Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity Reviews
While a Musou game at heart, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity tells a surprisingly well-crafted tale that all Zelda fans should experience.
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.
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
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
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.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is by far the best Dynasty Warriors game on the market. It perfectly plucks on the heartstrings of Breath of the Wild fans, fleshing out fan-favourite characters with unique combat styles that keep the game feeling fresh. Unfortunately, as with many Koei Tecmo games, the camera controls, combat and performance are choppy and, at times, overly simplistic. But if you’re looking for a fun game to play with someone else, with tons of post-game content, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a great way to spend some time before Breath of the Wild 2 releases. If you’re not sold, try the free demo!
"Calm before the storm."
Review in Finnish | Read full review
If you have a tolerance for spotty frame rates, patience for load times, and enjoy being an army of one against a horde of idiotic mooks; then Age of Calamity is for you. This is a guilty please that comes at a steep price, but it also serves as a potential appetizer of things to come in the Breath of the Wild sequel.
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.
If you're a fan of The Legend of Zelda and want to change what happened 100 years before The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity is perfect for you.
Review in Turkish | 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.
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
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.
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 you enjoyed Breath of the Wild's story and characters, and like musou games, this is a great combination of the two that's worth checking out.
Hyrule Warriors: The Age of Calamity is a great addition to the warriors series of games if you enjoy battling huge mobs of enemies. Featuring great character development for Zelda and doesn't require playing Breath of the Wild to enjoy. The local co-op is great, but sorely absent in the Divine Beast missions.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is an incredibly successfully follow-up to Hyrule Warriors, and in my opinion, it's the best Warriors title to date. It may lack the sheer unbelievable amount of content that Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition has, but what's available plays excellently enough that I didn't mind one bit. The only thing holding it back is the inconsistent frame rate and the innate repetitive nature of a Warriors game. If you liked Hyrule Warriors, Warriors games, or Breath of the Wild, then Age of Calamity is a must-have.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a great game to sink hundreds of hours into. There’s a treasure trove of missions to do, a rich story to explore, and plenty of characters to enjoy. While the narrative wasn’t quite what I was expecting (or hoping for), it’s still full of entertaining twists and does enough to serve as a solid vehicle for Musou gameplay — certainly more than the original Hyrule Warriors’ plot did.