Nintendo and Koei Tecmo have gained one of my most loyal followings over the course of several Warriors collaborations and spinoffs spanning the last decade and more. What truly captivates me about Koei Tecmo’s approach is that they don’t simply strap fan-favorite characters onto the Musou formula. Instead, they enrich that formula by adapting mechanics unique to the franchises they handle. We’ve seen this with titles like *Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity* and *Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes*. Now, with *Age of Imprisonment*, they’ve done it again—this time leveraging the power of the Switch 2 to deliver a smoother, better-performing game and a worthy spinoff to the excellence that was *Tears of the Kingdom*.
### Crisis in Ancient Hyrule
*Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment* picks up from the events of *Tears of the Kingdom* much like *Age of Calamity* did, focusing on parts of the story teased but never deeply explored. This time, the spotlight is on the war between the original King of Hyrule, Rauru, and the Gerudo chieftain turned Demon King, Ganondorf.
If you played through *Tears of the Kingdom*, you probably know how this conflict ends, but *Age of Imprisonment* offers a richly detailed narrative that shows Zelda’s struggle to reunite with Link in the future. The game also gives us extended time with characters who were only peripheral figures in *Tears of the Kingdom*. While Zelda and Rauru are well-known already, *Age of Imprisonment* brings to the forefront the original Sages, the Zora Queen Qia, Rito Elder Raphica, Gerudo Chief Ardi, Goron Chief Agraston, and Rauru’s sister, the Sage of Spirit, Mineru.
On top of these familiar faces, the game introduces new characters like the mischievous Korok Calemo and the enigmatic Mysterious Construct. Although the Construct serves as a gameplay stand-in for Link, it features unique story elements and gameplay mechanics, making it a compelling and worthwhile addition.
As with *Age of Calamity*, the storyline takes some creative liberties with the *Tears of the Kingdom* timeline. While it remains true to the main beats of the original story, new characters like the Mysterious Construct and Calemo inject fresh twists that take the narrative in engaging directions.
### Visuals and Audio
The game is presented magnificently, especially in its gameplay segments. Action is crisp, battlefields are vast and visually stunning, and both characters and enemies are as vibrant and lush as we’ve come to expect in the *Breath of the Wild* era of Zelda.
Performance shines whether you’re playing in Docked or Handheld Mode, with smooth animations and clean battle sequences. However, the cutscenes are a noticeable weak point; they often run at a lower frame rate and can occasionally stutter, detracting a bit from the otherwise polished presentation.
Surprisingly, the soundtrack also left me underwhelmed. Having considered *Age of Calamity* one of the best game soundtracks ever and enjoyed *Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes*’ OST as well, I expected *Age of Imprisonment* to bring similar musical energy. While it isn’t a bad soundtrack and adopts the *Tears of the Kingdom* aesthetic for certain battle tracks, much of the music during combat feels like droning background noise—even at pivotal moments.
For example, the battle stage where Ganondorf ascends as Demon King and forces the remnants of Hyrule to flee deserved a much more intense and fiery track. Overall, the music fell short compared to previous Hyrule Warriors entries, where the soundtrack was often a highlight.
### Hone Your Sacred Power
What I love most about the *Hyrule Warriors* series is how it blends Musou-style gameplay with mechanics inspired directly by their respective main games. The developers easily could have just pasted Musou gameplay onto the *Zelda* universe—as they have done in the past—but that’s not the case here.
Like *Age of Calamity*, *Age of Imprisonment* incorporates distinct elements from *Tears of the Kingdom* to keep combat fresh and engaging.
At its core, *Age of Imprisonment* works like most Musou games: you take control of your favorite characters and battle across massive maps filled with outposts, enemy commanders, bosses, and objectives. Several of Koei Tecmo’s improvements to gameplay mechanics carry over, such as being able to direct uncontrolled characters to perform various tasks like escort missions.
Battles involve whittling enemy forces down to a weakened state before executing powerful special attacks that devastatingly clear surrounding foes. One of my favorite characters this time around was Calemo, the Korok—an amusing little rascal who uses different elemental seeds depending on the combo finisher, exploiting enemy weaknesses effectively. Plus, when he gets serious, he throws a full hornet hive at enemies, which is delightfully chaotic.
### Zonai Devices and Skill Attacks
Where *Age of Imprisonment* truly distinguishes itself is through the integration of Zonai Devices and Skill Attacks. Throughout battles, enemy leaders will perform distinct attack types that you can counter with specific skills or Zonai Devices to interrupt and stun them.
For example, if an enemy launches a jumping attack, responding with an anti-air skill or using the Zonai Cannon will knock them out of the assault. Similarly, defensive attacks can be shattered using shield-breaking skills or a Zonai Bomb.
Each character can equip a set of five skills and Zonai Devices, creating tactical variety in how you respond to enemy moves. Fear not if your current character lacks the right counter because *Age of Imprisonment* includes an important switch mechanic: when a nearby uncontrolled character has the answer to an enemy attack, you’ll be prompted to switch to them automatically for a counter hit that not only deals damage but also builds your Sync Meter.
### Sync Attacks: The Heart of the Battle
The Sync Meter is probably my favorite new addition. When two characters’ Sync Meters are full, they can perform unique Sync Attacks based on their combination.
For instance, Zelda and Rauru unleash dual beams of light that you can control independently before firing a powerful combined blast. Meanwhile, Zelda and Mineru’s Sync Attack involves Mineru summoning her Zonai Mech Construct, which Zelda pilots to rain down a barrage of strikes and lasers.
While some Sync Attacks reuse animations depending on the character pairing, they are generally exciting, game-changing moves that add depth and flair to combat.
### Story and Sidequests
The game is structured into chapters with story missions advancing the narrative, but unfortunately, one of my recurring frustrations with Warriors titles appears here again: sidequest padding.
Between main missions, you’ll encounter a stream of minor tasks—some worth your time, as they unlock shops or upgrade your heroes’ health and abilities. However, many side battles are repetitive, routed in familiar battlefields and enemy types.
Another mechanic involves liberating portions of Hyrule’s map from Ganondorf’s forces. Occasionally, you’ll face side battles where you must defend these regions or risk losing control of them. While this system is meant to represent the ongoing war between Ganondorf and Rauru, it sadly ends up feeling repetitive.
Though some side content can be skipped, much of it is necessary to level up your characters for tougher main stages, making it feel more like a grind of video game chores sandwiched between the big moments.
### To Arms, for the Future of Hyrule
All things considered, *Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment* is both an excellent companion piece to *Tears of the Kingdom* and a fantastic evolution of the Musou gameplay style.
Experimenting with Switch Skills and Sync Attacks between characters was one of my favorite aspects of the game, and I hope Koei Tecmo builds on these systems in future releases. I also love how elements like Ultrahand and Zonai Devices are woven deeply into character movesets—Mineru’s Zonai mastery, Rauru’s Ultrahand and Spear of Light, and the rest of the cast all have unique and enjoyable playstyles.
Calemo and the Mysterious Construct add just enough variety to keep things fresh, despite the story’s familiar outcome.
Though I wish the soundtrack had delivered more heat, it’s tough to find much fault beyond that in a sequel that improves upon so many other elements.
Whether Nintendo considers *Age of Imprisonment* canon remains to be seen, but if this is the final chapter in the *Breath of the Wild* era, it’s an exceptionally good one.
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*This review is based on a Nintendo Switch 2 digital copy of the game supplied by the publisher.*
*Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment releases on November 6, 2025, on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.*
https://www.shacknews.com/article/146650/hyrule-warriors-age-of-imprisonment-review-score