The big April 2025 Nintendo Switch 2 reveal Direct has finally aired, and with it came the announcements of several first-party Nintendo games. Among them was a new Legend of Zelda title, dubbed Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, which was quite a surprise, but not an unappreciated one. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment will return to the Musou/Warriors format under Koei Tecmo, this time with its new team AAA Games Studio, as well as to the same Hyrule found in Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, all exclusively on the Nintendo Switch 2.
Accompanying likely performance boosts for the two Switch Hyrule Warriors titles, Age of Imprisonment should take full advantage of its Switch 2 exclusivity for a strong native performance. Switch Warriors games have suffered from performance issues for the console’s whole generation, so having one launch that at least tries to hold 60 fps with a solid draw distance will be a breath of fresh air. Aside from the inherent benefits of Hyrule Warriors on the Nintendo Switch 2, Age of Imprisonment also has a lot to offer fans of the most recent Legend of Zelda entries.
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After Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Hyrule Warriors Has the Perfect Blueprint for a Sequel
Hyrule Warriors has the perfect chance to follow up its Age of Calamity prequel with another game thanks to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Age of Imprisonment Is Joined With Tears of the Kingdom At The Hip
One of TotK’s Biggest Story Elements Takes Center Stage In Age of Imprisonment
Essentially, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is a direct prequel to Tears of the Kingdom, bordering on an interquel due to its choice of story material. Age of Imprisonment will expand on the distant past storyline conveyed through Dragon Tear cutscenes in Tears of the Kingdom, seemingly covering both the largely unseen Imprisoning War and the events leading up to it. This is similar to what Age of Calamity did for the flashback war from Breath of the Wild, but it’s unknown whether Age of Imprisonment will include the same alternate timeline twist due to Princess Zelda already traveling back to the past here.
All of this is to say that Zelda fans will be able to experience the Nintendo Switch’s primary Hyrule setting one more time before the Zelda franchise moves on from it, and Tears of the Kingdom fans have the most to gain. Late-game twists notwithstanding, Age of Imprisonment is a prequel to Tears of the Kingdom, and that holds a lot of value. TotK’s Dragon Tear memories are seen as a highlight feature, but have been noted as lacking in various ways and suffering from their non-linear acquisition order. Age of Imprisonment could correct that, and perhaps do even more.
Tears of the Kingdom’s Extended Cast Should Benefit From Age of Imprisonment
Multiple complaints about Tears of the Kingdom could be remedied in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, starting with the lack of a Princess Zelda-led storyline. Many Breath of the Wild players were hopeful that Zelda would be playable in Tears of the Kingdom based on its teaser trailer, and while they have since received Echoes of Wisdom, a second Zelda-focused title is more than welcome. Considering that the Divine Beasts were piloted in Age of Calamity, the Light Dragon could also become playable in Age of Imprisonment, but that will depend on AoI’s story direction.
Many TotK Characters Will Make Their Playable Debut In Age of Imprisonment
Not only will Princess Zelda’s role in Tears of the Kingdom be fleshed out in Age of Imprisonment, but so will the other characters from the ancient past. Rauru, Mineru, Sonia, and the TotK incarnation of Ganondorf will all see significant story focus, though the biggest winners of this will undoubtedly be the original Sages from the four Champions’ tribes, as none of them were even named in Tears of the Kingdom. Alongside the possibility of the Ancient Hero appearing in the flesh to replace Link, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment will be an event that Tears of the Kingdom fans can’t miss.
- Released
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2025
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo