Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment Reviews
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is the strongest entry in the series from a performance standpoint, but its strict adherence to canon holds it back more than you might expect.
Koei Tecmo continues to cautiously expand the mythology of The Legend of Zelda with high-quality spin-offs. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment offers a more emotional look at Hyrule’s past without losing what makes this sub-series so special: large-scale action, streamlined and accessible gameplay, and a world waiting to be reclaimed through multiple individual missions.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is a surprisingly rich companion to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, pairing sharp, satisfying Musou combat with a story that actually feels essential.
All considered, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment brings together sharp musou action, an excellent Tears of the Kingdom prequel story, and rock-solid performance into something easy to recommend.
A technical marvel with enough lore and addictive gameplay to satisfy both fans and newcomers alike.
Despite not being a Zelda game in the truest sense and having the flaws typical of the 'musou' genre, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Exile is a game that, while not perfect, enriches, connects, and excites. It feels like an essential piece for those who have followed the evolution of modern Hyrule and, with its strengths and weaknesses, ends up being one of the most significant spin-offs for this franchise.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
If you don't like Musō games this version probably won't convert you to a fan. However if you're not completely averse to the genre or perhaps even want to try it for the first time - this is a damn good entry point. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment not only delivers a very interesting story as a Tears of the Kingdom spin-off, you can also easily lose yourself in the gameplay for over 20 hours and will have a lot of fun beating up endless hordes of enemies.
Review in German | Read full review
Together with Nintendo, the king of musou is back with another entry in the venerable The Legend of Zelda subseries, now on Switch 2! (Review in Portuguese for Entertainium Brasil)
Age of Imprisonment does a fantastic job of playing to the strengths of a Warriors game. Just some simple, hack-and-slash fun done well. While some sections and the difficulty curve is a little clunky, it more than makes up with it with an engaging and well integrated plot that builds upon the fantastic story from Tears of the Kingdom.
Age of Imprisonment is a vastly enjoyable Zelda adventure that, like Age of Calamity before it, gave me a better story than Link’s last two outings. The world of The Legend of Zelda is massive, across numerous timelines and games. While the gameplay is certainly a different taste than the main series games, I simply find these to offer more of what I want; great combat, fun characters, and compelling story. Age of Imprisonment has new stewards in AAA Game Studio, and so far, they've succeeded in providing a wildly addictive game with only a few blemishes across the whole package.
The newest Hyrule Warriors sticks to the tried-and-true Musou formula, blending hack-and-slash chaos with Zelda’s iconic world. While the action is fun and technically solid, the story feels thin and overly familiar, leaving fans wanting more depth despite its canonical promise. I was still thoroughly entertained from start to finish.
Review in Finnish | Read full review
While Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is still well and truly a Musou game, it’s certainly the best Zelda spin-off yet. With a visual style aligned with Tears of the Kingdom alongside a compelling and canon story, there’s plenty of reason to play for those committed to the narrative. Unsurprisingly, this is hindered by bland and repetitive button-mashing combat. Aside from its fleeting Star Fox-style aerial rail shooter missions, Age of Calamity does very little to set itself apart from the legions of Musou games that have come before it.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is easily the most impressive and enjoyable entry in the series, even if it doesn’t completely reinvent the musou formula. The slick performance, rewarding combat tweaks, and genuinely engaging (and canon, can’t forget that) story make it a standout adventure.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is the most polished entry in the spinoff series, delivering canonical Zelda storytelling that actually enhances Tears of the Kingdom rather than undermining it. The combat feels genuinely tactical thanks to Zonai devices, elemental reactions, and interactive Sync Strikes that demand more than button-mashing. It’s the rare spinoff that makes its source material better just by existing, and that’s worth celebrating even when you’re mashing buttons as you capture your tenth outpost of the day.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is both a farewell and a celebration. It doesn’t rewrite what the genre is; it just perfects how it fits into Zelda’s mythology. The pacing is smoother, the combat smarter, and the story stronger than ever. It’s not for everyone, you’ll still spend most of your time tearing through armies, but it’s done with such flair, such affection for the world it expands, that it’s hard not to get swept up in it. For long-time Zelda fans, this feels like closure. For Musou fans, it’s a technical victory. And for everyone in between, it’s just a great time to lose yourself in chaos one last time.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment isn't a new Legend of Zelda game, but rather an expansion of the story behind The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. It's mindless button mashing to destroy as many enemies as possible. In any other game, you'd be put off by this, but in Age of Imprisonment, it works perfectly because you're given plenty of story to fill in the gaps. The free choice of characters and the way you can improve them never feels punishing. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is simply a joy to play on a drizzly day while enjoying the magic of a Legend of Zelda game.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is a very good action game that should be a must-have for fans of The Legend of Zelda series. The game nicely fills in any gaps left by Tears of the Kingdom, adding depth to various characters and many events mentioned in previous games. If you need an action game that will make you feel like a real boss, this is a good choice.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment takes the action-adventure series into a different direction with hack-and-slash gameplay. The game expands the lore of the The Legend of Zelda series, while feeling like an entirely new world.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment masterfully blends the musou genre with mechanics from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, creating an extremely fun combat system. Its canonical narrative for the BOTW and TOTK universe expands the lore of both games in a very respectful way, adding new and interesting elements to Hyrule’s story without necessarily making them overly essential to the universe, serving as an excellent complement for fans who love this world.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
As a direct evolution of its predecessor, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment explores and expands on the past of Tears of the Kingdom through a relatively predictable narrative that fails to take advantage of its new characters. At the same time, it delivers one of the most fluid, complex, and entertaining gameplay experiences in the entire series.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review