Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

One of the first games I ever got the 100% on. And it was absolutely worth it. Replaying through the Korok Forest level with the OG Hyrule Warriors outfit. Immensely satisfying. Additionally, "The Knight Who Seals The Darkness" is one of my favorite video game tracks of all time. I cried.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is one of the most exciting Zelda experiences I can think of. That said, it does have its own set of issues that make it hard for me to want to revisit it anytime soon. But I would still recommend it to people who are into Breath of the Wild and Zelda as a whole.

Age of Calamity is the second game in Nintendo's sub-series in the Zelda franchise known as Hyrule Warriors. These spin-offs are based off the Dynasty Warriors series in terms of gameplay and structure. But it's just plopped into the Zelda Universe. The first Hyrule Warriors game was nothing more than a Dynasty Warriors clone with a bunch of Zelda references from across the series. However, Age of Calamity is set in Breath of the Wild. So it's a lot more condensed that way.

I'm not going to spoil the story because it's best to go into it blind. But it's important to know that the game is a prequel to Breath of the Wild. It takes place 100 years before the events of the game and it tells the story of the Calamity and how the events that led to Breath of the Wild happened.... Kinda... (I'll let you figure it out for those who haven't played it)

The music is among the best I've ever heard in a Zelda game. No joke. The soundtrack is absolutely incredible and something I'd listen to casually. The presentation and overall look of the game is great. I know a lot of if not all of the assets from Breath of the Wild are carried over. But It still looks great.

Now with gameplay. It's great. Each of the 16 playable characters are unique and fun to play as. (Especially Urbosa and Mipha). It's very satisfying to tear your way through enemies. However... It unfortunately gets very repetitive. The story is well written and performed in my opinion. But that and the gameplay kind of drags on for too long. I enjoyed both the story and gameplay all the way through. But the pacing of the game isn't the best and it eventually becomes numbing to play. I don't feel like revisiting it anytime soon which is a shame

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity has a very grand story with fantastic music, moments, presentation, and gameplay. However, the game overstays its welcome and becomes very tiring to play after a while. That said, it is definitely worth the price and a game any Zelda fan should play. Just don't be surprised if the game begins to be a bit taxing