Back in 2020, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity offered us a deeper look into a pivotal era of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a time previously only hinted at through fragmented flashbacks. Now, the highly anticipated Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is taking us even further back, delving into the very foundation of Hyrule and the legendary imprisonment of Ganondorf—events glimpsed in mere fragments within Tears of the Kingdom. Just as Tears of the Kingdom magnificently expanded upon its predecessor, Age of Imprisonment seems set to elevate the experience, leveraging the increased power of the upcoming Switch 2 and introducing thrilling new features to this beloved hack ‘n’ slash series.
My demo, also showcased at the Tokyo Game Show, plunged me into a 10-minute segment of an early mission, cleverly capitalizing on Tears of the Kingdom‘s breakout discovery: The Depths. This eerie subterranean realm effectively doubled Hyrule’s playable area, and I’m incredibly eager to see the dark horrors and expansive missions it will inspire in this new Warriors title. (And seriously, am I the only one hoping for some acknowledgment of those creepy giant statues?) The game felt incredibly smooth on the Switch 2, with no noticeable frame rate drops even amidst heavy combat. However, it’s worth noting that this was an early, enclosed area, so the console’s true capabilities are yet to be fully tested.
I started my journey as Zelda, still grappling with her sudden time displacement from Tears of the Kingdom. Accompanied by the ancient Zonai figures Rauru and Mineru, she was guided towards sacred power sites hidden deep within The Depths. After outfitting myself with a handful of Zonai devices, it wasn’t long before I was tearing through enemies in classic Dynasty Warriors ‘musou’ fashion. This time, Zelda has traded her Sheikah Slate for a powerful lightsaber, seamlessly blending direct sword strikes with the ability to unleash light arrows from a distance. She can even recall her sword, sending it dancing through enemy ranks to carve wide swaths of destruction. It’s a fantastic design choice, transforming her into a more accessible, all-around fighter—a perfect stand-in for Link, who’s currently tied up with his own time-traveling shenanigans.
Zelda has put down the sheikah slate in favor of a lightsaber. It’s a great way to make her less of a technical fighter and more of an easy to pick up all-rounder stand-in for Link.
While I only got to experiment with three characters during the demo, Mineru undoubtedly stole the spotlight. Her knack for conjuring an array of elaborate Zonai death contraptions was endlessly entertaining. Whether I was plowing through foes in a colossal, spiky four-wheeler or casually riding a giant tire instead of running, Mineru proved to be the Green Lantern of this universe, pulling the most outlandish creations out of thin air. Many of her wilder constructs, like summoning a spinning paddle to launch huge orbs at enemies like a bowling ball, made me want to jump back into Tears of the Kingdom and try to build them myself!
Although Mineru was the only one capable of summoning complex machines, every character could collect individual Zonai devices for use as consumable battle items. These could be deployed in various strategic ways. Initially, I simply unleashed a flame emitter to incinerate groups of smaller Frox enemies. Later, however, I discovered I could place one to continuously burn a Construct Captain while I flanked it with direct attacks, creating an incredibly effective one-two punch combo. Remember, all devices deplete your battery, making strategic deployment crucial unless you’ve meticulously stockpiled rechargers. I only scratched the surface with a few devices, but the potential for different characters to utilize them uniquely offers immense tactical depth, especially during intense boss encounters.
Beyond devices, holding the R button unleashes special, unique combat skills that sweep across wide areas, unleashing bombastic attacks to blast through the opposition. Each character I tested had two distinct abilities, which I could easily map alongside my Zonai devices. While these are great for clearing out hordes of grunts, they truly shine against the tougher bosses and captains guarding your objectives. Even the most ordinary Construct Captains can employ powerful, unblockable attacks that deal heavy damage across a broad area, signaled by a menacing glowing aura. It seems Koei Tecmo has drawn inspiration from another of its action series, Nioh, offering a satisfying counter-strategy: overpower these unblockable strikes with one of your own. Anticipating, reacting, and shutting down a deadly foe with my own powerful trick felt incredibly satisfying and rewarding – and at least in this early stage, the reaction window was quite forgiving.
I was also impressed by the tangible improvements in how allies function in Age of Imprisonment. They can now actively assist you in battle with larger, more impactful attacks when your own skills are on cooldown. In one memorable instance, a boss initiated a charge attack, but both of Zelda’s skills were recharging. Suddenly, I had the option to swap to Rauru, positioned on the other side of the arena. I quickly deployed his unique skill, intercepting the boss and saving Zelda in a moment that felt genuinely cinematic and thrilling.
An even more significant enhancement for leveraging your allies is the new ‘sync strike.’ This powerful ability triggers when you and your ally have inflicted enough damage to fill a shared meter. Their portraits on the side of the screen would light up, and the game helpfully highlighted the ground to indicate when I was in range to perform a strike with a specific character. These moves are not only visually dramatic and incredibly potent, but they’re also unique to the specific pair of characters performing them, opening up a wealth of tactical possibilities. Pairing Zelda with Rauru, for example, allowed me to unleash twin beams of light, which I could aim independently with each control stick to target two bosses simultaneously. When Zelda teamed up with Mineru for a strike, she rode on the back of Mineru’s Zonai mech, wading into battle with alternating powerful slams and magical explosions. Given the dynamic nature of these attacks, I’m truly hoping that co-op play will allow each player to direct their own attacks during these sync strikes, though that’s yet to be confirmed.
Despite my time with the demo being far too brief, I’m already buzzing with anticipation to see how more characters interact and fight in sync – especially that adorable tiny Korok musketeer and the enigmatic Zonai construct that bears a striking resemblance to a certain absent hero. Thankfully, I only have a little over a month to wait until Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment launches on November 6th!