Series-best combat carried me through Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
The latest crossover between Zelda and the Musou genre relies heavily on fans' familiarity with Zelda lore, but it delivers the best Warriors gameplay in years. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment marks the third collaboration between The Legend of Zelda and Koei Tecmo's Warriors series.
Both partners have refined their craft, producing games that, while based on a familiar formula, continue to impress. The original Hyrule Warriors is one of the most compelling adaptations of the one-versus-many Musou genre. It used the genre’s core gameplay as a base while layering in Zelda’s themes and aesthetics, creating a satisfying blend.
This formula proved effective because Zelda’s world fits the Warriors gameplay style better than other franchises like Fire Emblem or One Piece. It enhances the otherwise straightforward and fast-paced hack-and-slash combat with recognizable characters and environments.
While the first game drew on Zelda imagery spanning many decades, 2020’s Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity focused on a single era, adopting the perspective of Breath of the Wild. This entry offered a non-canon alternate universe version of that game's story.
"For my money, the first Hyrule Warriors was one of the most interesting takes on the one-versus-many Musou genre."
"That ended up to be a pretty convincing formula, with the Zelda trappings meshing better with Warriors than the likes of Fire Emblem or One Piece."
However, after this latest installment, I feel ready to move on from the Breath of the Wild version of the Zelda universe.
Author's summary
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment delivers the series' best combat experience while wrapping classic Zelda elements in a refined Musou formula, yet the Breath of the Wild take now feels complete.