11/12/2023 0 Comments Nintendo life reviewsParrying (by holding 'ZL' and combining with a well-timed 'Y') is usually the quickest way to expose the gauge, although dodging an attack at just the right moment opens up the familiar slow-motion Flurry Rush window enabling you to chip away at those Trivial Pursuit pie-like segments and initiate a devastating weak-point blast. The segmented weak-point gauge from the original Hyrule Warriors is present here, and it's the key to taking down enemies quickly. It's a system that works nicely once you get into the flow with your combatant of choice, although it takes time to appreciate the nuances between them. You sprint and dodge/jump with 'B' (the latter when locked on to a stronger foe after clicking the right stick), and dispatching crowds of grunt enemies (Bokoblins, Lizalfos and the like) builds up a meter which unleashes a powerful and bespoke Special attack when you hit 'A'. Each of the unlockable characters – some rather unexpected – has entirely unique attacks. Regular and Strong attacks sit on the 'Y' and 'X' buttons and following up two, three, four or more regular strikes with a strong version results in a variety of combos. The basic combat here will be familiar to anyone who's ever touched a Musou game. For anyone remotely interested in the characters, this timey-wimey prequel narrative is designed to be played afterwards. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity relies on your affection for and attachment to the characters for its story to really hit home – to make these endless trials and battles mean something. The answer to that is a 'no' (actually, the answer to that is 'What do you mean you haven't played Breath of the Wild yet?'). One question that might crop up is whether you should play this before Breath of the Wild. Daruk is still great company, Revali's still a bit of a prick, and the way the whole cast bounces off each other works well to keep things peppy – you may well find yourself tempted to pick up that Champions amiibo four-pack after playing this. On the whole, though, spending more time in the company of this motley crew and the Four Champions solidified our warm feelings for them, impressions only vaguely formed in Breath of the Wild. Certain characters begin to grate a bit, and ol' King Rhoam could certainly do with some parental pointers. Master Kohga's voice actor is channelling his best Wallace Shawn, which we particularly enjoyed, although binge-watching The Crown may have soured us on the regal register of Hyrulean princesses. As we mentioned in our preview, Link's silence stands out all the more amongst this chatty bunch. Seeing old characters in their younger days is certainly fun. unsatisfying, but it provided a better emotional framework for the combat than we expected. Plenty of familiar ground is covered, and we found the conclusion (which we wouldn't spoil even if we were permitted to) a tad. Told via skippable cutscenes at the start and end of each subchapter, the simple narrative is surprisingly affecting. The map, menus and environments here are seemingly ripped directly from Breath of the Wild and bring with them Nintendo's patented spit-polish, perhaps most evident in the story. Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked) Even Musou haters may find something to enjoy here, although if you've played the free demo and weren't impressed, move right along – this one just isn't for you. They blow life into the worn Musou template and produce the most accessible entry point into the series’ inimitable gameplay you're likely to see. The love-'em-or-hate-'em nature of developer Omega Force’s epic Musou series is tempered here by Nintendo 'dressing' – much like it was in past crossovers Hyrule Warriors and Fire Emblem Warriors – although the Breath of the Wild elements here are far more than skin-deep. That there's no 'Zelda' in the title of this one is no accident. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a markedly different beast, of course, and the fact that it captures so much of that game's spirit is pretty remarkable considering that this remains a hack-and-slash Dynasty Warriors / Musou title to the very core. As a prequel adventure to the celebrated Switch launch title, the developers invite direct comparison to one of the greatest video games ever made. That intrinsic link, though, is a double-edged sword. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is positively dripping in references, adapted mechanics and systems, and its attachment to the kingdom and characters of a Hyrule we're intimately familiar with is arguably its greatest strength. That's not to say that Koei Tecmo – in close partnership with Nintendo on this latest Zelda-flavoured Warriors game – hasn't done its absolute best to blend in other themes from the series into the mix where appropriate.
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