Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity announced for later this year

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, a fast-paced action game set 100 years before The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, has been announced for Nintendo Switch, and is releasing later this year.

A prequel in the story sense but true to the Hyrule Warriors fast-paced action gameplay, “players will be transported to the time before the Great Calamity happened, participating in epic battles against a backdrop of memorable locations in Hyrule before they were destroyed.” In exciting news, you’ll be able to play as familiar faces from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild like the four Champions, along with Link and Zelda, of course.

In the video below, The Legend of Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma and Koei Tecmo Games Hyrule Warriors producer Yosuke Hayashi talk about how Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity came to be and show the first trailer for the game.

The Dynasty Warriors gameplay spin-off has been used for multiple properties in the past, including Dragon Quest and Fire Emblem. The original Hyrule Warriors released on the fledgling Wii U back in 2014, before being ported over to the Nintendo 3DS and then finally finding a new, larger audience on the Nintendo Switch in the form of a Definitive Edition. The formula is clearly a success, and we can expect the same 1 vs 1000 action-packed gameplay in Age of Calamity, with over-the-top special abilities and intense battle scenarios.

Particularly, the art style stands out, taking heavy inspiration from Breath of the Wild. You’ll also be able to “unlock weapons and skills, craft with gathered materials, visit shops to obtain items and use the power of the Sheikah Slate, which fans will recognise from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.” It’s also been announced that players who pre-order the game on Nintendo eShop will receive the Lucky Ladle as an in-game bonus weapon for Link.

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With all eyes on PlayStation and Xbox with their next-gen consoles just around the corner, Nintendo is once again quietly doing their own thing and dropping big game announcements just two months before they come out. What else do they have up their sleeve?

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity launches for Nintendo Switch on November 20th.