Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity Review Round-Up: A Delight of Zelda Hack’n’Slash Action
Posted on November 18 2020 by Emi Curtis
SPOILER ALERT!
The information in this article contains spoilers for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, releasing November 20th 2020.
With only two days to go before release, reviews have come in for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. The diagnosis? Pretty good, looking at the scores. Flying fairly close to the Famitsu Review of the game which saw all four writers offer 9/10 across the board, many of these particular reviews are 8/10. Check out the feedback below.
DigitallyDownloaded: 10/10
The narrative that it weaves is great. The presentation is impeccable, and each and every one of the characters are fun to play with.
IGN: 9/10 (Note: This Review Contains Spoilers!)
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity offers a welcome trip back to a world I’ve clocked hundreds of hours in. Its hugely varied roster of characters, solid combat mechanics, fun progression and clever adaptation of Breath of the Wild’s vision of Hyrule is a joy to play and discover. While there are some missed characterisation opportunities, Age of Calamity is still a blast from start to finish.
Shacknews: 9/10
… Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a game no Zelda or “Musou” fan should pass up.
Destructoid: 8.5/10
The story was genuinely enthralling throughout and it serves as a great companion piece for Breath of the Wild, while forging its own identity in many respects. I suspect a lot of the alterations are going to be controversial, but I like that they took some big swings and really went with it.
NWR: 8/10
This is a refined and tight action-packed experience that delivers an excellent mix of Zelda lore and creatively ridiculous brawler gameplay.
NintendoLife: 8/10 (Note: This Review Contains Spoilers!)
… just remember that despite its sparkling presentation, it is still not a Zelda game. What it is is a brilliant Zelda-infused “Musou” experience filled with varied and satisfying combat and Breath of the Wild additions that work beautifully within the boundaries of the Warriors template.
Twinfinite: 8/10
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a lot to take in. There are so many systems in play here, but somehow they all come together to form a solid, cohesive experience that makes this game so hard to put down.
ScreenRant: 8/10
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity offers a fascinating look at the world of Breath of the Wild. Whether it’s sleek combat, character development, or a scattershot but intriguing plot, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is packed full of exciting content.
GamesRadar: 8/10
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a fantastic hack-and-slash romp, and it deserves to be referenced as more than just a spin-off.
Game Informer: 7.5/10
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity looks a lot like Breath of the Wild, but it lacks the exploration and puzzle-solving elements that define the mainline Legend of Zelda series. Age of Calamity may not resemble a traditional Zelda game, but it’s not a bad time.
Gamespot: 6/10
It’s strange to think of a bungled story leaving me so lukewarm on a Zelda game, even if it is a spin-off. But paying off its premise is the burden a prequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is tasked with.
It is of note that games of the Musou genre, such as Hyrule Warriors as well as Dynasty Warriors upon which it is based, don’t typically score this high with reviewers which is a huge credit to the game’s story and gameplay elements.
What do you think? Are you looking forward to Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity more or less now? Let us know in the comments below!
Emi Curtis is an associate editor with Zelda Dungeon, having originally joined the team in late 2020. She is a freelance artist, programmer, and streamer with a healthy love of both the creative and analytical. She can frequently be found playing RPGs and Adventure games, her favorite of which being The Wind Waker. She is also quite fond of playing Zelda Randomizers. Currently, she hosts a tabletop RPG series on Twitch and operates a freelance illustration business. She can be found on Twitter and Twitch as her VTuber alter-ego Gwen Myoty, creating nerdy artwork, dungeon mastering tabletop games, and playing RPGs.
