Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

 Switch
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 659 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 490 out of 659
  2. Mixed: 93 out of 659
  3. Negative: 76 out of 659
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  1. Montelomiguel
    Dec 1, 2020
    7
    La verdad tenia muchas expectativas del juego,
    tal vez por eso me senti un poco decepcionado, no es malo, pero siento que no aporta mucho, senti que en lugar de jugar un zelda estaba jugando un dynasty warriors, me parecio un poco repetitivo, sin embargo si eres fan de zelda te va encantar, pero no vayas con demaciadas expectativas.
  2. GreenMenace
    Apr 28, 2021
    6
    I debated giving this game a 5, but I got my money’s worth out of it with about 80 hours of play. It’s a pretty game, and I got my money out of it. I’m writing a review because there’s a dlc coming out for the game and I personally don’t think it’s worth it because of other, better Zelda titles. I’m going to explain why, but first, the pros and cons of this game:

    Pros Visually    I debated giving this game a 5, but I got my money’s worth out of it with about 80 hours of play. It’s a pretty game, and I got my money out of it. I’m writing a review because there’s a dlc coming out for the game and I personally don’t think it’s worth it because of other, better Zelda titles. I’m going to explain why, but first, the pros and cons of this game:

    Pros

    Visually pleasing in every way

    The game lets you get straight into the action

    Less grindy than any other Warriors game I’ve played

    Satisfying 1v1 combat

    Coop play

    Cons

    Lots of better Zelda games to choose from

    Repetitive

    Poor AI

    All in all, this game is the latest Warriors game I’m aware of and sometimes it just doesn’t feel that way. In the other Hyrule Warriors we have on the Switch, the AI takes forts. It really feels like (in Age of Calamity) your enemies sit, waiting for their lives to be taken away. Seriously, download the demo and stand back. Most of the time, you will only lose if you lose all your hearts. If you don’t fight, nothing happens. Then, once killed, the enemies stay dead. I don’t mind that last part, but it takes away the idea that you could lose friendly forts, which removes a fun aspect of challenge.

    Comparisons

    Breath of the Wild—Breath of the Wild is the game AoC is based on. AoC does everything I hoped it would do—it fleshes out the Zelda characters and story that were virtually nonexistent in BotW. However, BotW gives more freedom to the player for exploration since its in the open world genre. AoC’s combat is heavily based on BotW, but provides a much simpler experience. Not gonna lie though, AoC does some really cool things with the Sheikah Slate.

    Link’s Awakening—This is a much smaller game, which means it takes less time to complete. It also looks good albeit with framerate drops. The game has gone on sale a couple of times which means that if you’re patient, you can pick it up for about $40 plus tax. It’s got puzzles and bosses that diversify it more from any other Zelda game on this list.

    Hyrule Warriors DE—AoC is clearly the newer game since it looks more sleek, but I have more fun with HW. It’s more challenging and it has a lot more battle modes to choose from. HW requires way too much grind, even though the definitive edition greatly reduced it. In AoC, it’s relatively easy to upgrade every character to the max which is a super nice feature. After 200 hours in the game, I still have characters that aren’t fully upgraded in HW. Finally, while AoC removes some features like the magic meter, it adds features like the magic rods to make duels feel more involved. I was attracted to most characters in HW since it covers Zelda games over a couple decades. That isn’t the case in AoC. It assumes I was attached to the characters from BotW, and I felt zero attachment to anyone as I played BotW—the characters were that bland for me.

    Skyward Sword HD and BotW 2—It’s worth noting that these games are coming to the switch. They have a full stories separate from BotW. Skyward Sword follows the old linear Zelda format with dungeons and puzzles and arguably has the best story of all these games. BoTW 2 is a highly anticipated game…because it’s the sequel to BotW, a critically acclaimed game that set a new standard for Zelda. Let’s not forget that there’s a good chance that other Zelda games might be ported over to the switch.

    Cadence of Hyrule--Haven't really played it beyond the demo, so I can't really compare it to AoC. But again, it is its own game, untethered to BotW.

