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. sarifari
    Dec 27, 2018
    9
    Sometimes it can be a bit hard in Legend Mode if you do not react fast enough.

    Apart from that it is fun for many hours of playing, beating your own highscore, getting a special item, better weapon or a skulltula you missed.

    Highly recommended even for non-Zelda fans!

    (I am playing it a second time after having finished it on Wii U already ^^)
  2. Dantemercer
    May 29, 2018
    10
    Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition is not a perfect game but it is very fun. I haven't played this game on the Wii U or the 3DS so this was a new experience for me. Sure, i had encountered some problems on the go, not the best experience in handheld mode, but it was simply amazing playing this game. The soundtrack is working so well with the gameplay. Talking about gameplay , it's simplyHyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition is not a perfect game but it is very fun. I haven't played this game on the Wii U or the 3DS so this was a new experience for me. Sure, i had encountered some problems on the go, not the best experience in handheld mode, but it was simply amazing playing this game. The soundtrack is working so well with the gameplay. Talking about gameplay , it's simply entertaining to slice everything in your way and capture points. I give this game a 10/10 because it was a new experience for me and everything wrong with the game was nothing compared to the hours of joy that i had in this game. HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT! ( especially if you haven't played on any other platform ).… Expand
  3. Valter
    May 22, 2018
    9
    Finally this game gets what it deserves, a full package of content from all previous versions and DLC's plus performance issues fixed! This definitive version runs SO much better on the switch, I'm happy to buy it again.. And this is a must-buy for whoever only had only the wii u or the 3ds version, Or is just a Zelda fan!
  4. Tazcat2011
    Jun 1, 2018
    8
    I played the 3DS version and put over 100hrs into it. I’ve been played the Definitive Edition since day 1 and really enjoy it. If you like the Warriors formula and li,e Legend of Zelda, you’ll like this game. It probably is one of the best Warriors game and all the characters are great. I hope Linkle, the girl with the crossbows, becomes a regular Zelda character.
  5. Powermario0
    May 19, 2018
    9
    Great game with great content. It's not a new game, but I can't say it looks old or anything. This version of the game includes all the dlc. I'm not a huge Zelda fan, but i like this a lot. >:3

    9/10
  6. UnionJack0714
    Jun 23, 2018
    8
    Hyrule Warriors is truly the definitive edition of a game that has been released not once but twice over the span of 4 years. It contains all of the content from the Wii U and 3DS versions, as well as all the dlc from both versions as well. However the only new content are outfits celebrating Breath of the Wild and a 3d version of my fairy. But this isn't a bad thing as this game isHyrule Warriors is truly the definitive edition of a game that has been released not once but twice over the span of 4 years. It contains all of the content from the Wii U and 3DS versions, as well as all the dlc from both versions as well. However the only new content are outfits celebrating Breath of the Wild and a 3d version of my fairy. But this isn't a bad thing as this game is already full of content, providing a prediction of 200+ hours to the games story and adventure modes. Speaking of, the story is a tribute to every Zelda game released up until Skyward Sword and provides massive fan service to those who have played Ocarina, Twilight, Wind Waker and Skyward Sword, but this is the easiest part of the game simply displaying nostalgia eye candy instead of an actual challenge. The real challenge comes fron adventure mode. This is were you will spend most of your time if your aiming to 100% your game. Hundreds of challenges await you, with the maps being created and inspired by the 8 bit orginal Zelda, there are tones of secrets, battles and out the box challenges to complete. This is also where you would unlock most of the characters, outfits and weapons outside the story mode, and boy does it make you work for it. Performance has been massively improved as well, with a resolution of 1080 docked and 720 portable as well as 60fps all round, unlike the previous. Also the Co-op experience is massively improved as well, allwoing for brilliant two player split screen, altough it may be a bit small on the smaller Switch screen itself. The only down factor of this game is that it may be slightly repetitive, and I worry people will think it is just a button mashing experience, and too be honest, it isn't. Yes, every combo is executed exactly the same way for every character, but every character does something's different. In conclusion this is the best version of the game, and if you have played it before one could argue you should get it again... but really thats up to you. If you never played this game but love Zelda and the idea of a differnct Zelda experience, this game is for you. 8/10… Expand
  7. sluderk1983
    May 22, 2018
    8
    I was torn between 7 and an 8. I actually really enjoy this game, though, so I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt.

