The Legend of Zelda is a pinnacle of big-name games, so when a spin-off of the series was announced, I was more than a little skeptical. Koei Tecmo Games, the creators of the Dynasty Warriors franchise, teamed up with some of the top developers of the Legend of Zelda franchise. This collaboration created Hyrule Warriors, and I couldn’t be more ecstatic with the results.
Hack n ‘slash is the main theme of this game, which can be a deterrent for some people. Some hack n ‘slash games can be monotonous and arduous to finish, but Hyrule Warriors found ways to keep the game interesting and me on my toes. The variety of playable characters, the interesting boss battles, and the different combos and weapons for each character, made the game a pleasant investment of my time. A word of caution though, this game is a Dynasty Warriors game at its core. Any Zelda fan looking for a typical Zelda adventure might be surprised and slightly disappointed with its gameplay mechanics and intense battlefield setup.
Each battlefield is borrowed from Zelda lore, and the game’s creators did a fantastic job translating these areas into maps for Hyrule Warriors. There are settings for Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword. Each area was created to be a battlefield with outposts and bases (all of which are laid out for you on the convenient minimap), but the setup still stays true to its original level layouts, and I loved seeing these lands. that I already knew. traveled throughout the reimagined Zelda series. The effect sparked an overwhelming war between good and evil, even if it was an obvious fan service.
Typical story elements in any Zelda game probably sound like this: a destined reunion between the beautiful princess and the brave hero, an evil and powerful villain trying to rule the land, and maybe some colorful supporting characters along the way. Hyrule Warriors It doesn’t stray too far from this formula, but the developers added their own tweaks and changes that made the story look fresh and imaginative. The story was nothing out of the ordinary or unexpected and was actually very well done. The events here could fit quite well within the Zelda timeline, although the creators have explicitly stated that the story in Hyrule Warriors it is not part of the canon of Zelda. However, it is unfortunate that there is no character development in this title. The game basically throws characters at you, hoping they are already known entities, which might be a bit off putting for anyone new to the Legend of Zelda series. The only thing the game offers are journal entries that give a brief summary of who the character is, but most players probably won’t want to pause the fight long enough to read them.
During Hyrule warriors, You have the option to play as thirteen characters from the Zelda series. Ten of them are unlocked by playing through the main story, while the others are unlocked in a second mode called adventure mode. This variety of characters is really what made this game fun. Not only did I get to play as characters that I had only dreamed of playing, each had their own combos, weapons, and fighting styles. I spent many hours playing with each character figuring out which combos worked best for taking out enemies. Although he is not the strongest, my favorite character was Lana. Although it is a new character created for Hyrule Warriors, Link should consider leaving Zelda for her. She is super cute and a blast to play with.
Of course, the game has its flaws. The AI on the enemy’s regular drones was pretty abysmal. They were as much of a threat to you as a horde of balloons would be. The only truly challenging enemies were bosses, but like any boss in Zelda, they’re even pretty easy once you’ve mastered their moves and abilities.
In addition to the main game, there was also downloadable content from day one available for twenty dollars. After you’ve paid $ 60 for the disc, it’s a bit frustrating to be asked to fork over more money to experience the “full” game. However, on the other hand, it is a positive sign that Nintendo plans to stick with this game and hopefully they will continue to expand it. Any die-hard Zelda fan, or Dynasty Warriors fan, will love this game. If you are not a fan of any of the series, you will still enjoy this title. In my opinion Hyrule Warriors is a must-have for any Wii U library.
