Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is an action production with RPG elements, which is a prequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, released in 2016. Koei Tecmo's Japanese Omega Force studio, best known for its Dynasty Warriors series and numerous related titles, is responsible for the game. They usually use a very similar gameplay mechanics but are based on external licenses such as Dragon Quest (Dragon Quest Heroes), One Piece (One Piece: Pirate Warriors), Fire Emblem (Fire Emblem Warriors) or Persona (Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers).

Among the games there was also the first instalment of Hyrule Warrios, which originally appeared on the Wii U console in 2014, and in the following years also hit 3DS and Switch. Just like Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity it was created in close cooperation with Nintendo.

Plot

Instead of presenting an original plot inspired by the mythology of The Legend of Zelda, as was the case in Hyrule Warriors, the developers decided to tell an epic story that takes place 100 years before the events presented in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. So players are directly involved in Great Calamity, the series of events that led to the collapse of the Kingdom of Hyrule.

While playing beside Link we will also see Zelda and other characters presented in Breath of Wild. In order to shed new light on the invasion of Hyrule led by the sinister Ganon, the developers also prepared a number of cutscenes and dialogues spoken by participants in the conflict.

Mechanics

In terms of the gameplay model Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a typical game of the Omega Force studio, which is based on the proven formula of Dynasty Warriors. The game is a three-dimensional action-packed slasher with RPG elements. This means that we are fighting dozens of enemies on the screen at the same time, crossing large and open locations. In the course of the game, we will also face huge bosses, whose defeat will require a slightly more advanced strategy. Each of the many playable heroes has his own unique attacks and special skills.

Game modes

In addition to solo play, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity also has a co-operative multiplayer mode for two people on a split screen. Both players can use their own controllers or single Joy-Cons.

Technical aspects

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity uses a three-dimensional engine and technology from previous games under the sign of Dynasty Warriors. As far as the audio setting is concerned, fans of The Legend of Zelda series will hear many songs and themes known from Breath of the Wild.