Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment Review: Ultrahanding Out Beatdowns
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment offers a smart adaptation of Tears of the Kingdom mechanics, an engaging cast, and a solid campaign that makes it a worthwhile spinoff.
Nintendo and Koei Tecmo have earned my loyalty through years of Warriors collaborations and spinoffs. What impresses me most is that Koei Tecmo doesn’t just place fan-favorite characters into the Musou gameplay; instead, they enhance the formula by adapting mechanics from the original franchises.
This approach was seen in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, and it continues with Age of Imprisonment. Leveraging the power of the Switch 2, the game runs better and stands as a worthy spinoff following the excellence of Tears of the Kingdom.
Story and Setting
Picking up from the events of Tears of the Kingdom, Age of Imprisonment explores untold stories, similar to Age of Calamity. The focus is on the war between the original King of Hyrule, Rauru, and the Gerudo chieftain turned Demon King, Ganondorf.
While players familiar with Tears of the Kingdom know the outcome, the game provides an in-depth narrative detailing Zelda's efforts to reunite with Link in the future.
Character Focus
The game spends significant time developing characters who were only briefly mentioned in Tears of the Kingdom, enriching the lore and emotional engagement.
Nintendo and Koei Tecmo “have made a fairly loyal fan of me over the course of several Warriors collaborations and spinoffs this last decade and then some.”
“Koei Tecmo isn’t just strapping fan favorite characters to the Musou formula. Instead, it is augmenting that formula with adaptations of the mechanics from the franchises it is handling.”
The improved performance on the Switch 2 also enhances the overall experience, delivering smoother gameplay and more ambitious design.
Conclusion
Age of Imprisonment is a successful extension of both the Warriors series and Tears of the Kingdom universe, blending adapted gameplay mechanics with a compelling story and deeper character exploration.
Author’s summary: Age of Imprisonment skillfully adapts Tears of the Kingdom's mechanics to deliver a polished, story-rich spinoff that deepens character lore and gameplay on the Switch 2.