Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity announced, set 100 years before Breath of the Wild

I’ll be honest for a second here: Whenever a popular game franchise announces that it’s getting a musou spin-off, I always die a little on the inside. Now, I’m sure there are plenty of folks who enjoy the power fantasy of smashing hordes of enemies with a single slash of a sword but I’ve always found them to be nothing more than mechanical clones of Dynasty Warriors wearing the skin of a different franchise, adding very little to the material upon which it’s based. I’m being a Negative Nancy though because for all I know Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity could actually be an excellent game, if not for anything else but the fact we get to an excuse to see more of Breath of the Wild’s world.

Announced last night, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a hack-and-slash Zelda game slated for a 20 November release on the Nintendo Switch (duh). Developed by Nintendo and Koei Tecmo, the game is set 100 years before the Great Calamity which devastated the world seen in Breath of the Wild and will act as a prequel. Players will be able to take control of a whole range of characters including, Link, Zelda and Daruk, Mipha, Revali and Urbosa, the four champions of Hyrule, a dynamic I’m sure will be explored in more detail in the game. Beyond the hacking and slashing of enemies, Nintendo has promised fans that they’ll be able to, “solve environmental puzzles, unlock weapons and skills, craft materials, visit shops to obtain items and use the power of the Sheikah Slate.”

Nintendo has also promised, “a robust story that depicts the events, relationships and dramatic moments of the Great Calamity in captivating detail.” The trailer certainly paints a picture of a grandiose story but whether or not the finally product resembles all that stylised action remains to be seen. Honestly, I’m just pleased to see more of Breath of the Wild’s art style. That’s just straight up eye candy even in a game that’s not called Breath of the Wild 2.