    Major downsides to be aware of: - The camera is intuitive, but if you try to control it as you run, it is a nightmare, as it keep trying to autocorrect - For a game that is supposed to tell you where to go and what missions to take on, I've often found myself    I was torn between 7 and an 8. I actually really enjoy this game, though, so I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt.

    Major downsides to be aware of:

    - The camera is intuitive, but if you try to control it as you run, it is a nightmare, as it keep trying to autocorrect

    - For a game that is supposed to tell you where to go and what missions to take on, I've often found myself wandering and wondering. Then suddenly the mission fails. It takes trial and error over and over until you finally discover some obscure thing.    … Expand
  8. Nishk
    May 18, 2018
    9
    This game did come out on 3ds and Wii U. The one on the switch gives you all the characters. If you are a fan of the Legend of Zelda series, this is a must have. If you have already bought it on WII U or 3ds, I feel it’s still worth buying again.
  9. LiTeRaLyShAkInG
    May 18, 2018
    9
    As usual, just ignore the game journalists who gave this game THE SAME RATING as the Wii U version, despite the fact that it adds every bit of extra content from both the Wii U and the 3DS version, and vastly increases the graphics from 720p/30fps to a full 1080p/60fps. Nothing so far has suggested that the Switch was capable of doubling the frame-rate of a last generation game AND uppingAs usual, just ignore the game journalists who gave this game THE SAME RATING as the Wii U version, despite the fact that it adds every bit of extra content from both the Wii U and the 3DS version, and vastly increases the graphics from 720p/30fps to a full 1080p/60fps. Nothing so far has suggested that the Switch was capable of doubling the frame-rate of a last generation game AND upping the resolution from 720p to 1080p. Usually last generation games are only increased from 720p to 1080p. The Switch may be more powerful than we thought. It's a pity all they did with Breath of the Wild was up it from 720p/30fps to 900p/30fps with slightly enhanced visuals. With massive graphical improvements and ton of content, this easily the best port of a last generation game on the Switch. So the game journalists can buzz off. Whenever they post videos of themselves playing games, we see that they're terrible of them. Would you trust a movie review from somebody who knows jack squat about movies? I'm not claiming I've beaten I Wanna Kill the Kamilla 3 or IVAN, but I have beaten Nethack and I Wanna Be the Guy, which is way more than any game journalist can say.

    Anyway, it's good that this was ported to the Switch because it's better than Fire Emblem Warriors. There is more variety in the enemies and the boss battles are more interesting. Also, the characters are more iconic. The only completely new edition to the Switch version is that you can play as Champion Link and thicc Zelda from Breath of the Wild. However, since these are my favorite designs of the two characters, I think it's a nice addition

    The gameplay is fun, and if you've played any of the Warriors games you should know what to expect. Lot's of hack and slash action where you swap between characters on the battle field and try to control checkpoints while your armies battle it out with the enemy armies. The story is pretty good too, better than Fire Emblem Warriors. The more powerful enemies and bosses do need quite a bit of skill to beat. I while I wouldn't know for sure yet, I've heard you can get 200 hours of gameplay out of this game. So you get tons of hours of play, 1080p/60fps, and iconic Zelda characters, plenty of reasons to buy it.

    Downsides of the game are that even at 1080p/60fps it's still nowhere close to the best looking games on the Switch. Another issue is that most of cutscenes are in 720p/30fps, which is a little jarring. And yes, it's a little repetitive. Still if you buy any Warriors game, this is the one to get. I give it an 8.5 out of 10, which I'll round up to a 9.    … Expand
  10. Kick454
    May 21, 2018
    9
    The only way to truly experience Hyrule Warriors in my opinion. Honestly, I wasn't expecting myself to pick this game up, but I ended up doing so I can play something other than Odyssey waiting for Mario Tennis Aces to come out.

    Pros: + Gameplay: I personally love the hack-and-slash gameplay this game does. By far the best I've seen. + Soundtrack: I'm going to go back and fix my HW:L    The only way to truly experience Hyrule Warriors in my opinion. Honestly, I wasn't expecting myself to pick this game up, but I ended up doing so I can play something other than Odyssey waiting for Mario Tennis Aces to come out.

