Series-Best Combat in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
The latest Zelda and Musou crossover, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, heavily relies on players' familiarity with Zelda lore but delivers some of the best Warriors gameplay seen in years.
Established Formula and Gameplay
This marks the third collision between The Legend of Zelda and Koei Tecmo's Warriors franchise. The partnership has become highly skilled at crafting these games, which are generally familiar in structure. The first Hyrule Warriors stood out as a unique and engaging take on the one-versus-many Musou genre, using Zelda’s themes to enhance the tried-and-true gameplay.
"It treated the Musou setup as a foundation, and then used the trappings and concepts of The Legend of Zelda as icing on that proven-tasty cake."
This combination created a compelling formula where Zelda elements blended better with Warriors gameplay than franchises like Fire Emblem or One Piece, elevating the straightforward hack-and-slash battles.
Evolving the Concept Through Titles
While the first game combined Zelda imagery spanning multiple decades, the 2020 sequel, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, focused on a single entry: Breath of the Wild. It presented a non-canonical alternate timeline of that game's events, continuing to build on the established gameplay style.
"2020's Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity... channeled the worldview of a single entry, Breath of the Wild, offering a non-canon alternative universe take on that game's events."
Conclusion
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment offers refined combat mechanics and a familiar Zelda setting, but it feels like a fitting endpoint for the Breath of the Wild version within the Warriors universe.