Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment Review

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment was a highly anticipated game for me, mainly because of its story. One of its biggest draws is how it explores a unique and important event in the Zelda timeline. For fans of Tears of the Kingdom, this game works as a bridge, filling in the gaps between Zelda travelling back to the past and how the Imprisoning War unfolded. It provides more context around what happened during that conflict, who was involved, and how it shaped the world seen in the present.

As a Musou style Warriors game, Age of Imprisonment plays exactly how you would expect. You are thrown into large-scale battles against thousands of enemies at once. This is not usually my preferred genre, and I went into the game knowing what to expect. However, my love for Zelda outweighed my general lack of interest in Dynasty Warrior games, and I was more than willing to give it a proper chance. Overall, I think the game is a solid effort that largely succeeds at what it sets out to do. There are clear high points and some noticeable low points, but nothing that completely drags the experience down or makes it feel unenjoyable.

The game’s strongest element is its story. It does a good job expanding the lore and capturing the tone established in Tears of the Kingdom. It feels authentically Zelda and borrows many familiar themes, ideas, and emotional beats. Characters such as Princess Zelda, King Rauru, Queen Sonia, and others are given time to develop their story takes its time with more exposition than in tears. While there is a lot of dialogue and explanation, it feels appropriate given the scale and importance of the Imprisoning War. The game does well in balancing the story and action-focused missions throughout.

There are 19 playable characters in total, representing nearly every race you would expect from a Zelda game. Gorons, Zora, Gerudo, Rito, and others all feature, and each character has their own abilities and combat style. This variety helps keep the gameplay from feeling completely flat. The story does succeed in creating an atmosphere of impending doom, which fits the idea of the Imprisoning War well. That said, the overall narrative is fairly predictable. Nothing truly surprised me, and there were no major moments that completely caught me off guard. It is as you expect it to be.

There were, however, some fun surprises on the gameplay side. One standout was a Korok-like character named Calamo, and a companion who strongly resembled a construct version of Link. These two characters were a clever addition and worked well mechanically. Moments like this show that some creativity was applied when adapting Zelda ideas into the Warriors format.

Where the story falls slightly short is that it relies heavily on the strength of the Zelda franchise itself rather than telling a bold or emotionally powerful story on its own, although it does try. I also continue to struggle with the voice acting, which was an issue I had with Tears of the Kingdom as well. I’m usually not one to nitpick on voice acting, however, Zelda’s voice, in particular, feels very weak and somewhat forced to me, though this is very much a personal opinion. The characters themselves are fine, and the performances are serviceable, but they are not especially memorable.

From a gameplay perspective, I was fairly comfortable going in blind. While I never played Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, I have played a lot of Dynasty Warriors, so I knew what kind of experience to expect. There are some welcome twists here, especially in how Zelda mechanics and lore are adapted into combat. At first, the game is genuinely a lot of fun. You feel powerful, especially as you level up, unlock abilities, and mow through massive enemy groups. Unfortunately, that excitement fades faster than I would have liked.

For fans of Warriors games, there is a lot to enjoy. The sense of scale, the high stakes, and the feeling of commanding overwhelming force on the battlefield are all well executed. There is also some strategic depth. You need to respond to enemy behaviour, use specific skills to counter defences, and use skills at the right time to optimise weak points, such as targeting enemies in the air. Light and heavy attacks need to be chained together effectively to create strong attacks. Zonai attacks offering elemental damage with added damage to weak enemies. Button mashing won’t really get you far here. While these small but nuanced changes to combat add depth, I found that it didn’t remain engaging for too long.

Difficulty balancing was one of my biggest issues. I played on both Normal and Very Hard, and the main difference between them appeared to be enemy health, especially for bosses and minibosses. On lower difficulties, encounters felt too easy and lacked tension. On higher difficulties, fights became long and grind-heavy, which drained momentum rather than adding challenge. Neither approach felt particularly satisfying.

One area where the game truly shines is its presentation as a Zelda experience. The interface, icons, sound effects, music cues, and map design all make it feel like a genuine extension of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. I really appreciated this consistency. The game works best when viewed as a complementary experience for the mainline Zelda title.

Graphically, the game is functional but unremarkable. It runs very well on the Switch 2, even with huge numbers of enemies on screen, which is impressive. However, visually, it feels dated, and there were very few to almost zero moments where I stopped to indulge in how good the game looked. Performance clearly takes priority over visual spectacle, and while that makes sense, it does limit the game’s visual impact.

Some of my favourite moments came from character pairings and partner attacks. Depending on who you choose, you can trigger powerful combined abilities, and these are consistently fun to use. Pairing characters together and unleashing large-scale attacks never really lost its appeal for me and helped add moments of excitement throughout the game. The way the game looks during these moments is awesome and probably the best-looking parts of the game.

The inclusion of flying missions was another pleasant surprise. I did not expect them at all, but they are integrated well into both the gameplay and the story. They make sense for the characters involved and offer a welcome change of pace. Over time, they do become more routine, but initially, they are a lot of fun and help break up the standard formula. Another fun addition is that if you have a save file on your system for Tears of the Kingdom, you can unlock bonus weapons.

The sound design overall does what it needs to do. The music fits the tone and supports the action, though very little of it is particularly memorable. There is nothing outstanding here, but nothing negative either. It may sound like I’m being negative, but I’m really not. I just think that this game is great for what it set out to do, and it does it well.

While playing in handheld mode, performance remained strong, even if textures were slightly rougher compared to docked play. With so many enemies on screen at once, smooth performance is the most important factor, and the game delivers on that front.

By the end of my time with Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, my feelings were fairly neutral, though not negative. I fully recognise that this genre simply is not for me. I think it does a good job as a Zelda-themed Musou game. It will not appeal to everyone, but that is expected. If you enjoy Warriors-style games, this is an easy recommendation. Even if you don’t, hardcore Zelda fans invested in the lore will still find value here.

In the end, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is a good and competent game. It is not exceptional, but it is not disappointing either. It fits neatly alongside Tears of the Kingdom and works best when seen as a companion piece that expands the world rather than a defining entry in the Zelda franchise.