Review: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
If you’ve appreciated Koei Tecmo’s earlier collaborations with Nintendo, you’ll likely be impressed again. The studio has now merged its iconic Musou "Warriors" gameplay into Nintendo franchises five times: twice with Fire Emblem, and for the third time with The Legend of Zelda in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment.
This new entry may be the most unified and polished yet, demonstrating Koei Tecmo’s refined skill at balancing large-scale action with engaging storytelling. In earlier Warriors titles, storylines were often delivered through short cinematic scenes framing lengthy action segments. Here, the story merges smoothly with battles, connecting character changes, shifts in perspective, and dramatic cutscenes into a cohesive experience.
This evolution makes gameplay feel less like a sequence of disconnected stages and more like an unfolding epic within the Zelda universe. The story itself contributes meaningfully to the lore of Hyrule.
“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.”
Author’s Summary
A stylish blend of Musou action and Zelda storytelling, Age of Imprisonment delivers a cohesive narrative-driven experience that deepens Hyrule’s lore and enhances the series’ gameplay charm.