    Pros:
    + Gameplay: I personally love the hack-and-slash gameplay this game does. By far the best I've seen.
    + Soundtrack: I'm going to go back and fix my HW:L review, because after relistening to the soundtrack, I fell in love. Though it still has some bad songs (Kakariko Village).
    + Roster: Thankfully they included the DLC characters into the mix, so there's an even bigger variety now.
    + Story: It's the same as the other two, meaning that it's great.
    + Resolution/Graphics: Definitely a huge leap from Legends' graphics and resolution.

    Meh:
    = Bosses: Not as bad as I remember them being, but again, a lot of them are just characters from the roster.

    Overall, Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition is a wonderful game that just barely falls short from being in my top 5 games of all time and warrants a 9.5/10 from me. If you have a Switch but don't have any of the other versions, pick THIS version up. Although, if you already have a version of the game, maybe wait for a sale or rent it.    … Expand
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. hiruma87
    May 22, 2018
    8
    soy fan de zelda y he comprado este juego para wii u, 3ds y ahora para switch y no me arrepiento de nada. la historia es lo mejor que he visto en muchos juegos por que le da un sentido logico al mundo de hyrule warriors en la saga de zelda. si te quieres divertir te lo recomiendo, si eres muy exigente como yo aveces el juego es muy repetitivo y aburrido al hacer lo mismo. pero en losoy fan de zelda y he comprado este juego para wii u, 3ds y ahora para switch y no me arrepiento de nada. la historia es lo mejor que he visto en muchos juegos por que le da un sentido logico al mundo de hyrule warriors en la saga de zelda. si te quieres divertir te lo recomiendo, si eres muy exigente como yo aveces el juego es muy repetitivo y aburrido al hacer lo mismo. pero en lo general la musica y todo lo que conlleva el juego es grande.… Expand
  14. Fjalficjv
    Oct 28, 2018
    2
    There is some fun to be had but overall the game is more frustrating than fun.
  15. 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.
  16. hiphoptherobot
    Jun 16, 2018
    4
    This was one of my all time favorite games on the Wii U, but here we are on their 3rd release of the same game and there's still no online co-op. That means for all of those wonderful Adventure mode missions that just absolutely require a 2nd player to complete you're going to have to go over to your friend's house, bring your system, and play them all twice so you both get credit. ItThis was one of my all time favorite games on the Wii U, but here we are on their 3rd release of the same game and there's still no online co-op. That means for all of those wonderful Adventure mode missions that just absolutely require a 2nd player to complete you're going to have to go over to your friend's house, bring your system, and play them all twice so you both get credit. It gets tedious fast. They really doubled down on the missions that require a 2nd player to the extent that it's a bad combination without giving us online co-op. It's a great game, one of the greatest ever made, but once was enough. It's time to stop milking every penny out of their fans and make a proper sequel with online co-op. Add some Breath of the Wild content! This is the best Warriors franchise rendition yet and it struck lightning on the Wii U, but it doesn't strike twice or three times as the case may be.… Expand
  17. chrisx213
    Jun 4, 2020
    0
    The core gameplay is just super weak. Cannon fodder everywhere then tough boss fights that are a little better. Total crap, stay away. I’m surprised Nintendo let this be done to one of their most beloved franchises.
  18. B-Bog
    Jan 21, 2020
    2
    This idea COULD produce a good game in theory, if it was executed better. The core idea has potential, but HW plays like a game from the PS2 era and it also certainly looks the part.

    Just a few points off the top of my head: The map, which you are completely reliant on for navigation, knowing what to do and where to go, is complete dogsh*t. I think I could not make it much worse if I    This idea COULD produce a good game in theory, if it was executed better. The core idea has potential, but HW plays like a game from the PS2 era and it also certainly looks the part.

    Just a few points off the top of my head:

    The map, which you are completely reliant on for navigation, knowing what to do and where to go, is complete dogsh*t. I think I could not make it much worse if I tried. For example: You get paired up with these absolute morons of AI-controlled characters, whose sole job seems to be to get themselves killed as fast as humanly possible. They always end up in a crowd of tough enemies on the opposite end of the map from where you are, do absolutely NOTHING to defend themselves and then beg to be rescued. If you don't get to them in time, you lose the battle and have to start from your latest checkpoint. You would think that such a thing would be important enough to warrant a very noticeable, big, fat, colourful marker on your map, but no. Have fun figuring out which tiny blob or arrow represents the character that desperately needs to be rescued. Oh, and you don't even get to see their health bar, because, clearly, that would be way too convenient! Fun times.

