Hyrule Warriors Legends Reviews
There are a great selection of weapons and characters in this game to make it more diverse, but it just wasn’t worth the struggle to see it all.
Hyrule Warriors is a fast-paced, button masher action game with a great collection of characters, splendid looking arenas and a neat Zelda-fan-festival story to draw from. The idea of a Zelda action game or a Warriors skinned Zelda game sounds cheap, but after these two ingredients are baked together, the result is one tasty cake.
A Warriors game in Zelda dressing - and that’s a good thing.
If you’re looking at this game and expecting the complexity of The Legend of Zelda, you will be disappointed. If you’re interested in mindless fun that makes you feel like a god while playing through it, then you’ll probably feel right at home. It’s Dynasty Warriors with Zelda characters, and if you don’t like Dynasty Warriors, you’re not going to like this title either.
Have you played Hyrule Warriors on Wii U? Do you own a Wii U? If the answer to either of those questions is "Yes" then you shouldn't bother with Hyrule Warriors Legends.
Hyrule Warriors Legends was designed to be a Zelda spin-off and not the next entry in the Zelda series.
If you’re looking for a good time sink game, this is the game for you. The value is much higher than anything you’ll get from playing most other games solo, especially if you’re a Zelda fan.
Hyrule Warriors Legends is a pretty amazing achievement on the 3DS hardware, but that same hardware imposes some rather glaring limitations. It’s almost feature-complete compared to the Wii U game but a smaller screen and lower resolution hamper the overall experience. What’s more, most of its new content will be coming to the Wii U version as DLC, so unless you really want to play Hyrule Warriors on a portable it’s hard to wholeheartedly recommend Legends.
Ironically, the game grinds to a halt whenever it indulges in callbacks to the Legend of the Zelda brand.
Hyrule Warriors Legends feels more awkward to control on handheld and doesn’t perform nearly as well as the Wii U version but it does add some interesting new modes and features like character switching and fairy skills. For newcomers playing on the New 3DS is recommended, otherwise you’ll be faced with naff camera angles, fiddly controls and massive framerate drops. Of course these flaws won’t matter too much to super fans who are sure to enjoy the experience, the many new features and the upcoming content, providing they don’t mind starting over.
Hyrule Warriors Legends isn’t as technically impressive as the original release on the Wii U, but it stands out as a true highlight among portable Warriors games. Content rich, rich with Zelda lore, and a mechanically-tight brawler, it’s a love letter to the fans, and it’s good to see that Koei Tecmo is still working on this property… it bodes well for what we might see on the NX down the track.
If there’s anything I’d critique about the core gameplay, it’d be that the multiple objectives that occasionally each require immediate attention are straining. Dividing your attention across large maps, especially when you’re alone in battle is a wee bit stressful.
Hyrule Warriors Legends feels rough in several areas, and most of it is likely due to the hardware constraints of Nintendo’s handheld. There is simply too much going on at a time for the little system to keep things in order. The new improvements are very welcome, and I would love to see them make their way over to the console version. However, that is still by far the preferred way to experience this game. Even with the extra characters and such, Hyrule Warriors just works better on the Wii U, even more so for those without the New 3DS model.
On the whole Hyrule Warriors Legends is a solid game built upon the strong foundation of its predecessor.
Hyrule Warriors Legends offers players with tons to do and brings together many of the franchise’s most iconic characters in a way that is unexpected yet fun — however, the subpar technical performance and changes made to accommodate the handheld may make it an experience that’s far from legendary.
Hyrule Warriors Legends for the (New) 3DS takes all of the excellent action, and most of the DLC found in the Wii U version, and makes it playable on the go. Just make sure you have the New 3DS or New 3DS XL before you get it.
With its friendly pick up and play design, Hyrule Warriors Legends is an excellent fit for the Nintendo 3DS. The game is highly entertaining, offers endless replayability, and has enough new content to warrant a double-dip from Wii U owners. If you have a New Nintendo 3DS, Hyrule Warriors Legends is a must-own thanks to its highly entertaining gameplay.
No matter what, just be prepared for repetition by design. If not for the hardware limitations, based on content and gameplay I’d go so far as to call Legends the definitive edition of Hyrule Warriors. As it stands, it’s a fine handheld Warriors game for Zelda devotees, all at once a remake, alternative, and companion to its console predecessor.
All in all, Hyrule Warrriors Legends is the definitive version of the game, wrapping up some of the issues and storyline features from the original with additional content, refined controls and even more playable characters. It's an action-packed, worthy tribute to Nintendo's iconic adventure series that brings something new to the storyline and characters we've grown familiar with. If you've yet to play Hyrule Warriors, then the 3DS release is certainly the more comprehensive version - it feels as if it's more suited as a handheld, pick-up-and-play game. Those of you who have the Wii U version and intend on replaying the game, Legends is worth a look-in, but, otherwise, the additional content may not be enough to justify buying an expanded port.
If you like this type of game, and happen to own a New Nintendo 3DS, then you can't really go wrong with Hyrule Warriors Legends. It somehow manages to be more fun than its console peer, and packs a ton of content into its small game cart.