Review: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment

If you enjoyed Koei Tecmo’s previous collaborations with Nintendo, you will appreciate this one as well. Koei Tecmo has brought its Musou “Warriors” style to Nintendo properties five times—twice with Fire Emblem and now three times with The Legend of Zelda. This installment might be the most polished and coherent yet, demonstrating how well Koei Tecmo has blended frantic action with storytelling.

Improved Narrative Integration

Previously, Warriors games shared their stories through brief cutscenes before and after long beat-em-up battles. In Age of Imprisonment, however, the narrative is much more embedded within gameplay. Key story battles feature cutscenes, character switches, and shifting perspectives that flow naturally with the combat. This enhancement makes the game feel less like a sequence of arcade-style levels and more like a unified experience.

“It now feels less like you’re playing through a series of ‘levels,’ like you’re in an arcade.”

Story and Setting

The story contributes to the Zelda universe, taking place during the same timeline as Tears of the Kingdom. It begins with Zelda falling into a magical sinkhole and waking up at the dawn of Hyrule’s history, where she meets the kingdom’s first king and queen.

“Set during the same arc as Tears of the Kingdom, things kick off with Zelda falling into the magic sinkhole, only to wake up right at the beginning of Hyrule’s history, meeting the very first king and queen of the kingdom.”

This cohesive storytelling, combined with the established action formula, creates a strong addition to both Koei Tecmo’s Warriors series and the Zelda franchise.

Author's summary: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment refines Koei Tecmo's Musou gameplay with a seamlessly integrated story, delivering an engaging Zelda experience that feels both fresh and connected to the kingdom's lore.

Digitally Downloaded — 2025-11-05