    As an extension of this: The maps are terrible. Just absolutely terrible. Even if you can figure out where you are and where you need to go, the level-design makes it as hard and tedious as possible for you to get there. The battles technically take place in Zelda locations, but they might as well not, because any and all charm and atmosphere that Nintendo lovingly put into these places is absolutely gone.

    Controls and camera are nothing to write home about either, as you would expect from a PS2 game.

    I already addressed the abysmal graphics, but seriously: This was a Wii U game??? It looks even more out of place on the Switch, and yet, judging by the fan noises, it makes the console work like no other game I own. I'm gonna take a wild guess, taking into account the rest of the game, and chalk that up to poor and lazy programming.

    The music consists of awful, frantic remixes of classic Zelda tunes, that are probably supposed to pump you up for battle, but ended up severely annoying and aggravating me. If you play through supposedly "epic" battles that last half an hour, how about some dynamic music that actually reflects the changing situation on the battlefield? Again, no such luck.

    The story is a very weird affair overall (and not in a good way), because they wanted to include characters and areas from pretty much every 3D Zelda game up until Skyward Sword. They even introduce some new characters of their own, who all remain extremely one-dimensional and honestly look pretty clichéd and out-of-place in the Zelda universe. The story presentation is also really awkward. The game features FMV cutscenes, but without any voice-over. Instead, the characters just make these weird Anime groans and moans for maybe one second, after which their mouth keeps moving in silence to represent the dialogue in the textbox. You do get some disembodied voice-overs from an unknown lady over still images between missions to progress the plot, though. Hooray.

    Another thing that bugs me is how often the game takes control away from you in the middle of the action. You might be executing a big combo or special move while fighting a bigger enemy, when JUMPCUT! "Here's what you need to do next!!" Oh thanks Hyrule Warriors, now I get to relocate myself and the enemy, because your targeting system is also absolute trash!

    Overall, the entire game just seems lazily put together and not thought-out at all. The Warriors series apparently hasn't evolved one bit since the PS2/Gamecube era. Just slap a Zelda coat of paint on it, call it a day, and start counting your money. I think that's a shame, because in my opinion the idea of a Zelda Hack'n'Slash game actually has a lot of potential, which, sadly, has been totally squandered here with the extremely out-dated game design and horrible presentation. I feel really, really dumb for buying this at (almost) full price just because I'm a huge Zelda fan.    … Expand
  19. 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.
  20. JasonMC
    Jun 24, 2018
    3
    This is a very shallow game. A boring button masher, grindfest. Worthless and pointless. With so many amazing gaming experiences to be had, why waste your time playing this or any Warriors style game for that matter? It's baffling to me.
  21. Sdric
    Sep 12, 2019
    9
    87.5/100: This is primarily a Warriors rather than a Zelda game. It's a hack an slash with fancy visuals (defeating enemies with Link & co has never had this much style!), but it also has strategic layers of troop and hero management. Character selection is great and mode variety gives you potentially several hundred hours of gameplay with a lot of different characters & combos to keep87.5/100: This is primarily a Warriors rather than a Zelda game. It's a hack an slash with fancy visuals (defeating enemies with Link & co has never had this much style!), but it also has strategic layers of troop and hero management. Character selection is great and mode variety gives you potentially several hundred hours of gameplay with a lot of different characters & combos to keep things interesting. The only downside are very noticeable FPS drops in certain maps (Switch version). It's one of the 3 non Mario/Platformer Switch games everybody should own (Super Smash Bros Ultimate / Zelda: Breath of the Wild / Hyrule Warriors), though!… Expand
  22. 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
  23. CBMaq
    Jul 14, 2018
    8
    Look, Hyrule Warriors is just a Dynasty Warriors game with Zelda skins. I’ve heard it before, Dynasty-style games are divisive among the gamer community: you like them or you don’t. The two biggest criticism against Dynasty games is that they are button-mashers and repetitive; which is a somewhat fair description. However, the games are much more than what it’s top two criticism may infer.Look, Hyrule Warriors is just a Dynasty Warriors game with Zelda skins. I’ve heard it before, Dynasty-style games are divisive among the gamer community: you like them or you don’t. The two biggest criticism against Dynasty games is that they are button-mashers and repetitive; which is a somewhat fair description. However, the games are much more than what it’s top two criticism may infer. The levels in the games have objectives that must or may be met. For me personally, that’s the fun part: managing the action in the game. So, really, the game is much more than a repetitive button-mashers.
    In terms of Zelda, I love all the great content! I’ve played most of the Zelda universe games and it’s a pleasure to play as characters I’ve never had the opportunity to play as before. There are mountains of collectibles to attain: weapons, new characters and skins, companion fairies, new stages, etc. I’ve easily spent 200+ hours trying to collect everything available; I don’t think I am even half way done! If you are a true Zelda fanatic, do yourself a favor and pick up the game if you haven’t played any of its versions before. If you already know you don’t like Warrior games, skip the game and look elsewhere for something more inline with your tastes.    … Expand
  24. Minandreas
    Jan 4, 2019
    9
    I played Samurai Warriors 2 back in the day and that's it for Warriors titles. I'm not a Zelda fanatic either, with only Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild under my belt in that franchise. I was drawn to Hyrule Warriors on a whim. Seeing it on a shelf and deciding to give it a go, only having heard some positive things about it from friends. I will assume you have seen some gameI played Samurai Warriors 2 back in the day and that's it for Warriors titles. I'm not a Zelda fanatic either, with only Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild under my belt in that franchise. I was drawn to Hyrule Warriors on a whim. Seeing it on a shelf and deciding to give it a go, only having heard some positive things about it from friends. I will assume you have seen some game play footage etc. to save time explaining what the game is. This review contains NO spoilers.

