Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is the third game in the Zelda Universe to occupy Koei Tecmo’s time. However, Age of Imprisonment however is different from its predecessors, as Hyrule Warriors and Age of Calamity were both non-canon to the timeline, while Age of Imprisonment is a fully canonical part of the story. This distinction is important as it makes clear, Age of Imprisonment is a key part of the story of the recent games. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment tells the story of Zelda’s time in the past, where she was sent in the opening moments of Tears of the Kingdom, and it is here that she learns what the darkness that is ailing Hyrule started from, driving her to truly help Link save her kingdom no matter what.
Tears of the Kingdom told its own amazing tale, through flashbacks, and while it did show off some events in the past,. Age of Imprisonment offers more. By allowing you to play these events, it lets you become even closer to the events and the characters. It is always good to learn as much about the world as possible and Age of Imprisonment lets you do this in a different way.
Rauru, the founder of Hyrule, was a man unlike any other, being a powerful warlock who loved his wife Sonia as much as anyone could. This magical being shows true courage and heroism throughout the story, and letting us see him even more fleshed out, really helps show him off in a good light. It also shows us that even without a Link, Hyrule will have people that will do their damnedest to save it.
Zelda’s journey and learning about the world of the past is also great as she’s always been inquisitive and has been reading about the past, but to find herself sent back in time to this era is something she needs to get used too. There is an evolution we get here, one that makes her more sure of herself, and she goes from finally being free in Breath of the Wild, to learning about the world post Calamity Ganon, and now finds out how powerful she can be. It’s a lovely story for her and it’s nice to see why she makes a certain decision in Tears of the Kingdom.
That being said, this game doesn’t shy away from adding its own Link in through storytelling. After all, Age of Imprisonment adds a plethora of characters who have their own reasons for joining the Imprisoning War and it’s not really a matter of will, it’s a matter of when they can’t help but step in and join the fight. The Link in this game is one introduced right at the beginning of the game, and is a living construct, powered by a sheer will to do good, and maybe something a bit more familiar. He looks just like the great hero of the wild, and his attacks are also reminiscent of him. He might be a little more robotic but Klink, as I like to call him, is bound to be a favorite, and he is joined by the most powerful Korok.
Calamo is a Korok on an adventure, and a traveler trying to settle down his roots, hoping to become a legend. This is the first time a Korok is playable and I hope we get another chance in the future. Calamo’s play style mixes quick sword fighting with the power of nature, which is a deadly combination. He’s also a very nuanced character, and after finding Klink, he learns even more about himself. This rather lazy and self important fellow, who just wants to settle, goes on one amazing adventure, and by meeting old friends and new alike, he grows tremendously as a Korok, and by the end realizes some things, and evolves as a character.
The gameplay in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is at least softly standard Musou fare. Players battle through waves of enemies, taking them down. Leveling them up through determination, so they may fight another day. These games always offer up hours of content, and you can play as much or little as you want. For instance, you can train up characters or simply do it enough to get to the end of the game. and it’s always fun to see how strong the characters can get as the late game and end game content does get pretty brutal.
It’s a good idea to try all the characters as some challenges do require certain characters, and after working through all the missions for a certain character on the map, there is a reward. Every character has a little personal moment to unlock. A little more lore is always good, and it just takes a little more elbow grease, but you are enjoying yourself, it shouldn’t be a problem to get to.
Over the years the developers at Koei Tecmo have come a long way in blending gameplay from other games with the Musou genre. Age of Imprisonment adds flurry rush, an amazing ability to rapidly attack after a perfect dodge, and elemental powers are fun to use, and can turn a battle on its head. Also added is the ability to fuse, where a character can fuse different items to their weapon. Koei Tecmo even added other Zonai devices which again using elements or explosions can change the tide of battle, and it’s always impressive seeing things that work in the real game, working in these chaotic battles.
As you complete your quests and challenges, you will find yourself using the many items available to you. This allows you to get extra special meters, unlocks new attacks to break enemy defenses, and just get stronger over all. The game gives these upgrades slowly over time, and it feels like a nice progression, which is most certainly a good thing.
The battles do end up getting a little repetitive after a while, so the series isn’t for everyone. But honestly that’s part of its charm, when you button mash through battles, as you watch lovely voiced cinematics. Taking down classic Zelda foes, and learning about the past, it’s all fun and games until one tragic event and then it all leads to the Imprisoning of the greatest Zelda enemy of all time.
It really is understandable that the battle arenas would become a little samey, especially as the game is already working hard to keep all the enemies on the field. Having similar or the same battlefields allows them to get things done. This felt worth pointing out, because some might have a problem with it, even if it’s not the biggest problem.
One downside is that the roster is a little less amazing than other games. It’s definitely not bad, but it’s just comparable to the Age of Calamity. These two games try to do the series justice with characters that make sense unlike other games in the series. They do offer up three of each tribe, which is nice, but some feel a little more samey then others.
There are standout characters like Rauru, Mineru, Zelda, Calomo and a few others, but I don’t really want to spoil anything. There is of course room for more, if Koei Tecmo does add DLC in the next year. But the roster does what it needs too, and I appreciate it even if it’s small. Some games in the series have so many characters it’s kind of mind boggling, but it makes sense depending on the property.
The music in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is stellar, and I love hearing the remixes of classic Breath of the Wild era songs. The music in these games is top tier, and I genuinely love the remixes that Koei Tecmo creates. They always add a little oomph to songs, make them pop a little more than they do in their base appearance, and it adds to the wildness of battle, and makes them stand out which is a good thing.
I’m a big fan of voice acting, and it’s nice to hear classic characters voice characters again. The new voice actors also add into the mix in a good way and I’d say it’s a very solid voice cast. They all bring gravitas to their characters and help tell a story that might even bring a tear to the player’s eye.
Age of Imprisonment is at its core a Musou game, a hack n slashing romp, through a Zelda world. But it also tells a compelling story that should resonate with fans and anyone willing to listen. It’s beautiful to see a game tell such a story, and tie up loose ends, and surprisingly this is the game to do that. Gannondorf is coming, will the player stand with Zelda and Rauru to take him down, and save Hyrule?
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
