Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment review: Ultrahanding out beatdowns

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment Review: Ultrahanding Out Beatdowns

A smart adaptation of Tears of the Kingdom mechanics, combined with an enjoyable cast and a strong campaign, makes Age of Imprisonment a valuable spinoff.

Nintendo and Koei Tecmo have earned my loyalty through multiple Warriors collaborations and spinoffs over the past decade. What stands out is Koei Tecmo’s approach: they do not merely fit fan-favorite characters into the Musou gameplay formula. Instead, they enhance it with mechanics adapted from the respective franchises.

This strategy was evident in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, and now continues in Age of Imprisonment. Leveraging the power of the Switch 2, Koei Tecmo has delivered a better performing game, establishing it as a worthy spinoff of the excellent Tears of the Kingdom.

Story and Setting

Building on the events of Tears of the Kingdom, Age of Imprisonment explores untold stories previously hinted at but not deeply examined. The narrative focuses on the war between the original King of Hyrule, Rauru, and Ganondorf, the Gerudo chieftain who became Demon King.

If you completed Tears of the Kingdom, you may already know the outcome, but this spinoff provides a detailed account of Zelda’s efforts to reunite with Link in the future. Additionally, it offers significant development of characters who were only peripheral in the original game.

“Nintendo and Koei Tecmo have made a fairly loyal fan of me over the course of several Warriors collaborations and spinoffs this last decade and then some.”
“Koei Tecmo isn’t just strapping fan favorite characters to the Musou formula. Instead, it is augmenting that formula with adaptations of the mechanics from the franchises it is handling.”

Author’s summary: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment skillfully expands the Tears of the Kingdom universe with enhanced gameplay and deeper storytelling, making it a must-play spinoff.

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Shacknews Shacknews — 2025-11-04

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