    HIGHLIGHTS
    - Game play is smooth and satisfying and each character feels very different from the next. This is where a lot of the replay-ability lies. Characters that I tried only once and then discarded because I didn't like them; I went back to again many many hours later and found a whole new and fun experience. There are very few characters I dislike playing now.
    - Challenge rating is very flexible in story mode (Called Legend Mode in game), with Easy being very much so, and Hard being very much so as well (At least if you're playing story mode straight through out of the gates). Normal strikes a great balance. Adventure mode has no difficulty settings, but it is designed very differently and I don't think it needed any.
    - While the story is nothing stunning, I look back on it with positivity. It demonstrates the personalities of the characters well enough and serves the goal of giving you clear reason why one battle leads to the next. I truly like the original characters this game introduces to the Zelda franchise. Bonus points for often delivering the story during loading screens with subtitled and voice acted slide shows and making them always be skippable once the loading has finished. Likewise, all mid-battle cut-scenes are skippable as well.
    - Adventure Mode would take a while to describe and you're better off looking elsewhere to get an idea of what it is. But what I will say is that it has drastically lengthened the lifespan of the game for me as a completionist. If you are not a completionist however, this mode may not hold much appeal.
    - Couch Co-op is a great time and easy to use. It also makes for a pseudo difficulty setting adjuster, as virtually any battle is easier with a friend. Just push in the left analog stick on character selection screen to get the second player in on ANY battle in ANY mode of the game.

    NEGATIVES
    - The game does a very poor job of communicating with the player. Even fundamental quality of life items like how to sprint on command are only mentioned in the randomized tips that can appear in some loading screens (You press and hold the dodge button btw). Most of the information about game systems are hidden deep in the interface, and even when you find them they are overly vague. (My kingdom for some numbers!) Character mechanics are never explained anywhere at all, and while most are straight forward enough, some have very important intricacies that aren't entirely obvious and will make playing them a miserable experience if you don't understand them. If you find yourself invested in the game and wanting to play it at length, you will inevitably need to go outside of the game to dig up information.
    - The UI struggles in many places that can lead to frustration. Events in combat are only signaled to the player through text boxes and short sound effects. The text is hard/impossible to read during combat, making it useless, and the sound effects are ambiguous and very 'boy who cried wolf', leading me to tune them out before long. This lead to a lot of surprise defeat screens in my first 10 or so hours of game play, making me pretty frustrated as I had no idea what even caused me to lose. Diving in to the menus and learning how to read the minimap and making a habit of glancing to it now and then does wonders to mitigate this problem, alongside occasional pausing to look at the battle log. But it still feels like it all could have been handled better.

    CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
    While my negatives section is larger than my highlights section, let the score I gave the game speak for itself. It's a solid experience, and I have over 100 hours played. I feel like I easily have hundreds more coming. If you like to hack and slash I'm sure you'll enjoy this game. If you also like Zelda stuff, you'll probably love it.

