Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment finally arrived on November 6, 2025, as an exclusive for Nintendo Switch 2, bringing players back to the founding of Hyrule during the Imprisoning War. Unlike its predecessor Age of Calamity, this game is officially canon material, making it the first Hyrule Warriors title that directly connects to the main Zelda timeline. Early reviews paint a picture of a solid hack-and-slash experience that improves on combat mechanics while playing it safe in other areas.
Critical Reception and Metacritic Score
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment sits at a Metacritic score of 78 based on 52 critic reviews, which is exactly in line with the previous games in the series. The score reflects a solid but not revolutionary experience. Some major outlets have been surprisingly cautious with their scores. GameSpot gave it a 7 out of 10, while Gamesradar scored it 3 out of 5. However, positive reviews like Nintendo Life’s 9 out of 10 and Gamereactor’s 9 out of 10 show that fans of the Warriors genre absolutely love what Koei Tecmo has delivered here.
Notably, several major publications held back their reviews due to Nintendo’s strict embargo restrictions. IGN, The Verge, and Polygon all opted to wait until launch day or beyond to share their full reviews, citing concerns about discussing non-public story details.
Combat System Gets Universal Praise
The one thing almost every reviewer agrees on is that Age of Imprisonment features the best combat mechanics the Hyrule Warriors series has ever seen. The addition of Sync Strikes, where two allies team up for powerful combo attacks, adds a fresh layer of strategy to the traditional Warriors formula. Each character pairing produces unique tag-team moves, encouraging players to experiment with different team compositions.
Unique Skills now allow players to counter specific enemy attacks by matching the right skill to the threat. When a larger enemy telegraphs a powerful move with red energy, players can freeze time momentarily and select the appropriate counter skill to stun them and expose their weak points. This system adds genuine depth beyond mindless button-mashing. The inclusion of Zonai Devices from Tears of the Kingdom also provides tactical variety, letting players drop traps on the battlefield or fuse materials to weapons for creative combat solutions.
Story That Adds Canon Depth to Tears of the Kingdom
Age of Imprisonment tells the complete story of Ganondorf’s invasion during Hyrule’s founding era, which was only briefly shown through memory cutscenes in Tears of the Kingdom. Princess Zelda accidentally travels back in time using a Secret Stone and finds herself fighting alongside King Rauru, Queen Sonia, and six Sages against Ganondorf’s armies.
The game’s story has full canonical approval from Nintendo, making it the first time a Hyrule Warriors game officially slots into the main timeline. The campaign spans approximately 18 to 20 hours and includes substantial side-plots not seen in Tears of the Kingdom. The most notable addition involves Calamo, a young Korok who befriends a mysterious character called the Mysterious Construct, a sentient automaton made partly from Zonai devices that can transform.
However, some fans may feel disappointed that many story beats and cutscenes are recycled directly from Tears of the Kingdom’s memory sequences. Those who exhaustively collected all the Dragon’s Tears in the 2023 game will recognize significant portions of the narrative already.
Technical Performance Impresses on Switch 2
Age of Imprisonment serves as a showcase title for Nintendo Switch 2’s capabilities. In the main campaign, the game maintains a smooth 60fps while rendering hundreds of enemies onscreen simultaneously. Co-op mode drops to 30fps but remains fluid throughout. Reviewers noted zero performance issues, which is remarkable considering the scale of battles and the sheer number of detailed enemies on screen at once.
The visual presentation matches the quality of mainline Zelda titles. The user interface mirrors Tears of the Kingdom’s Purah Pad design, and iconic Hyrule landmarks appear throughout, reimagined as they would have looked during the kingdom’s founding. The soundtrack is stellar, and the English voice acting stands out as professional and engaging.
Where Reviews Find Issues
The main criticism across most reviews centers on bland map design. Despite the beautiful visual presentation of Hyrule’s landmarks, the actual level layouts remain straightforward boxes with corridors and wide-open spaces. Players run from one scrap to the next in predictable patterns with little environmental variety or exploration incentive.
Another source of disappointment is the roster size and diversity. Because Age of Imprisonment is canonically set during Hyrule’s founding, Koei Tecmo couldn’t include fan-favorite characters from other eras like Midna, Skull Kid, or Tingle. Instead, the roster consists primarily of King Rauru, the six Sages (including Zelda and Mineru), the Mysterious Construct, and numerous generic Rito, Zora, Goron, and Gerudo fighters. Notably, Link himself doesn’t appear as a playable character. This represents a significant step back from the first game’s wonderfully varied roster that included everyone from a Cucco to an alternate-reality Link named Linkle.
