Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity Review Roundup

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity releases for Switch on November 20 as the Switch's last major exclusive for 2020, and with the review embargo over many critics are weighing in on the game. Reviews for the new game have been largely positive, although not everyone has been effusive about the latest Zelda title.

Age of Calamity is now a traditional Zelda game--it's the second installment in the Hyrule Warriors franchise, a musou game where players face huge hordes of enemies at once. Think Dynasty Warriors, but with Zelda enemies rather than other people.

This game also ties directly into the Switch launch game The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild--it's a prequel, showing the events leading up to the situation Link finds himself in at the game's beginning.

The Switch version of the first game, Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition earned an 8/10 from GameSpot in 2018. Another Nintendo musou style game, Fire Emblem Warriors, released in 2017.

• Game: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
• Platforms: Nintendo Switch
• Developer: Koei Tecmo, Omega Force
• Release Date: November 20
• Price: $60 / £50 / $80 AUD

Below are a selection of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity reviews from all over the internet, including GameSpot's own. For even more, check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic.

GameSpot - 6/10

"It's strange to think of a bungled story leaving me so lukewarm on a Zelda game, even if it is a spin-off. But paying off its premise is the burden a prequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is tasked with. The main reason I dove into Age of Calamity is because I love its world and the history it tries to remember. So for a game to retread them and proclaim to have something new to say when its inspiration's most striking moments come from what it leaves unsaid is a big ask. But my problem with Age of Calamity isn't that it fails to live up to that responsibility. It's that it doesn't even try." -- Suriel Vazquez [Full Review]

Eurogamer - Recommended

"Age of Calamity ultimately puts me to mind of the scene at the end of Takeshi Kitano's take on Zatoichi, another fresh spin on a beloved classic, where the entire cast - whether dead or alive - gets together for one big musical number on the same old set. Only this time it's the stars of Breath of the Wild getting together for a good old-fashioned musou knees-up in what's a bawdy and frequently brilliant brawler. Of all the many musou spin-offs, Age of Calamity can well lay claim to being the best yet." -- Martin Robinson [Full Review]

IGN - 9/10

"Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity offers a welcome trip back to a world I’ve clocked hundreds of hours in. Its hugely varied roster of characters, solid combat mechanics, fun progression and clever adaptation of Breath of the Wild’s vision of Hyrule is a joy to play and discover. While there are some missed characterisation opportunities, Age of Calamity is still a blast from start to finish." -- Cam Shea [Full Review]

VG247 - 4/5

"The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild isn’t just one of the better entries in this storied series – it’s also one of the greatest games of all time. To this end, the mission of living up to its inspiration is perhaps impossible for Age of Calamity. It is nevertheless successful at what it sets out to do, however – providing a fun, interesting and exciting new adventure that fans of that game will surely enjoy." -- Alex Donaldson [Full Review]

Game Informer - 7.5/10

"Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity looks a lot like Breath of the Wild, but it lacks the exploration and puzzle-solving elements that define the mainline Legend of Zelda series. Age of Calamity may not resemble a traditional Zelda game, but it’s not a bad time. The action is repetitive, but also relaxed and comfortable. It trades on your love for Nintendo’s classic franchise, and I was happy for the excuse to return to this version of Hyrule. I still feel like I'm chasing Breath of the Wild's high, and Age of Calamity is a small solace." -- Ben Reeves [Full Review]

VGC - 3/5

"This is an entertaining ode to Breath of the Wild that will comfortably fill the gap as we wait for a proper sequel. But it overachieves while it underperforms and that’s a tricky thing to judge. It makes you want to whip out your ocarina and play the Song of Time, teleporting to a point where there’s an updated Switch capable of doing the game justice. There’s greatness here, just out of reach." -- Matthew Castle [Full Review]