuring rich tapestries of backstories that allow for decades long fandom arguments about the broader timeline, are ultimately fairly simplistic. They are like fairy tales – stories told in large scale motifs and archetypes, dealing in broad, universal, timeless themes.

Tears of the Kingdom’s story was like this too – sure, there is a whole past conflict (the Imprisoning War, which is what this game is set in) alluded to, but we learn everything important there is to learn about it in the game itself. Age of Imprisonment doesn’t actually bring anything new to the table. You are getting an expanded version of the same major events – but it’s still that same story, and it’s not a story that is good enough to be a motivating factor for a game this long. And unlike with Age of Calamity, by this point in time we know where these games fit into the broader Zelda timeline – and we know they are standalone and don’t really interact with the rest of the series much, which means there’s even less intrigue here.

To me, the story was actually the most disappointing thing, especially because of how much it limited the game elsewhere. If the developers had chosen not to stick to established canon, maybe we would again have had familiar characters I am attached to in this game, and I would have cared more about their participation in whatever non-canon events were transpiring, for example. We could have had Link, rather than Robo-Link at home, for example. But the developers did choose to respect the canon this time around, and all of that was in service to a story that is, ultimately, fairly dull.

It is especially disappointing because, as I mentioned previously, this is arguably the best playing Hyrule Warriors game yet; to have that tied to the dullest roster and story feels like a let down. Even a pure fan service story with absurdity powering the narrative, as was the case in Hyrule Warriors, would have been better, I feel. The story here was so uninteresting that I just didn’t… care.

"To be perfectly honest, I am a little fatigued by this Hyrule, this Zelda, this Link, and this version of the Zelda mythos overall."

At least in part, I think this issue owes itself to overexposure. Look, Breath of the Wild is an amazing game, debatably the single greatest game ever made, but we have now spent nearly a decade in its world and continuity. Not counting re-releases, we have had Breath of the Wild, its expansion, Age of Calamity, Tears of the Kingdom, and now Age of Imprisonment.

To be perfectly honest, I am a little fatigued by this Hyrule, this Zelda, this Link, and this version of the Zelda mythos overall. One of the strongest points in the franchise’s favour in the past has perennially been how each new game varied from its predecessors in every regard – story, characters, map, even art style. But we’ve been stuck with the Breath of the Wild rendition of Zelda and Hyrule for so long now, that I am honestly ready for something new. That isn’t this game’s fault, mind you – but it does mean that its inessential stay rankles more than it would if I didn’t feel this way.

Eventually, the Switch 2 will have its own proper Zelda game, and when it does happen, I hope it is something completely new and exciting that introduces a new era for the franchise. In the meanwhile, for those fans who want something Zelda for their new Switch 2s, Age of Imprisonment is a fairly good game to look into – it is packed with content, looks and performs better than any previous game in the series, and has arguably the best gameplay and design in the entire subseries.

Its shortcomings with the story, and consequently deficiencies with the roster range, are unfortunate – but at the very least dedicated fans of the Breath of the Wild duology will probably find a fair few to enjoy in Age of Imprisonment.

This game was reviewed on the Nintendo Switch 2.

When you hear the name Hyrule Warriors, however, only one thing comes to mind: Smashing enemies until they’re dead and then continuing because that KO counter isn’t going to fill itself. You’d think both these formulas go together like Gorons and the cold, but there’s always been some appeal to laying waste to monstrous hordes with the over-the-top flashy abilities. Such is the case with Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, which launches on November 6th for Nintendo Switch 2.

What does this Dynasty Warriors offshoot have to offer compared to its predecessors? Let’s dive into everything you should know before buying, starting with…

It’s Canon (Really)

The Legend of Zelda timeline is more like a time tree at this point but the Hyrule Warriors plays exceptionally fast and loose with any established canon. Age of Imprisonment is clear from the get-go, however – it’s canon with Princess Zelda venturing back in time, fighting alongside King Rauru and his forces against Ganondorf in the Imprisoning War. Bits and pieces of this conflict shown in Tears of the Kingdom, and now, fans can finally experience those events first-hand.