GameSpot pointed out that the campaign’s second half relies too heavily on repetitive missions forcing you to replay similar scenarios over and over. Gamesradar noted that many missions take place in small battle arenas rather than expansive environments, limiting the sense of scale.
Content and Replayability
Once you reach the end credits around 18 to 20 hours in, Age of Imprisonment still offers substantial content. The sprawling map includes numerous side-quests, hidden battles, and challenges to complete. There are multiple difficulty levels available, including harder modes that force players to approach combat more strategically. Built-in achievements provide additional targets for completionists.
The cooking and camp systems tie nicely into longer quests, requiring players to prepare supplies before major battles. This echoes mechanics from Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, giving the game a familiar Zelda feel beyond just the hack-and-slash action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hyrule Warriors Age of Imprisonment canon?
Yes, this is the first Hyrule Warriors game that is officially canon to the main Zelda timeline. Unlike Age of Calamity, which exists in an alternate universe, Age of Imprisonment directly connects to events shown in Tears of the Kingdom.
What is the Metacritic score for Age of Imprisonment?
The game currently holds a Metacritic score of 78 based on 52 critic reviews. This is identical to the original Hyrule Warriors’ score, indicating a solid but not revolutionary reception.
How long is the main campaign?
The campaign runs approximately 18 to 20 hours depending on playstyle. Additional content including side-quests, challenges, and harder difficulty modes extend playtime significantly beyond the main story.
Can you play as Link in Age of Imprisonment?
No, Link does not appear as a playable character in Age of Imprisonment. The Mysterious Construct serves as a sword-wielding substitute character with unique transformation abilities.
What are Sync Strikes in the game?
Sync Strikes are powerful tag-team attacks performed by two allies working together. Each character pairing produces different Sync Strike combinations, adding strategic depth to combat as their gauge builds during regular attacks.
Is 30fps co-op mode a problem?
Most reviewers noted that co-op performs smoothly at 30fps despite the step down from the campaign’s 60fps. The reduced frame rate is noticeable but not detrimental to gameplay enjoyment.
What PC requirements exist for Age of Imprisonment?
Age of Imprisonment is exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2. It will not release on PC, PlayStation, or Xbox. The game is a Switch 2 exclusive and not available on any other platform.
Will you experience story repetition if you already played Tears of the Kingdom?
If you collected all the Dragon’s Tears memory sequences in Tears of the Kingdom, you’ll recognize many story elements since some cutscenes are recycled from that game. However, Age of Imprisonment adds substantial new side-plots and story depth that weren’t in Tears of the Kingdom.
Should You Buy It
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment delivers the best combat experience in the hack-and-slash Warriors series, backed by legitimate canon storytelling that deepens the Zelda lore. If you enjoy the Warriors gameplay loop and want to experience an official chapter in the Zelda timeline, this is absolutely worth your time and money. The technical performance on Switch 2 is impressive, and the 18 to 20-hour campaign plus additional content provides solid value.
However, if you bounced off previous Warriors games due to repetitive mission structure and limited map variety, Age of Imprisonment won’t convert you. The fundamental gameplay loop remains unchanged, just refined and presented with better mechanics. For Zelda fans specifically, the canonical status and story depth may justify the purchase even if Warriors gameplay isn’t your preferred genre.
Conclusion
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment represents a refined evolution of the series formula rather than revolutionary reinvention. With the best combat mechanics the franchise has seen, impressive Switch 2 performance, and a compelling canonical story set during Hyrule’s founding, the game satisfies Warriors enthusiasts and Zelda lore fans alike. The downsides include a less diverse roster, recycled cutscenes for Tears of the Kingdom veterans, and persistent map design conservatism. A Metacritic score of 78 accurately reflects a solid, well-made game that doesn’t quite reach greatness, but absolutely delivers what fans expect from the Hyrule Warriors franchise. If you own a Nintendo Switch 2 and have any interest in Zelda or Warriors games, Age of Imprisonment deserves consideration, though it’s less essential if either genre doesn’t appeal to you.