    AoC is very flawed, but I still had fun with it. If you like everything BotW, Zelda, or Warriors related, then I can recommend this game. Otherwise, your money/time is better spent on another game. My point in this review is that I would literally choose any other Zelda game than this one. I would push for any of those games before AoC (as I own them all). I may have spent 80 hours with it, but that was to complete the game in full. A part of me wishes I’d just watched the game over Youtube. I imagine it’ll be like $20 for the dlc so the price of the game could cost some people $80. As you can imagine, I will not be getting the dlc.    … Expand
  3. aaronchen
    Jan 9, 2021
    7
    The game deserves a 7 because of the gameplay and chance to play as all other characters besides Link (even Gannon himself!). Unfortunately the two-player mode is still very laggy and hard to play when there are a lot of enemies around. Storyline is too predictable and in some cases very cringey. I don't what is the purpose of having master sword when any weapon I get in later stages canThe game deserves a 7 because of the gameplay and chance to play as all other characters besides Link (even Gannon himself!). Unfortunately the two-player mode is still very laggy and hard to play when there are a lot of enemies around. Storyline is too predictable and in some cases very cringey. I don't what is the purpose of having master sword when any weapon I get in later stages can deal way higher damages...… Expand
  4. Goldtime
    Jan 11, 2021
    5
    I hoped for the best, the allies are as useless as possible, they do nothing, I watched them instead of destroying the enemy, they stand and they are attacked every 30 seconds. Enemies are no better on my "allies" being attacked by 2-3 enemies while a whole crowd is walking towards me.
  5. Starfree
    Nov 24, 2020
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is not a successor to Hyrule Warriors. And unlike how it was advertised, it is not a prequel to breath of the wild either. The great story destroyer Time travel made sure of that. The modern day champions coming to save the the past day champions felt very cheap, and like we were scammed with that release day trailer. There’s plenty of tragedy in this game to make this a good story. But it wasn’t the story that we were promised. The gameplay is really good and very rewarding. But it’s not Warriors gameplay. It’s some kind of mix between Warriors and breath of the wild game play that really works, but I like Warriors gameplay more. Hyrule Warriors and Breath of the Wild are both better games then this. But Hyrule Warriors is still a good game that Zelda fans will have a fun time with.… Expand
  6. Naughtytim
    Nov 22, 2020
    7
    The 1.0.1 version has solved the lag and frame drop problem of the demo, but it is true that there is still stutters when there are many effects and enemies within the screen, so I hope that the follow-up patch will continue to fix up the problem..
    Actually I don't think it's necessary to alter the story, I am half way through the game yet I don't know how it ends, but I'd really rather    The 1.0.1 version has solved the lag and frame drop problem of the demo, but it is true that there is still stutters when there are many effects and enemies within the screen, so I hope that the follow-up patch will continue to fix up the problem..
    Actually I don't think it's necessary to alter the story, I am half way through the game yet I don't know how it ends, but I'd really rather see the actual prequel. Which is Hyrule failed. If this game really is tell the real Hyrule story, that would makes me want to play Breath of the Wild again! (I will come back and edit this after i finished the game)    … Expand
  7. blue-luigi
    Nov 23, 2020
    7
    Unlike The Legend of Zelda, the main story in Hyrule warriors is based on Zelda, who is also a playable character; we know that this is not The Legend Of Zelda but because the game is based on BoTW, many of us anticipated many functions to be enhanced. There are a couple of aspects that make this a pessimistic semi-prequel, such as a lack of a sense of exploration and freedom, particularlyUnlike The Legend of Zelda, the main story in Hyrule warriors is based on Zelda, who is also a playable character; we know that this is not The Legend Of Zelda but because the game is based on BoTW, many of us anticipated many functions to be enhanced. There are a couple of aspects that make this a pessimistic semi-prequel, such as a lack of a sense of exploration and freedom, particularly in several time missions or placing several invisible walls. blurriness in age of calamity is not the same beauty quality in the scenarios of BoTW, even though it needs less storage.
    The AI also seems to be worst since most enemies only stand and wait for you to strike them, enemy AI seems to be stupid, and the allies AI will not harm any enemy before anyone takes control of them.    … Expand
  8. Sdric
    Nov 25, 2020
    7
    7/10 Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity features a more interesting story than its predecessor, but suffers from a form-over-function interface, less fun to play characters and less content than the original title, as well as worsened performance. In its core this is a Warriors game and not a classic Zelda game. For gameplay & hours purchase the first part, purchase this one if you value story more.
  9. Yuri_Jack
    Nov 24, 2020
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I am saddened at the fact the game does not have a dark ending. This would’ve allowed for more replay value. The game also has sudden FPS drops when the effects or enemy count is too high for the system to handle. Another thing is the boss health, they feel a bit sponge like in nature. Other than this, the games is designed well and has great elements to it. Such as the characters. The well made cutscenes. The game also has reused assets from breath of the wild feeling more like Metal Gear Survive using the same assets from Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain.… Expand
  10. MaximumD
    Nov 30, 2020
    7
    It's ok. Basically Dynasty Warriors, but with Zelda characters and story. The action gets a little repetitive after a while but at least you have some variety in how the different characters handle, and then there's some RPG lite elements to worry about. It might hold you over until BOTW2 comes out but honestly, I wish I had waited for a discount before splurging. Like I said, It ain'tIt's ok. Basically Dynasty Warriors, but with Zelda characters and story. The action gets a little repetitive after a while but at least you have some variety in how the different characters handle, and then there's some RPG lite elements to worry about. It might hold you over until BOTW2 comes out but honestly, I wish I had waited for a discount before splurging. Like I said, It ain't bad, it's alright.

