Hyrule Warriors Reviews
Honestly, if you're a Zelda fan, I wouldn't recommend you skipping out on this title due the sheer amount of modes and content squeezed in. What I would recommend, however, is playing in segments instead of trying to beat the bulk of it at once, since the repetitive nature of the gameplay can at times get exhausting after a couple hours of missions. If you're unsure whether to take the plunge, you can always rent or ask a friend for their copy first.
Like deep-fried caviar and the Warriors games that preceded it, Hyrule Warriors is an acquired taste that won't be for everybody. Gamers who primarily like first-person shooters or epics such as the Last of Us likely won't appreciate the mechanics of this game. If you're a fan of Dynasty Warriors-style games or grew up on old-school beat-em ups and adore the repetitive yet addicting mastery they require, then you will love this new link to the past.
Hyrule Warriors is the Legend of Zelda tactical brawler for the Wii U you didn't you know you wanted.
All in all, I'm glad to have experienced a game like Hyrule Warriors and also that I went into it without any great preconceived notions. What I found was an interesting addition to the Zelda franchise, enjoyable in a mindless way, and fun for scholars of Hyrulean lore. I would venture that any Zelda aficionado would find the same, just so long as you keep those wild expectations in check!
Hyrule Warriors delivers a wonderful Legend of Zelda action game with a large cast of familiar characters, identifiable worlds, a great upgrade/leveling system and endless amounts of action. It's far from a perfect game, especially in regards to controls and repetitiveness, but it's much better than expected. It has certainly raised the bar for the Dynasty Warriors series in regards to design.
Hyrule Warriors is a wonderful surprise. A surprise since not only does the Warriors formula work so well, it actually manages to surpass past Warriors titles in many ways. And while the character roster is a bit on the modest side, there is enough variety in each character and their subsequent alternate weapons to make that issue seem pretty minor.
Nintendo has served up fans something to tide them over in this Zelda-themed Dynasty Warriors clone. It's fan service more than anything else, but as you may have noticed by now, Nintendo is pretty good at fan service.
At the end of the day, what elevates Hyrule Warriors to greatness is its seemingly endless fanservice. Whether it's an obscure cameo, a cucco counter attack, or even just an awesome finishing move, the game is rife with glorious slices of Zelda goodness.
Overall, Hyrule Warriors, despite its flaws, is a very addictive game and is most certainly worth playing extensively. Irrespective of Nintendo's successful past collaborations, I postulated that this game might be a bad idea, but I was proven wrong.
If you're a fan of the Dynasty Warriors gameplay and the lore of The Legend of Zelda series, you will absolutely fall in love with Hyrule Warriors and enjoy the extensive list of replayable modes. For those of you who feel this is a taint on the Zelda brand, I can assure you that nothing but care and dedication has been given to the mythos of the franchise. That said, the gameplay itself can become quickly repetitive without a difficulty challenge besides beating the enemy to the punch. And though it looks like a Zelda game, it certainly doesn't feel like a traditional one. The story races through in quick segments, mostly to introduce a new playable character. It's not the epic tale masterfully weaved from past Zelda titles. It's a game with perks and a game with flaws, and it will be up to each player's personal preferences to decide whether it's a worthy addition to their Nintendo library.
While Hyrule Warriors could've gotten away with a simple "you got your chocolate in my peanut butter / you got peanut butter on my chocolate" mash-up and wiped their hands all the way to the bank, the end product is more of a love letter to its audience than either series could have attempted on its own. This may not count as a proper Zelda game, but it is still a valiant step forward for both Zelda and Nintendo in its efforts to explore new territory with the nearly 30-year-old series.
Hyrule Warriors was an interesting experience. The Zelda Aesthetic was enough to keep me engaged for awhile, but in the end I came to realize I was just mashing the A button to progress through most of the game. The Hollow Game modes offered, and the lack of any engaging in game content is what kept me from having any lasting playtime with the game. I found myself only being able to enjoy the game in short bursts, before wanting to set it down and play something else. In the end, It's an entertaining Zelda skinned game, but doesn't do anything to really change or set itself apart from other Hack and Slash games.
The final boss fight was one of the funniest battles I've had in a long time. I haven't felt so rewarded and happy to finish a game since Kingdom Hearts 2. I hundred percent recommend this game for anyone with a Wii U. There are some minor things that bother me but these issues could be patched up in future. Zelda fans will enjoy this and Dynasty fans should give it a try with caution. If RPG hack n' slash games are your thing you're going to have a lot of fun with this, just one big tip: Never hit the Chickens.
Underneath you'll find a serviceable and enjoyable escapade, if endless hacking and slashing are your things. It's been done better and it's been done worse for sure, yet coming with that Tri-Force stamp of approval, Zelda fans will likely have been hoping for a little bit more.
I could say a lot about the bizarreness of 'Hyrule Warriors.' I'd never have asked for the mashup, though never would have said no to it either. In the end, it came out pretty much as expected, with a whole lot of 'Zelda' love and a whole lot of minion murdering. The 'Dynasty Warriors' battlefield management style remains just as intriguing on the surface as it is repetitive and, ultimately, disappointingly shallow.
Hyrule Warriors doesn't pretend to be anything that it isn't. It does exactly what it says on the tin, producing what is probably the best Warriors game to date, and doing so by taking many of the best aspects of The Legend of Zelda and successfully incorporating them into the classic 1-vs-1000 gameplay. The fan service is astonishing, the level of detail very welcome indeed, and the action can be truly satisfying, with the various bosses going a long way to making the repetitive action seem quite refreshing at times. A triumphant mash-up indeed.
Hyrule Warriors is an outstanding crossover of The Legend of Zelda and Dynasty Warriors with addictive gameplay, a slick presentation, and a lot of content. In fact, the mix of the two series works so well that it has to be wondered why it took this long to materialise. Few franchises boast a legacy that matches The Legend of Zelda and it's a joy to play as characters other than Link after all this time, giving them a well-deserved spot in the limelight. Those familiar with Warriors games (like Warriors Orochi 3 Hyper, also on Wii U) will know what to expect, while Zelda fans should definitely consider giving this game a try, as long as they don't go in expecting it to be like a regular Zelda instalment. What Hyrule Warriors is, though, is a highly enjoyable spin-off that's filled with all sorts of fan service, which might just be the best way to ease the wait for the next mainline The Legend of Zelda game coming to the Nintendo Wii U next year.
If you hold certain made-up heroes in higher regard than others, you may blanch at seeing them debased like this. But these heroes, like all others, are just toys in a bin. Play with them as you will.
With a rocking soundtrack, loads of content, plenty of fan service and some clever gelling of two disparate video game universes, Hyrule Warriors is easily my favourite game of 2014 so far. Let's just hope for a sequel that explores some of the other Zelda titles!
Longtime series fans will probably get the most out of the abundant homages and shout outs to series' lore, but action games enthusiasts in general will get a thrill out of Hyrule Warriors' fabulous gameplay. Wii U owners shouldn't hesitate to give the game a purchase.