The Legend Of Zelda - The Age of Exile - Review

Five years after their last collaboration, Nintendo and Omega Force once again join forces to tell a story that, thanks to a masterful and imposing plot, has all the credentials to be one of the most fascinating chapters in the saga: Hyrule Warriors: The Age of Exile.

This title is not just another musou spin-off; it aims to combine large-scale, explosive action with a deep and epic narrative. It's a decidedly more mature title than previous installments, technically ambitious, and strongly linked to the events preceding Tears of the Kingdom: a truly crucial piece of Hyrule's history and the mythology of The Legend of Zelda.

The Legend Of Zelda - The Age of Exile, the story

Set centuries before the events of Tears of the Kingdom, The Age of Exile takes us into the heart of a mythical era, when the Kingdom of Hyrule was but a dream coming to life. Princess Zelda, catapulted into this distant era, finds herself alongside  Rauru, founder of the kingdom and the first King, as well as the last survivor of the Zonai people and wielder of the gem of light, and his wife Sonia, queen and protector of the gem of time: legendary figures who laid the foundations of Princess Zelda's own dynasty.

Unfortunately, the shadows of Ganondorf, patriarch of the Gerudo kingdom, return, more menacing than ever.
From the very first moments of the game, a more intense, mature, and cinematic narrative immediately emerges, aiming to intertwine the genre's typical action with a plot of unprecedented depth for this genre. The most attentive fans will immediately notice numerous references to other titles in the saga, with moments capable of expanding and giving new meaning to the known events of the series.

As already anticipated, Hyrule Warriors: The Age of Exile is much more than a simple spin-off: it is a true expansion of the Zelda universe, capable of thrilling on all fronts, especially the narrative one.

During your adventure, you will meet many new characters who will join your side to defeat Ganondorf: among them will be Queen Qia of the Zora, Agraston, leader of the Goron, Katrica, guide of the Rito, Mineru, King Rauru's sister and expert in golems and Zonai devices.

The title aims to give great emotional depth to the characters, with well-crafted cutscenes and a highly cinematic narrative pace. Despite the structure remaining focused on battles, there is a concrete commitment to making the plot an important component of the experience, even if on more than one occasion they recall situations already seen in other contexts, with Ganondorf and his hunger for gems seeming very Thanos-like.

The gameplay of The Legend Of Zelda - The Age of Exile

The beating heart of the gameplay remains faithful to the classic mechanics of musou titles: large battlefields, hundreds of enemies to face, clashes with powerful bosses, and many characters, many of whom become usable as you progress through the adventure, with unique assets and abilities.

What truly differentiates it from previous chapters is a more dynamic and varied combat system, with the introduction of combined attacks between fighters, all different and unique, the use of "Zonai devices" which add an extra level of strategy and creativity to battles, and the beautiful special moves of the characters, powerful, imposing, and extraordinarily beautiful to behold, the true highlight of the game.

Character progression has been revised and refined, with a more articulated choice of abilities to use, and the possibility to customize combat styles and upgrade the many weapons available.

As in Tears Of The Kingdom and Breath Of The Wild, the "Elemental" factor plays a very important role: fire element attacks do more damage against ice enemies, characters capable of controlling water will have the upper hand against fire enemies, and so on. Choosing the right character before a battle will give you the advantage.

The general feeling is that of a more reactive gameplay, less cumbersome and more spectacular, with a deeper progression system and much more useful and calibrated rewards.

As in the previous installment of the series, this time too, between one main mission and another, you will have a myriad of secondary objectives to complete on the enormous map of Hyrule. Protect outposts, help characters in battle to then have them join your brigade of heroes and unlock new weapons to use. It must be said that the developers have definitely made enormous efforts to introduce variants to sustain the pace in the long run, avoiding the repetitiveness that sometimes afflicts the genre.

Fans of the genre will find plenty to sink their teeth into and will surely love Hyrule Warriors: The Age of Exile; for those who aspire to greater exploratory depth and suffer from even the slightest repetitiveness in game actions, this title might be less stimulating.

There are three difficulty levels: easy, normal, and hard. We can tell you right away that at "normal" level we reached the end of the adventure without ever succumbing. So if you are experts and lovers of the genre, starting immediately at the highest difficulty level is definitely the wisest choice. At least that's what we, after many hours on the battlefield, advise you to do.

Furthermore, the game supports local cooperative mode for two players in split-screen on the same console or with GameShare on two separate consoles: an important addition for those who love to share the experience with a friend or other family members.

The Legend Of Zelda - The Age of Exile, technical department

It is on the technical front that Hyrule Warriors: The Age of Exile truly flexes its muscles.

Developed exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2, the title obviously leverages the new hardware power to offer a clear qualitative and performance leap compared to previous chapters. The environments are vast, rich in detail, and with excellent artistic direction consistent with the style of Tears of the Kingdom.
Sharper textures, dynamic lighting, and a significantly greater number of characters on screen, all supported by smoother animations and noticeably reduced loading times. The desire to make battles not only spectacular but also visually consistent with The Legend Of Zelda's imagery is evident.
The stability of the frame rate is impressive even in the most crowded phases, as is the excellent management of allied artificial intelligence during battles.

The artistic direction maintains the visual magic of the Zelda universe, blending fantasy aesthetics and epic tone with great balance.

The Legend Of Zelda - The Age of Exile, sound department

The audio department, as is Nintendo's tradition, is of the highest level. The music alternates solemn symphonies with reinterpretations of classic themes from the saga, creating a mix of nostalgia and emotional power.

The excellent voice acting, fully in Italian and superbly executed, is well-crafted and well-performed, successfully conveying all the tension and grandeur, from the most epic to the most dramatic moments; while the sound effects, from magic to the clang of weapons, maintain impact and clarity even in the most chaotic situations.
The result is an immense and immersive sound design, capable of amplifying the sense of epicness and transporting the player to the heart of the battles.

Final comment

Hyrule Warriors: The Age of Exile is, without a doubt, one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken by Omega Force in collaboration with Nintendo.

The title finally succeeds in effectively merging the epic soul of The Legend of Zelda series with the explosive energy of the musou genre, aiming for a balance between spectacle and solid narrative coherence.

Technically solid, artistically inspired, and narratively impressive, this new chapter represents a true rebirth for the spin-off series, elevating it beyond the confines of a simple action game.

Despite some minor difficulty balancing issues, tending towards the lower end at more accessible levels, and that slight sense of repetitiveness typical of musou games, the game receives full marks.

Hyrule Warriors: The Age of Exile is not only one of Nintendo Switch 2's flagship titles but also an example of how a crossover can enrich a historic saga without betraying its spirit.

Princess Zelda is ready to write a new chapter in her epic saga and let that air of legend echo throughout the splendid kingdom of Hyrule