    I've got to admit though that it's probably the best Dynasty Warriors type game made up to this point, so credit to Nintendo for that.    … Expand
  11. Aapo
    Nov 30, 2020
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I live and hate this game so much, on a technical level it's a mess, story is at the same time **** terrible and really good, gameplay is so fun but some parts are so frustrating, not the game I was excepting… Expand
  12. blalack
    Dec 3, 2020
    7
    Another 2020 mixed bag release.

    The gameplay is flashy and fun. There's tons of characters and you unlock a few combos for each as you go, so you shouldn't get too tired of any one character. Cutting through lots of enemies is fun, and is the meat of the gameplay. The loop itself, however, does wear on just a bit too long. Especially in the final missions, you can feel them pad out    Another 2020 mixed bag release.

    The gameplay is flashy and fun. There's tons of characters and you unlock a few combos for each as you go, so you shouldn't get too tired of any one character. Cutting through lots of enemies is fun, and is the meat of the gameplay.

    The loop itself, however, does wear on just a bit too long. Especially in the final missions, you can feel them pad out the length. Specifically, there's a mission chunk where you're tasked with defeating a few large enemies - As soon as you finish, they respawn and you're asked to do it again. It was tedious the first time, and it isn't any more fun the second time - This is classic quantity over quality. At that point I was just trying to get to the credits so I pushed through.

    Side missions are just more of the same. Unless you're a completionist there's really no reason to do all of them. There's never anything new added to the loop. Like the campaign, go here, kill this, move on.

    The story is not good. 70% of the VA's just aren't really appealing (Zelda and Mipha are still awkward and out of place compared to Urbosa, for example.) and the writing is all fluff. Don't expect too much "real" story where anything happens. Let's be honest, it's all just a setup for the gameplay and combat to take place, which is fine. But don't expect to get any real lore on Breath of the Wild, it's not there. It's all, "Oh, go here, whoops, now there's Yiga people! FIght them." Rinse and repeat.

    The performance is pretty damn horrendous. The gameplay is decently fun, but I can't help but think if they pulled back on the particle effects even 10% the game could run at a decent, consistent frame rate. As it is now, the frame skips and dips are pretty inexcusable. If they roll out a performance patch, I'll update the score if it improves, but based on how much work needs to be done I don't see it happening.

    Buy it if you want some mindless fun, some filler content to keep you entertained while waiting for other releases. Don't get it if you're looking for some eye-opening take on BOTW, it was marketed as a "prequel" and it's really not. That's not a bad thing, but don't go in with lofty expectations. It's decent at best.    … Expand
  13. Samfreeful
    Nov 28, 2020
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As much as I wish to give this a higher rating for it is still a good game, I feel like I'm lying if I don't say that I was originally angry halfway through the story... So much so that I watched a clip of the remaining cutscenes I hadn't seen out of frustration, and the only thing that personally redeemed it for me was Ganon himself. (Yeahhhh I love Ganon a lot and his appearance made me feel some excitement and so)

    I feel the main reason for me not feeling satisfied with AoC is because of the way it was promoted prior to its release; I can't deny that I actually just wanted to witness first hand the champions downfall, and KT and Nintendo could have been real creative with it but they just decided against the original story. This would be fine with me if they were honest in saying that it's not the exact events pre BotW, and I still could've found some excitement from that, bit the misleading advertisement on the game makes me only want to complete for the sake of completion... And so I can mess around as Ganon, of course!

    Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for the work out into making it a fun game to play with some story spice, but the lead up to its release makes me wanna leave it on the shelf afterwards and go back to BotW before the sequel to that comes out.    … Expand
  14. NoradZero
    Nov 21, 2020
    6
    I am like 5 hours in and i really wanted to like this game but its probably not my cup of tea. I never played Hyrules Warrior so i didn't know exactly what to expect. I should have played the demo before buying. I am a big fan of Zelda Breath of the Wild and i bought this primarily for the story. To be honest, i expected a more polish experience similar to combat in Zelda Breath of theI am like 5 hours in and i really wanted to like this game but its probably not my cup of tea. I never played Hyrules Warrior so i didn't know exactly what to expect. I should have played the demo before buying. I am a big fan of Zelda Breath of the Wild and i bought this primarily for the story. To be honest, i expected a more polish experience similar to combat in Zelda Breath of the Wild but it was more like an arcade game to me. It get very repetitive and nothing from the prequel story is coming spectacular. Its nice to see the characters back but i dunno why, i found them to be impostors compared to what they was in the Zelda Breath of the Wild experience. Maybe i expected too much from this title. Lets be honest, the marketing was bad on this one.. when i started playing i was like "oh my god.. not what i expected at all.. it really play more like an arcade game that anything else". I am sorry but it really do not worth its price. I would recommand to pick it up used or when it will be on sale.… Expand
  15. ArmFlailingTube
    Nov 22, 2020
    7
    Firstly, people need to know that the game's description stating "Experience the events of the Great Calamity 100 years before the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild game" (as it currently states on the game's Amazon listing) is only half true. In short, this story takes place in a separate timeline where things played out a bit differently than they did in BOTW. As such, this raisesFirstly, people need to know that the game's description stating "Experience the events of the Great Calamity 100 years before the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild game" (as it currently states on the game's Amazon listing) is only half true. In short, this story takes place in a separate timeline where things played out a bit differently than they did in BOTW. As such, this raises questions as to the game's canon status. I'm not sure why Nintendo felt it was necessary to mislead people (except to maximize profits, of course) because I'd totally be down to see what could have been.

    Anyway, this game is not bad at all, it just isn't great. The story - while being a bit predictable at points (and not at others) - is an overall satisfying story. I certainly liked it a lot. As I mentioned before, this plot takes place in a separate timeline. A miniature guardian goes back in time from the original BOTW timeline to warn Zelda and everyone of the coming calamity and everything from then on plays out differently. There was never a point where I wanted to stop playing because of the story. I found it very interesting and I wanted to know what happened next every step of the way.

    The best thing about this game is its music. As with many Zelda games, the music is very well orchestrated and fits every moment well. They took many of the tracks from BOTW and made different arrangements for them. My favorite is Vah Ruta's theme.

    The gameplay also isn't bad per say, but it isn't engaging at all. It is a horde battle / hack n' slash sort of thing and its excitement will not last you through the game. It gets boring pretty quickly as it never evolves in any significant way. It' just you running from point A to point B and then C, D, etc. hacking through unrealistic amounts of enemies and killing big mini-boss ones. What's worse is that the game expects you to go back to these missions many times to grind for resources so that you can fill side objectives on the world map that grant small bonuses. There is an ungodly amount of these side objectives showered onto the map like a Ubisoft game. It's quite overwhelming and made me furious for a bit at how much time I would have to put in to check off everything.

    Overall, I rather enjoyed this game. It does have its flaws with gameplay, but I kept at it because I liked the story. It was fun to get a better glimpse of what Hyrule was like before the calamity. I liked seeing the characters again and I also liked the new ones. I would definitely recommend this game to any LOZ fan but I would caution others who just like the series as this title will be a 'hit or miss' for them.    … Expand
  16. Jaller47
    Nov 21, 2020
    5
    The gameplay is very fun and satisfying but the story ruins the game and spit on the legacy of Breath of the Wild. This is not the prequel they promised us. I felt cheated by Nintendo
  17. MLGedie
    Nov 21, 2020
    7
    TLDR: Really fun game despite lag, the story is dumb. Still worth getting for Zelda or Musou fans.

