Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition

 Switch
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 235 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 177 out of 235
  2. Mixed: 28 out of 235
  3. Negative: 30 out of 235
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  1. vahn
    May 29, 2018
    6
    After spending about 50-100 hours more or less into the game,, I have to lower the score for the immeasurable amount of little issues that while do not break the game, they keep on stacking and make the whole experience a total mess.

    A mess that for a game called DEFINITIVE EDITION, feels really awkward and actually dull. Credits where credit is due: the game is massive and has all    After spending about 50-100 hours more or less into the game,, I have to lower the score for the immeasurable amount of little issues that while do not break the game, they keep on stacking and make the whole experience a total mess.

    A mess that for a game called DEFINITIVE EDITION, feels really awkward and actually dull.

    Credits where credit is due: the game is massive and has all the features of the previous version such as the fairies, a longer story mode, and ALL the characters, for a roster of about 30 characters; this is probably the best - and only - good thing of the game thus far, because it is complete and has no additional content to be purchased.

    But like I said, the many little issues will eventually stack and become a big whole mess...starting with the game itself: it constantly crashes and I lost a lot of progress in certain maps as it randomly shuts down the game - it often happens before starting a match.
    On top of that, the game really makes your console become heated and I highly recommend playing on handheld mode as it helps a little bit, especially since the back of the console has more holes for the air to circulate.
    Just another proof of the lazy design of the console.

    Now about inside the game, there's so much to say that I'll probably use all words so here we go:

    1) In legend mode, hearts can be hidden under a rock or inside a keep, with the former being ANY random rock and the latter it's shown on the map...inside the menus.
    Odd considering the map can show FAIRIES, but not CHESTS?!

    2) In Legend mode, you still have to replay one map multiple times due to the inability of using multiple characters.
    Which is odd considering you CAN switch characters now but that map? Nope, you gotta replay it twice!

    3) Skulltullas are as unintuitive as ever as it will never tell you where to look and only show a certain area instead.
    The time limit gives it the final blow, barely giving you 1-2 minutes to find it and no way to try again unless you die (legend mode) or restart the entire match (adventure mode)

    4) The ocarina is useless: I only used it a grand total of 5 times, in legend mode. Never found a single map supporting it in adventure mode in the hours I played.

    5) The adventure mode might look like a lot of stuff to do but only because there's so much backtracking: without the ability to switch between characters you'll be forced to replay one level multiple times - without mentioning finding fairy food, clothes, and whatnot.

    6) Same for the skulltullas, despite showing two objectives for each one.
    It's different for legend mode.

    7) The heart meter is a mess: my link has about 25 hearts (level 50), but how much is one heart? It's never clearly explained and you're just supposed to deal with it.
    This is difficult because you have no other stats than attack, so health is supposedly both your hp and defense. How? I don't know, and the game won't really explain either.

    8) The card shop in Adventure mode is a nice touch for helping you tame the grind, but sadly it's quite expensive - especially if you start out fresh. I never had a money issue for buying them but considering that each item can cost up to 10k rupees (some less, some more), and each battle gives you only about 10k, you can see why this can be troublesome.

    9) The fairies are a nice touch but they are probably better developed at "endgame", but I played for about 20 hours without finding one until I discovered that you're supposed to...break a random pot in a map (the ones inside the keeps)
    Way to hide a major feature behind quite literally randomness!

    10) Adventure mode levels won't show you the requirements to reach A rank. Why? I don't freaking know and it's also very inconsistent: some maps gave me B for killing 1200 enemies and others gave me A for the same amount (I just go with 1500 to be sure)
    Was that so hard to show you the requirements? Apparently yes!

    11) AI is Awful, it's on par with Samurai Warriors (the first one) and Fire Emblem warriors, if not even worse: your companions are literally unable to defend themselves and will most likely get themselves killed in every fight against the enemy.

    12) The camera is just as bad: it will NEVER target the closest enemy to you, instead of taking the furthest, out of reach and possibly hidden enemy behind a wall. I felt dizzy many times because it would just not target the right enemy!

    13) Still no voice acting, which is not an issue, but still has a voiced narrator, which is an issue.
    Consistency: you suck at it!

    14) Lots of graphical glitches that legitimately ruin the scenery (pavement that disappears, trembling walls, etc).
    Again, for a game called definitive edition, it really doesn't show.