The Depths and Other Iconic Locations

Of course, given its setting, it’s not at all shocking that Age of Imprisonment will venture to several familiar locations, like the Depths. Don’t worry – you won’t be wandering from one lightroot to the next, desperately trying to evade the darkness (at least, we hope not). But it does raise questions about other potential areas, including the Sky Islands. Battling hordes of fiends while traversing from one island to the next? Sign us up.

Musou-Style Gameplay

Unlike previous Hyrule Warriors titles, Koei Tecmo’s AAA Games Studio is heading up development rather than Omega Force. And yet, the signature Musou-style gameplay remains similar to Dynasty Warriors: Run around, tear through an overwhelming number of foes like they’re made of paper mache, repeat (with the occasional boss coming in to even the odds – more on that in a bit). A little too straightforward for those used to the mainline Zelda games’ combat, but it’s fast-paced, responsive, and more than a little cathartic, plus, you have…

Multiple Characters With Unique Combat Styles

Age of Imprisonment offers a pretty extensive roster of playable characters, from Zelda with her beam saber to Rauru with his light energy blasts, Queen Sonia with her bow and even Mineru, Rauru’s sister who relies on all kinds of devious constructs. Even cooler is the fact that you can control the different Sages, from Goron chief Agraston to Zora queen Qia, harnessing their elements in explosive ways. But the most intriguing is the Mysterious Construct, a humanoid-looking construct with transformation abilities and who bears more than a passing resemblance to a certain Hero of Time.

Bosses

It wouldn’t be a Musou-style game without bosses that could stand up to our heroes on the battlefield without immediately getting blown away. To that end, Tears of the Kingdom players will recognize the likes of Frox (which also has weak points on its back), Captain Constructs, the Stone Talus, and of course, the Flux Construct. That’s not even getting into all the different forms that Ganondorf will throw your way.

Unique Skills

Don’t let me stop you from rushing headlong into combat, unleashing all kinds of mayhem on the enemy, but you might want to take advantage of the new Unique Skills. When used against the correct corresponding attack, it’s possible to counter and interrupt an enemy, leaving them open to more damage and even a follow-up attack. Knowing which Unique Skill to use in each situation is key, making it important to experiment with every character.

Sync Strikes

It’s also worth playing with different character combinations since they can unleash powerful new team-up attacks called Sync Strikes. Some examples include Zelda and Rauru unleashing a double beam attack which grows in intensity, and Sonia summoning some weapons that Rauru can then wield in a flurry of powerful strikes. Others can provide unique benefits, so don’t be afraid to toss two unlikely allies together and see what happens.

The Zonai Have It

You can also use various Zonai Devices, from the Flame Emitter for torching enemies to a crisp to the Time Bomb for a massive explosion. Even the Rocket is available for barreling straight through a crowd of enemies. Just make sure you have enough Batteries on hand to keep your energy topped off.

Higher Frame Rates and Many More Enemies

Let’s be honest – Age of Calamity wasn’t exactly the best-looking game in the series, purely due to the power of the platform it ran on. For Age of Imprisonment, Nintendo has clearly focused on ensuring higher frame rates with far superior image quality and added details. It’s also stuffing more enemies than ever before on-screen to make fights feel bigger than ever.

Two-Player Co-op

If you’re keen on playing with someone on the same console, good news – split-screen is supported for up to two players on the Switch 2. While you could utilize the Joy-Con 2s with each player using their own remote, the Switch 1’s controllers are also supported for even more options.

GameShare Support

For those who prefer dedicated screens, local wireless is also available for co-op, with GameShare enabling those on the original Switch to get in on the action. This expands the number of play options even more.

The Biggest Hyrule Warriors Game Yet

By modern console standards, Age of Imprisonment doesn’t seem all that big (about 42.8 GB). However, it absolutely dwarfs the installation size of its predecessors by several times. Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition was about 12.9 GB, while Age of Calamity was 11.1 GB. Granted, those were on the Switch 1 but you have to wonder just how much more content the latest title is packing in.

Many Secrets to Discover

With how shrouded in mystery the Imprisonment War turned out to be, it’s perhaps unsurprising to hear that there will be “many secrets” to discover. Beyond simply references or callbacks to other Zelda titles, this could also mean unique weapons, hidden characters, and extra tough bosses for the truly hardcore.

