A BREEZY, COMBAT-HEAVY ADVENTURE
Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition an enjoyable deviation from the Zelda core
Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition Nintendo Switch While the core Legend of Zelda games have been uniformly excellent since their debut on the old Nintendo Entertainment System, some of the side projects in the land of Hyrule have been less than compelling.
The two Zelda titles released for the ill-fated Philips CD-i console have been mercilessly mocked since their release, Link’s Crossbow Training for the Wii was a shallow experience and two spinoff games never even saw the light of day in North America.
Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, for the Nintendo Switch, is another spinoff, a combination of the successful hack-and-slash formula of the Dynasty Warriors games with characters, settings and some mechanics from the Legend of Zelda series. But while this title is not going to take a place alongside Breath of the Wild or Ocarina of Time in the pantheon of great core Zelda games, it holds its own as a combat-oriented romp with a large heaping of fan service.
This is the third iteration of Hyrule Warriors, which first saw life on the Wii U four years ago. The Zelda universe lends itself well to the Dynasty Warriors concept. Players can tackle stages with a solid roster of characters from multiple Zelda titles.
You’re given a time limit and objectives in each level, usually defeating the big and bad and protecting your allies’ base of operations. You will be beset by thousands of monsters — the run-of-the mill monsters pose zero threat, even in massive hordes. They are there to see how many you can destroy with one of the many devastating attacks at your disposal.
Combat gets more interesting when battling tougher creatures, like the large brutish Moblin, which can block your attacks with a shield or send you flying with a belly flop. Objectives will change during the mission as immediate threats to your success arise.
The number of heroes at your disposal depends on the level, but when you have control of multiple warriors it’s a good idea to issue commands to them in order to tackle several tasks at once.
While the initial goals are simple, action can get pretty chaotic with enemies sometimes initiating attacks on several points of the map at once. This is not a narrative-driven game, but the story is certainly serviceable and links up the stages adequately.
Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition gives Zelda fans a way to play as their favourite characters in a breezy, combat-heavy adventure. It doesn’t reach the sky-high standard of a core Zelda title, but as a spinoff it delivers.
Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition is rated T for teen games and up, and retails for about $80.