    15) Tools are hard to use due to enemies showing their weakness only for a very brief time: you either have to prepare beforehand, or just ignore it altogether.    … Expand
  2. riccyjay
    Jun 6, 2018
    5
    So, first off, this is a fun game. At times. If you're in the mood for some thoughtless button bashing, you'll get enjoyment out of it for sure. And there's a lot of content to get through. If you get into it, you'll find it will keep you busy for a long, long time.

    However, it's also an incredibly poorly and lazily constructed game. The map, which is key to the gameplay, is an absolute    So, first off, this is a fun game. At times. If you're in the mood for some thoughtless button bashing, you'll get enjoyment out of it for sure. And there's a lot of content to get through. If you get into it, you'll find it will keep you busy for a long, long time.

    However, it's also an incredibly poorly and lazily constructed game. The map, which is key to the gameplay, is an absolute nightmare. It's almost a how-to of creating a dysfunctional in-game map. The minute to minute gameplay is fun, but following where you're supposed to be / what you're supposed to be doing at any given moment is an absolute chore. The game might tell you: protect character x, so you run to them, find they have no enemies around them, run off to kill something else and thirty seconds later be told: mission failed, character x fled the battle while some other missions can be completed accidentally. Actions frequently don't trigger when you arrive at their assigned spots, and on screen button prompts often result in you swinging your sword instead of opening a chest / activating a marker etc. None of this is helped by a weird camera that rotates at five times the speed it ought to. This is made even worse by the game frequently dumping you in corners or against walls with no idea what's around you. Further hindered by the map often being a second behind the action in showing which way you're facing. Plus, while the combat is fun and it is really satisfying to take down fifty to a hundred monsters with one strike, it's sooo simple that it can get a little brain numbing at times. Combat's biggest problem is the targeting system which quite simply just doesn't work. It's incredible that Ocarina of Time had an almost perfect mechanism, but this game 20 years later can't even come close to doing half as good a job. The game tries to encourage you to use the variety of weapons you have, but 99% of the time you'll be using your sword / main weapon as the windows to make effective use of your other weapons are so short that unless you're prepared to use them beforehand, you'll be wasting your time.

    In terms of graphics...it's not great. The character models are decent, but the landscapes look like they're from the Gamecube. The camera pans at the start of each level are stuttery and the cutscenes were clearly put together on the cheap. Most of the 'story' is told by an annoying American voice, which sounds completely out of place in the game. Not that Anthony Hopkins could have saved the material she's forced to read. The story is a mess redeemed only by some good new character designs. Without spoiling anything, I'll just say that the story arcs are also less than satisfactory and at points it feels borderline blasphemous to see these classic characters being forced into such a lazy, cliched plot.

    All in all, a fun game and an enjoyable little trip through some of the classic Zelda worlds, but just so poorly put together by Koei/Tecmo it seems incredible Nintendo allowed them to use one of their most valuable and treasured IPs. Of course, it's no Zelda on CD-i, but nor does it come close to the high standards fans expect from the franchise.    … Expand
  3. toonlinkman
    May 18, 2018
    6
    Hyrule Warriors is truly the definitive edition of a poor game. If you are a Zelda fan you will get a few hours of enjoyment before you start wishing for a real zelda game. If you like hack and slash games you will like this.

    At least this better than the Wii U version as the second player doesn't have to play on the tiny gamepad screen.
  4. DeusGod
    Jun 26, 2018
    6
    I don't like the game of this genre. I've only played for one hour, but I'm already bored, and I have not been able to do it for tens of hours.
  5. bulger_paul
    Nov 13, 2018
    7
    I've never played a Warriors game before I played Hyrule Warriors, and I can't exactly say I've been inspired to check out any of the other Warriors games, but I enjoyed this as a casual experience.

    After the first few missions, it turned out not to be as mindless and grindy as I thought it might be at first, since later, as battles become more hectic and there's more stuff going on,    I've never played a Warriors game before I played Hyrule Warriors, and I can't exactly say I've been inspired to check out any of the other Warriors games, but I enjoyed this as a casual experience.

    After the first few missions, it turned out not to be as mindless and grindy as I thought it might be at first, since later, as battles become more hectic and there's more stuff going on, much of your success boils down to good time management, and managing your troops effectively in order to maintain certain holds, since you can't be everywhere you need to be on the map at once, and your limited availability is where the real challenge comes from. But even though this isn't the mindless grind I thought it might be, the moments where you're simply mashing buttons to see a various array of Zelda characters perform crazy powerful combos to send hoards of minions flying across the map were the moments I found to be most satisfying.