    TIPS (no spoilers)
    - If a character feels like they are "bad" be sure you are taking account of their level and weapon. They have a drastic effect on the characters efficiency. If they still feel bad, there is a decent chance that you don't understand something about them. Try looking up a guide.
    - Pause and use that menu. It sucks to break up the frenetic rampage you've got going, but its far worse to have that broken up by a defeat screen. Focus on objectives, and if you don't know what the current battle objectives are, pause and find out. Randomly taking keeps and outposts is not going to win you the day    … Expand
  25. HaseoArmahem
    Jul 31, 2019
    2
    First of all - if you already played any Musou game from Omega Force - this is absolutely the same, just reskin any previous part. And this game is not "Zelda" as we all know - it is just try to milk on it, nothing more, one button game with greending copy-paste elements, same maps, story like "Go and kill, because you are the player"
    If you never played on such game - you can try, maybe    First of all - if you already played any Musou game from Omega Force - this is absolutely the same, just reskin any previous part. And this game is not "Zelda" as we all know - it is just try to milk on it, nothing more, one button game with greending copy-paste elements, same maps, story like "Go and kill, because you are the player"
    If you never played on such game - you can try, maybe it can be even fun.    … Expand
  26. CzarSquid
    Feb 20, 2022
    0
    About as much fun as kicking an ant hill. The enemies can do nothing but stare as you slaughter their kin
  27. guizaum
    Nov 19, 2020
    10
    Prós: gaphics, history, nostalgia, lot of differents playable heroes
    ✓
    Cons: you cannot climb or walk everywhere
    ✓
    It is a different kind of game, but i am loving it
  28. NickSlyCooper
    Jul 12, 2018
    9
    I played this game for 30 hours at this point, and I feel I'm ready to review. For me, this was a fun game as I enjoyed most of the Story Mode and playing through Adventure Mode. I'm on the last level for Legend Mode and I have too much trouble with it lmao.
  29. Pakon
    Jun 16, 2018
    10
    Zelda-themed Hack and Slash. It works perfect! Lots of hours to play and a high rate of replayability. Upgrated graphics and framerate from the Wii U version. However, at the cutscenes it only shows characters with their Hyrule Warriors costumes, even if you've chosen the character with a different costume. On the Wii U version, if you pick up Link with the OoT costume for example, he isZelda-themed Hack and Slash. It works perfect! Lots of hours to play and a high rate of replayability. Upgrated graphics and framerate from the Wii U version. However, at the cutscenes it only shows characters with their Hyrule Warriors costumes, even if you've chosen the character with a different costume. On the Wii U version, if you pick up Link with the OoT costume for example, he is shown in the cutscenes with that outfit. Hope they fix this with a patch in the Switch Version cause it's the only thing missing to make this version 100% definitive.… Expand
  30. juru1876
    Jun 20, 2018
    8
    First- I should say this game is only good for fans of beat em up style games, and other Warriors games.

    I would have given this game a solid 10, if not for some of the issues you'll read about below. I'll start with the positives. This game has a great story; completely unique, and utilizing worlds and characters from all across the Legend of Zelda universe. The Definitive    First- I should say this game is only good for fans of beat em up style games, and other Warriors games.

    I would have given this game a solid 10, if not for some of the issues you'll read about below. I'll start with the positives.

    This game has a great story; completely unique, and utilizing worlds and characters from all across the Legend of Zelda universe.

    The Definitive Edition improves on the Wii U version magnificently; letting you play more than one hero in multiple levels, making it easier to level, making more enemies spawn so less down time on maps, and changing things up on the battlefield with more unique quests.

    However the only thing keeping me from giving it a 10 is the problems that persist in the game..

    If you have mid-battle cutscenes enabled, frequently all normal enemies will go invisible on your map right after a cutscene. This can make taking keeps a nuisance if a boss enemy shows up.

    Lots of attacks that should not miss (IE: When you break someones guard and perform an execution) end up missing quite frequently, or sometimes an enemy will block the attack. (You broke their guard so that should not happen.)

    The new enemy (Little version of The Imprisoned) if killed mid-attack, will continue to attack you while its dead.

    These aren't gamebreaking issues, but aren't too forgivable in a game that's been released 3 times.    … Expand
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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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