Save Data Bonuses

What would a Nintendo sequel be without rewards for the most ardent of franchise fans? Those with save data from Age of Calamity can receive the High Guard’s Claymore as a weapon while Tears of the Kingdom players will receive the High Guard’s Sword. You’ll need to complete the mission, “The Howling Tempests” and then return to the world map to claim them, however,

Difficulty Options

While Nintendo hasn’t gone into any details about the various difficulty options, the eShop listing for Age of Imprisonment clearly lists “Choose Your Difficulty,” indicating their availability. Its predecessor offered four options at launch, from Easy to Very Hard, so expect it to follow suit (and may introduce an ultimate difficulty option down the line).

Mild spoilers for those who haven’t played the latter, but it saw Zelda transported back to Hyrule’s past. King Rauru and Queen Sonia ruled the kingdom, but a war against the Demon King Ganondorf is imminent. Teaming with the Sages, an enthusiastic Korok, and a Zonai-like being that’s a dead ringer for Link, Zelda pushes back against the demonic forces to help protect Hyrule.

While offering new playable characters and several fresh mechanics like Sync Strikes and Unique Skills to counter enemies, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment’s critical response is similar to its predecessors. On Metacritic, it has a 79 Metascore based on 59 reviews.

Compare that to Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition and Age of Calamity, which both have 78 Metascores. Many of the same criticisms apply, such as dull mission design. You have to wonder if Nintendo will switch things up in the future, but given the success of other Switch 2 exclusives, that remains to be seen.

A new trailer highlights some of the enemies that players must deal with while showcasing new Sync Strikes. These can be executed by combining two characters’ abilities and result in impressive destruction alongside additional benefits, like creating Constructs. Calamo the Korok’s Sync Strike is revealed, and we even get to see a bit more of the Mysterious Construct.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment launches on November 6th for Nintendo Switch 2. Those with save data from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom can unlock a bonus weapon – the High Guard’s Sword – while Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity players get the High Guard’s Claymore. Check out some more gameplay with split-screen co-op here.

Some new gameplay has been revealed in the latest trailer, including the ability for characters to utilize Zonai Devices. You can blow enemies away or juggle them in the air using fans and electrocute them to devastating effect. There’s also Sync Strike, allowing two characters to execute a team-up attack with over-the-top visuals and damage.

If that wasn’t enough, Nintendo also confirmed split-screen co-op (which drops the frame rate) and Game Share, which allows Nintendo Switch 1 players to get in on the action.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment will also be present at Tokyo Game Show 2025 from September 25th to 28th. Stay tuned for even more details from the show.

Focusing quite a bit on Zelda as the main protagonist this time around, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment will also feature several other characters from Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, and will likely also include many more characters from throughout the Legend of Zelda franchise.

The trailer ends with a hint that we might be getting a new character that makes use of ancient Sheikah technology. While not outright confirming what this new character is, there is an indication that they will be more of an automaton rather than a regular person like the other playable characters in the game.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment was announced back in April, and is coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 in Winter.

Of course, players can also experience life in Hyrule during the period, per Koei Tecmo producer Ryota Matsushita. They’ll also learn more about the masked Sages and discover “many other secrets” hidden throughout.

Matsushita also noted the advantages of the Switch 2’s hardware, such as having numerous enemies on-screen, which “heavily contributes to the realism and excitement of the battlefield.” AAA Games studio head Yosuke Hayashi added that higher frame rates were possible compared to the original Switch, though they didn’t confirm whether that includes 120 FPS in handheld mode.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment doesn’t have a release date, but it’s out this Winter. The Nintendo Switch 2 launches on June 5th for $449.99.

Alongside Zelda, players can control King Rauru and Queen Sonia in combat against hundreds of enemies. You’ll still unleash tons of flashy moves to decimate literal armies, but it’s unknown if the title will borrow exploration elements from Age of Calamity. Other playable characters are also teased but further details are still pending.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment launches this Winter for Nintendo Switch 2. Stay tuned for more details and gameplay in the coming months. In the meantime, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild will receive Switch 2 Editions with new gameplay features and visual enhancements.