Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment Review
Zelda's journey into Hyrule's ancient past delivers what feels like the best Hyrule Warriors experience yet. Playing Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, I couldn't help but think of Tears of the Kingdom and how its story took center stage, alongside Age of Calamity's take on Breath of the Wild's lore.
While Zelda games have always included story elements, I felt recent entries somewhat missed the mark, despite their potential. I appreciated Tears of the Kingdom exploring events behind the scenes in a post-Breath of the Wild world, yet it left me wanting more.
On paper, Age of Imprisonment promised to deliver everything I sought from the original narrative, filling gaps in a story that contained all the elements for a compelling tale but never fully achieved it. Like with Tears of the Kingdom, success would depend on execution — and it needed to be a solid Warriors game too.
Fortunately, it proved to be a sleeper hit and remains my personal game of the year.
Expectations and Background
Before diving in, it's important to note that this review assumes at least some familiarity with the Dynasty Warriors series, which underpins Age of Imprisonment. Without that, the appeal and mechanics might be lost.
"I loved the idea of the story going on behind the scenes with Tears of the Kingdom, and existing in a world post-Breath of the Wild, but I was still left wanting in several key areas."
"Age of Imprisonment would be everything I'd wanted out of that original narrative, and could retroactively fill in the blanks for a story that had all the pieces for something moving - but never quite got there for me."
Summary
Age of Imprisonment combines the rich lore of Zelda's past with refined Warriors gameplay, successfully delivering an engaging story that enhances the Zelda universe’s timeline.
Author's Note
This game stands out by meeting narrative expectations and gameplay quality, making it a surprising highlight for Zelda and Warriors fans alike.
Would you like the review expanded with gameplay details or kept focused on story and impressions?