    Not as good as Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition, though the addition of using Wiizrobe rods and Sheikah Runes feels way better than the pool of items from the previous games. Still really fun to play and has tonnes of content and replay value, but the big problem is LAG. In any hack and    TLDR: Really fun game despite lag, the story is dumb. Still worth getting for Zelda or Musou fans.

    Not as good as Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition, though the addition of using Wiizrobe rods and Sheikah Runes feels way better than the pool of items from the previous games.
    Still really fun to play and has tonnes of content and replay value, but the big problem is LAG. In any hack and slash game, lag and dropped frames is such a disappointment, especially since the original Hyrule Warriors ran better. The culprit is almost definitely the BOTW-style graphics, which admittedly does look gorgeous, but the performance trade-off wasn't worth it. It's not enough to ruin the game, but it's noticeable enough to be annoying.
    Finally, the story is complete baloney. It was advertised as a prequel, but it becomes clear very quickly that it's not one. The real crime though is that the direction they take it in is not interesting or well explained, the ending will leave you frustrated because you don't know wtf is going on.    … Expand
  18. bxuzabc
    Nov 22, 2020
    6
    Not a bad game in terms of gameplay. But Nintendo totally lied about the idea of it being a prequel its just not. The FPS drops are annoying definitely not a refined game very rushed.
  19. pyhriel
    Nov 22, 2020
    6
    The game is very average. First Zelda game that I would qualify mainly as a money grab. The developers know fans of Breath of the Wild will buy the game for the story at least.
    The story is ok, but nothing more. I feel like it doesn't really add anything significant to what we saw in Breath of the Wild, and it even makes some scenes less interesting than you have imagined it from the    The game is very average. First Zelda game that I would qualify mainly as a money grab. The developers know fans of Breath of the Wild will buy the game for the story at least.
    The story is ok, but nothing more. I feel like it doesn't really add anything significant to what we saw in Breath of the Wild, and it even makes some scenes less interesting than you have imagined it from the memories in BotW.
    The gameplay is, again, very average. The original Hyrule Warriors was a more complete and more fun to play Warriors game than this game, which feels like a hybrid between a Warriors game and BotW. It is way less expansive than Hyrule Warriors, it has les characters, and the story is not better... it's just canon. That is why I feel it ends up being more of a money grab, because chances are, you'll buy the game even if you believe the reviews that say it is very average.

    Repurposing the BotW map into a mash-up of levels, character skill trees and shops, just makes things convoluted, and tedious.

    I would not recommend buying this game.    … Expand
  20. BKChronos
    Nov 28, 2020
    6
    OK gameplay with some cool plot moments, but overall uninteresting/not developed new characters, predictable after some points and not faithful to many aspects of the established lore.

