While The Legend of Zelda fans may have to wait a while for the next main entry in the series, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment serves as a solid experience in the meantime. Set after the events of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the game features Zelda as the main character. It stands out as one of the most impressive-looking and best-performing titles on the Nintendo Switch 2, offering polished visuals and strong support for the new hardware.
The story acts more as a prequel than a true sequel to Tears of the Kingdom, taking place in the distant past. After the events at the beginning of Tears of the Kingdom, Princess Zelda falls through a mysterious time portal that sends her back to the era of Hyrule’s first rulers. This setting, during the founding days of Hyrule, provides a fascinating backdrop for the story. The plot focuses on the Imprisoning War, with a menacing villain returning and plenty of lore for long-time fans to enjoy.
Early in the game, Zelda meets King Rauru and Queen Sonia, two of Hyrule’s earliest rulers, who help her understand the history of this ancient kingdom. Meanwhile, Ganondorf rises as a threat to Hyrule’s peace, and his origins are touched, revealing how he eventually becomes the Demon King. The story ties directly into the later games, filling in key details about Ganondorf’s fate and deepening the overall Zelda timeline.
I was impressed by the game’s presentation right from the start. It is easily one of the most visually stunning titles on the Nintendo Switch 2, and that is no exaggeration. While it lacks anti-aliasing, the art style more than makes up for it, closely resembling Tears of the Kingdom and looking remarkably clean on the new hardware. The frame rate is equally impressive, especially for a game that fills the screen with hundreds of enemies at once. It performs smoothly and represents a noticeable technical improvement over previous entries in the series.
The gameplay is equally enjoyable. There are several playable characters, and players can switch between them freely during combat. The action goes beyond the typical hack-and-slash style seen in most Warriors games, blending in elements from Zelda’s world to create fresh attack patterns. In addition to various combo attacks that mix light and strong hits, each character has unique abilities and can use Zonai devices to take down enemies more efficiently. Tools like Flame Emitters, Time Bombs, and Rockets allow for creative and quick ways to clear out crowds.
What stood out most to me was how smooth and responsive the gameplay felt. Dodging and timing attacks is effortless, and just like in Tears of the Kingdom, performing a perfect dodge triggers a flurry of fast counterattacks. It is deeply satisfying to pull off in the middle of a battle, especially during intense boss fights. To make combat even more exciting, the game introduces Sync Strikes, where two characters team up for powerful finishing attacks. Enemies also have specific weaknesses, and identifying and exploiting them plays a key role in achieving victory.
While the game is technically impressive and the gameplay is solid, it falls short in its mission structure. From a narrative standpoint, there are numerous cutscenes—beautifully rendered and cinematic—but they can drag the pacing down. Most missions revolve around fighting through waves of enemies across fairly linear maps, which can feel repetitive after a while. That said, the variety in playable characters adds some much-needed depth. Later in the story, there are even Star Fox-style dogfights. I have never been particularly fond of that type of gameplay, but I found them surprisingly enjoyable here.
The soundtrack is outstanding, blending classic Zelda themes with modern arrangements. The game even includes a music player that allows you to replay tracks at your leisure. Just like the visuals, the music enhances the overall experience, elevating it from good to excellent. With a story that takes roughly 20 hours to complete, the score does a wonderful job of adding emotion and atmosphere to key moments throughout the journey.
Although the main story is of moderate length, there is a generous amount of side content available. These side missions and challenges are scattered across the map, though they can sometimes make the interface feel cluttered. The developers have also included harder difficulty options for players seeking a greater challenge—something I appreciated, as the normal mode is admittedly a bit too easy. I was also pleased to find that split-screen and local co-op are supported, making it easier and more enjoyable to tackle optional or difficult missions with a friend.
Overall, this might be the best version of Hyrule Warriors to date. While the repetitive nature of its missions can wear on players over time, and the story does not quite reach the emotional highs of Tears of the Kingdom, there is still a great deal to enjoy here. The new characters are engaging, and exploring a version of Hyrule set in the distant past adds fresh context to the series’ lore.
From a technical standpoint, the game stands as a showcase for the Nintendo Switch 2, featuring impressive visuals, strong performance, and excellent sound design. Co-op support is a welcome addition, though it does lower the frame rate to 30 FPS. Fortunately, this can be avoided by playing local co-op on a second Switch 2 system, allowing for a smoother experience overall.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment Game Information
- Price: $69.99
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Developer: Koei Tecmo
- Platform: Switch 2 (Reviewed)
- Disclaimer: A review code was given by the publisher
