Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity Reviews
The franchise’s dumb, bland protagonist may be a familiar staple, but it’s also a link to the past Zelda ought to have left behind by now.
Overall, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is an excellent successor to the original Hyrule Warriors. When it comes to being a Breath of the Wild prequel, it captures the spirit and essence, but it also somewhat tarnishes the story that game told. Despite that, the gameplay is fun and inventive enough to see this new story through, and it should still be enjoyable for fans. If it means this will fill the void till we get the proper sequel, then so be it.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a polished hack-and-slash that nails a satisfying blend of strategy and action, straying from its inspiration in many great ways.
If the name "The Legend of Zelda" means a lot to you, and you can have fun with musou-style games, then Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity will not disappoint. A lot of good settings and choices were made in this game, there are others that not. But in a total the action starts at 10 and never lets up, giving the player the battle after battle of tight and fun Musou action. If you like mudou-style games and Legend of Zelda this is a great title for you to try, with a good story, gameplay and graphics combinations this is a kinda alternative way to see legend of Zelda.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Age of Calamity is a good game for its genre. The marriage of the drawn action of the Warriors games with the universe of Breath of the Wild has been done in a natural and unexpected way, creating a very special hybrid. For fans of these games but also for the fans of Breath of the Wild, there is undoubtedly plenty of remarkable content. Even if the script left me with mixed feelings, Age of Calamity remains a quality proposition.
Review in Greek | Read full review
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a strong title with plenty of appeal to both Zelda and Musou fans. The enduring gameplay strengths of Omega Force’s titles are present and its interesting approach to being a prequel ensures there is some narrative interest.
Weird ending aside, Age of Calamity is one of the best Musou crossover games ever made. This game really does capture the visuals and sound that made Breath of the Wild special, it just lacks the somber tone that defined a generation.
Is this still Warriors or already Breath of the Wild? Age of Calamity combines the well-known qualities of the Musou brand with charm, design and ideas of one of the best games of the generation - elevating it into a positively Zeldaesque adventure.
Review in German | Read full review
Overall though, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a fun, engaging hack-and-slash take on the world and characters of Breath of the Wild, and I very much enjoyed my time with the game, sans fighting with the camera. While the restrictions placed on exploration and travel did occasionally make me long for the freedom of the game’s more open world counterpart, it was still beautiful in its own right, with a wonderful soundtrack, fun, memorable characters, and a predictable but sometimes surprisingly moving story. I will always be happy when I get to see Zelda’s struggles and accomplishments, and this game provided that in a delightful package.
"Calm before the storm."
Review in Finnish | Read full review
In the end, Hyrule Warriors is and remains a rather conservative spin-off of the Warriors series that suffers from clear technical flaws. Lots of fireworks, little substance. Fans of the series won't be bothered by this anyway, but Zelda fans should take a closer look to see if this is worth picking up.
Review in German | Read full review
It may be obvious, but Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity might be one of the best Warriors titles in recent years. It is befitting of the Breath of the Wild timeline (since universes are so last-decade), as it beautifully matches every aspect of the franchise thereafter. The game introduces a whole new way to play as its Dynasty Warriors roots are showcased in full force, but still manages to feel so much like a Legend of Zelda title that it will be very hard to pass up by any Zelda fan. Those who do give it a pass, however, have no idea how good of a game they are missing out on.
While it’s not without its faults, I enjoyed nearly every moment of my 50+ hours spent on the frantic battlefields of Hyrule playing Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. With a strong story, copious amounts of fan-service, and a wealth of unique and balanced musou gameplay, it succeeds wildly both as a worthy sequel to Hyrule Warriors, and a semi-prequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. While your mileage will vary depending on how much you enjoy musou games and how willing you are to tolerate performance issues (and, to a certain extent, repetition), I give this one a very strong recommendation.
Of all Musou genre titles out there, this Zelda spin-off of the original The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, is not just a reskinned Mosou series but a complete package full of cutting-edge animation and strategic properties to interact with. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity leaves a mark for fans and enthusiasts of all Zelda franchises as well as those who enjoy Mosou style of mass hack and slasher action genres. There are some technical hiccups when there are too many objects and enemies, but it is well forgiven due to the highly polished level of the game as well as some of the background explanations and additional storylines to fill in the gaps of some of the question marks from BOTW. If you want to experience the full circle of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, we recommend you play BOTW to the fullest and see its ending first.
Review in Korean | Read full review
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity makes some clever improvements over the original Hyrule Warriors, but ultimately feels a little more separated from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild than many fans might have expected. Despite some messy design choices, it still manages to provide a polished and satisfying experience in the Warriors line.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a Breath of the Wild prequel that offers some of the best Warriors gameplay we have seen so far. However, the game is not flawless as it suffers from some frustrating controls and framerate issues. However, if you are willing to look past that, enormous fun and adrenaline-driven experience remain.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Age of Calamity seemingly fixes all those niggling little qualms that people had with Breath of the Wild, first and foremost there is no weapon degradation. It was without a doubt one of the most frustrating parts of the game, constantly having to find a new sword halfway through a battle. While you still collect numerous items, food and weaponry in Age of Calamity you really only address that between missions where you can sell or even fuse loose weapons together. Even frustrating enemies from the original game like Lynels have been essentially neutered here to the point that you can easily defeat them,a lot of aspects from Breath of the Wild have been brought over here including Flurry Rush, Paraglider, even the freaking Koroks.
A hugely entertaining love letter to Breath of the Wild let down by uneven performance that scuppers the game’s ludicrous highs.
I loved my time with Age of Calamity, even the hours and hours I spent in the post-game. There’s so much to do, and it rarely feels repetitive. The wealth of characters and places to explore really set itself apart from other spin-off games in the Warriors franchise, and you get to rediscover a fully-realized Hyrule once again. The map design and mechanics really capture the magic of Breath of the Wild, even when it comes to combat. Although the story might not be what you want it to be, there are some really great moments that highlight certain characters, especially Zelda. The loot and weapon system is also fun, with endless amounts of customization when it comes to upgrading your characters. I’ve been obsessed with this game since it came out, constantly wanting to get back to it and try to 100% it—and I usually never feel compelled to fully complete a game like that. I cannot recommend this game enough if you’re a Zelda fan, especially if you loved Breath of the Wild.
Beyond its technical limits, Age of Calamity is a welcome addition to the Legend of Zelda lore, even if it adds more timeline questions than it answers. The story's branching history will surely upset some timeline purists, but the game mitigates those concerns with a well-told story. Fans are finally given a version of Zelda they've wanted to see for years, and playing at the capable princess is a gift I will never forget. The story's emotional tale is one that I am eager to explore again, and it has reinvigorated my interest to replay Breath of the Wild. This works out perfectly for Nintendo given how the company is currently developing a sequel to the original. And if that follow-up puts as much care into its characters as Age of Calamity does, then fans are in for a delightful treat.