Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment Review
Zelda's journey into Hyrule's ancient past succeeds as the finest Hyrule Warriors installment to date. Playing Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, it was natural to think about how it connects to Tears of the Kingdom's story and Age of Calamity's take on Breath of the Wild's backstory.
Though Zelda games have historically paid attention to story, recent titles felt like missteps despite their potential. I appreciated the concept of an underlying narrative in Tears of the Kingdom, set after Breath of the Wild, but key elements left me wanting more.
On paper, Age of Imprisonment promised to deliver the story I wished for and could fill the gaps in the original narrative—a story with strong emotional potential that didn’t fully materialize previously. Ultimately, like Tears of the Kingdom, its success hinges on execution and delivering quality gameplay.
It’s fortunate that Age of Imprisonment became a surprise favorite, standing out as my personal game of the year.
Context for New Players
If you are reading this review, I assume you have some familiarity with Dynasty Warriors and interest in Age of Imprisonment. Without that background, this review may be less meaningful.
"Zelda's adventure in the ancient past of Hyrule sticks the landing to be the best Hyrule Warriors yet."
"Age of Imprisonment would be everything I'd wanted out of that original narrative, and could retroactively fill in the blanks for a story that had all the pieces for something moving."
Author’s summary:
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment skillfully deepens Zelda’s lore, transforming a promising story into a rewarding and memorable game experience through strong execution.