    I can't say I remember anything about the plot, at all, because I kind've just stopped following it after the first four missions, but I had fun with the gameplay.    … Expand
  6. SirPunk
    Sep 11, 2019
    7
    Hyrule Warriors is a fun game. You will have so much to do in the Definitive Edition that it's a little overwhelming. The story mode is fun but I felt that it really started to drag on near the end. Definitely not a must have but it's a solid game you will have fun with.

    Also Linkle is so much fun to play as .
  7. GreenMenace
    Feb 28, 2023
    7
    I consider this game the epitome of all Warriors games, even by today’s standards. I suppose a part of that is because of all the changes made in the “Definitive” edition that truly made it definitive. This is the only Warriors game I would ever need. And yet, it only manages to pull out a 7 because I can’t bring myself to recommend a Warriors game over another game, even if it is the bestI consider this game the epitome of all Warriors games, even by today’s standards. I suppose a part of that is because of all the changes made in the “Definitive” edition that truly made it definitive. This is the only Warriors game I would ever need. And yet, it only manages to pull out a 7 because I can’t bring myself to recommend a Warriors game over another game, even if it is the best one.

    You get to choose your favorite Zelda characters to fight as while attempting to secure victory for Hyrule. I will admit I enjoyed playing the cast of characters available. There’s a wide variety! And for all I can tell, they each have a unique fighting identity that makes a single battle with them feel different from any another. The adventure mode in particular added a lot of variability to fights with different goals. Legend mode has a more dynamic feel in fights, but those fights also last three times longer. Mastering the skill ceiling isn’t difficult, but you have to learn and apply all the mechanics of the game to finish the battle as fast as you can.

    Adventure mode contains most features used in the game, such as the My Fairy feature and unlockable characters. Legend mode contains unlockable characters and the game’s story.

    Play Hyrule Warriors to unlock your inner kid, or to satisfy your need for a meaningless grind to max out character trees + levels, or to spend time with a child as you trample the hosts of evil by mashing the same button combo over and over again, so much so that you remember all of their moves even years after you’ve stopped playing.    … Expand
  8. YokoHugo
    Jul 30, 2022
    6
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  9. ReviewdaShopee
    Dec 16, 2022
    7
    "Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition" é um bom título com uma grande quantidade de personagens jogáveis que fazem parte do universo Zelda. Ainda que o modo história não seja tão empolgante, o jogo garante algumas horas de diversão utilizando seus personagens favoritos da franquia!

    No que diz respeito ao conteúdo, "Hyrule Warriors" é infinito, exigindo incontáveis horas para concluir    "Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition" é um bom título com uma grande quantidade de personagens jogáveis que fazem parte do universo Zelda. Ainda que o modo história não seja tão empolgante, o jogo garante algumas horas de diversão utilizando seus personagens favoritos da franquia!

    No que diz respeito ao conteúdo, "Hyrule Warriors" é infinito, exigindo incontáveis horas para concluir tudo que o jogo tem a oferecer. Por se tratar de uma gameplay repetitiva e, em alguns momentos, opressora (pela dificuldade de alguns desafios); com o tempo o jogo perde seu brilho. Ainda que a maioria dos inimigos pareçam feitos de papel, salvo uma ou outra exceção, é um jogo que vale a pena de ser jogado - especialmente para os fãs da franquia Zelda.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

36
#36 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2018
24
#24 Most Shared Switch Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 59 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 47 out of 59
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 59
  3. Negative: 1 out of 59
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Sep 5, 2018
    75
    It might be a little rough around the edges, but it's a glorious Zelda nostalgia trip with some fun action. [Issue #34 – July/August 2018, p. 75]
  2. RPG Fan
    Aug 16, 2018
    77
    Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition shows its age when compared to recent Warriors games, but for Zelda fans, there is no better way to experience a Zelda crossover with your favourite characters.
    Read full review
  3. My Nintendo News
    Jul 15, 2018
    70
    If the aforementioned nuisances such as mute characters are a turnoff in your eyes, you might want to consider spending your Rupees toward the more original Fire Emblem Warriors instead.
    Read full review
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