    Also runs like trash, but is Switch so whatever
  21. Guehnterbomb
    Nov 29, 2020
    5
    By far the best part of the game is the story. The performance of the game is a bad joke for a 60€ game. In single-player mode, the framerate can just about keep up with 30fps, but if you dare to play the two-player mode the game struggles to keep the framerate in the two-digit range. The characters are beautifully designed, but Revali is a MASSIVE good-for-nothing who talks Link stupid inBy far the best part of the game is the story. The performance of the game is a bad joke for a 60€ game. In single-player mode, the framerate can just about keep up with 30fps, but if you dare to play the two-player mode the game struggles to keep the framerate in the two-digit range. The characters are beautifully designed, but Revali is a MASSIVE good-for-nothing who talks Link stupid in every cutscene or wants to make everyone believe that he is the best. The "side missions", if you can call them that, are the second bad joke. If you find it exciting to do the same thing again and again in every side mission: Destroying a mass of enemies in 4 minutes and killing a mini boss at the end, then you have a serious problem. I don't think the Metascore of 8.1 is justified at all, the Nintendo fanboys should also speak up if something in a game is not so good and not just buy and idolize everything brainlessly.… Expand
  22. orukusaki
    Dec 3, 2020
    7
    If you like these types of "Dynasty Warriors" style of hack and slash games just with a Zelda/Link story line. You'll enjoy this. I would warn multi-player in docked mode slows the game down tremendously when trying to use special moves . I tried playing with a buddy but the game would essential freeze if one of us tried to use one of those moves. Other than that I've enjoyed it.
  23. bancandrei
    Jan 4, 2021
    7
    This game is unreasonably much fun. There is so much potential, for example for a gacha style game, I would sink a lot of time into that. Or a mobile game based on the map alone. Unfortunately I mostly have fun playing as link. Story would have been great as a straight up prequel, no time travel.
  24. TheSpecialKExp
    Dec 15, 2020
    7
    Age of calamity was very fun at times but the game blinded tf outta me and my twitch chat with the effects, camera angles were awful especially the last 2 chapters of the game, the switch was bout to explode cause the framerate was melting away, and imo it felt like some story was missing. The music and gameplay were great though but the other things hold the game back a decent bit.
  25. YokoHugo
    Jul 30, 2022
    7
    Ihihininininininijijijojijojojojojojojojojojojojojojojojojojojojojojojojoji
  26. Jerg4n
    Mar 7, 2023
    5
    Fun combat and a lot of unique characters, gorgeous art style and amazing music, but it's way too repetitive, the new storyline is dumb and overall pouring your time into it feels a bit worthless. I did have fun with it, but maybe the warriors games just aren't for me.
  27. Yokaii_
    May 20, 2023
    5
    The story and decent combat is what made the game somewhat bearable, the performance is absolutely laughable and borderline unplayable at times.

    Koei Techmo and Nintendo should be ashamed of themselves for releasing the game in this state.
  28. javiandre10
    Jan 23, 2021
    6
    Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity es una precuela muy bien trabajada y que es fiel a todos los principios y detalles que se aplicaron en Breath of the Wild.

    El problema es que no deja de ser un Warriors más. Sigue siendo igual de repetitivo, y que lejos de ser adictivo, cansa. Tienes que ser muy fan de Zelda BotW para poder disfrutarlo. Un juego que no destaca en ningún apartado. Ni    Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity es una precuela muy bien trabajada y que es fiel a todos los principios y detalles que se aplicaron en Breath of the Wild.

    El problema es que no deja de ser un Warriors más. Sigue siendo igual de repetitivo, y que lejos de ser adictivo, cansa. Tienes que ser muy fan de Zelda BotW para poder disfrutarlo. Un juego que no destaca en ningún apartado. Ni siquiera en la historia, que debería ser el mayor incentivo para jugarlo.    … Expand
  29. EdwardG
    Jan 17, 2021
    7
    Age of Calamity is a good hack and slash game that provides a welcome opportunity to jump back into the world of Breath of the Wild, albeit with a completely different style of gameplay.

    For the most part, I enjoyed the over the top, large scale battles that are characteristic of the Warriors franchise. Getting into the flow of it and mowing down hundreds of enemies with satisfying    Age of Calamity is a good hack and slash game that provides a welcome opportunity to jump back into the world of Breath of the Wild, albeit with a completely different style of gameplay.

    For the most part, I enjoyed the over the top, large scale battles that are characteristic of the Warriors franchise. Getting into the flow of it and mowing down hundreds of enemies with satisfying combos is great fun. There's usually plenty of cannon fodder on screen for you to toy with, but there's plenty of larger enemies too which require a bit more of your attention.

    Age of Calamity features a healthy roster of playable characters that you unlock as you progress through the game, and they all have fairly different movesets and unique traits. I found myself sticking to the few characters I could do the most damage with - Link, Impa and Teba - but I'm sure different people will gravitate more to others.

    Playable Divine Beast sections break up the core gameplay loop and although they're mostly a decent diversion, the Vah Rudania (the Gorons' Divine Beast) quests are a bit frustrating because of its poor blocking capabilities.

    Unfortunately, Age of Calamity starts to wear a bit thin after a while. It's not a short game, and I found its gameplay too mindless and repetitive to hold my interest for long periods of time. The oftentimes sparse checkpoint system only serves to exacerbate this issue. The side content is particularly egregious as much of it doesn't even have any story to support it - it has some context but is mostly devoid of any proper narrative. It's good that it's there for when you want a quick bit of action, but it could've been better.

    In terms of story, Age of Calamity isn't the prequel I was expecting, and it instead introduces a separate timeline. It's tone is also perhaps a bit lighter than I thought it'd be. Taken on its own merits, the story is okay. It's nice to see the characters we grew to love from Breath of the Wild again, and fighting against the Great Calamity with them was a treat. That said, I think a proper prequel could've told a much more mature, tragic story. Seeing the downfall of the Champions could've made for some excellent storytelling, and it could've been a bold, refreshing move to let us lose for once.

    Overall, this is a fairly good, enjoyable title, which perhaps unfairly has to live in the shadow of Breath of the Wild. Its connection to one of my favourite ever games is simultaneously why I expected more from it but also a big reason I liked it. If, like me, you're a big Zelda fan, just know to temper your expectations a bit regarding the story - as said, it's more of a 'what if' than a prequel. For me though, I still enjoyed Age of Calamity despite the gameplay sometimes feeling too grindy for my tastes. It's a cool, exaggerated hack and slash with a strong range of playable characters and, of course, a great soundtrack.    … Expand
  30. B-Bog
    Apr 30, 2021
    7
    Muuuuuch better than Hyrule Warriors, but still very flawed.

    The core mechanics are good (if a little clunky at times), but what really kills this game and prevents it from being better is the REPETITION. Talk about Warriors Fatigue! There's just too much of everything: Too many characters, too many meaningless filler side quests that you only really do to level up or gather materials    Muuuuuch better than Hyrule Warriors, but still very flawed.

    The core mechanics are good (if a little clunky at times), but what really kills this game and prevents it from being better is the REPETITION. Talk about Warriors Fatigue! There's just too much of everything: Too many characters, too many meaningless filler side quests that you only really do to level up or gather materials (as an illustration, there are only 20 story missions and almost TEN TIMES the amount of side missions), too many weapons that you collect, WAAAY too many icons on the map that demand completion (every time you get rid of one, it seems like 3 new ones pop up, like a Hydra in video game form) etc. etc.

    Framerate is dogsh**, but I think everybody knows that already. Still pretty baffling that they released the game in this state and haven't patched it since. Seems like they just don't care.

    The story... Don't even get me started man. This had so much potential as a prequel to one of the best video games of all time. They could have told a harrowing, gripping tale of Hyrule's downfall. Instead, what did they do? Used the cheapest trick in the book and resorted to time-travel/alternate universe bullsh** to turn it into some happy-go-lucky feel-good story where, magically, everyone survives ( so pretty much the complete opposite of BotW's back story). Like, REALLY NINTENDO? TIME TRAVEL?? Creating ANOTHER time line (as if Zelda didn't have enough of those already)?? I am disappoint. If you market a game as a prequel to BotW, then it better be a goddamn prequel to BotW.

    The voice acting still sucks balls. Can we at least get another voice actor for Zelda PLEASE? Her performance is maximum cringe every time. C'mon Nintendo, you're the richest company in Japan, surely you can do better in that regard?

    That's all not to say that the game isn't enjoyable at all. I had a lot of fun the first 20-30 hours, which is quite some time. It's just that, at some point, the repetitive gameplay and mediocre story WILL grind you down. If they had condensed this into a 20, 25-hour-game, told the REAL story leading up to BotW, made sure it had a decent framerate and removed some of the overall clunkiness that still harkens back to the PS2 origins of the Warriors series, this could've probably been a 9/10. As it stands, it's a good game with tons of flaws.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

87
#87 Best Switch Game of 2020
6
#6 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 113 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 90 out of 113
  2. Mixed: 23 out of 113
  3. Negative: 0 out of 113
  1. Ninty Fresh Magazine
    Oct 22, 2021
    80
    Of all the champions, AoC is most comparable to Daruk: rough around the edges and simple, but full of heart and grows on you fast. [Issue #3, p.55]
  2. CD-Action
    Jun 9, 2021
    75
    Age of Calamity is like a t-shirt with your favorite band’s artwork – remove the love of their music and all you’ve got is a piece of clothing. Similarly, if you play Hyrule Warriors not familiar with Breath of the Wild, you’ll miss tons of fan service and end up with a pretty and relaxing but rather basic hack and slash. [01/2021, p.64]
  3. Nintendo Force Magazine
    May 5, 2021
    85
    This battle-hardened prequel is able to scratch an itch that its source material couldn't. [Issue #50 – January/February 2021, p. 75]
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