Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonmentwill give players a glimpse into Zelda’s side of the story fromTears of the Kingdomby expanding on the lore about the imprisoning war. While there’s a lot left to learn aboutHyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, one of the most important elements is how the game will deal with one common trope that theZeldagames often return to, includingTotK.
For those not in the know, theHyrule Warriorsgames are a spin-off series of theLegend of Zeldagames that crosses over with Koei Tecmo’sWarriorsseries. The combination seems to have been a perfect match for the two franchises, withAge of Imprisonmentbeing the third of theZelda-themedHyrule Warriorsspin-off games. While both previous titles were met with praise, someZeldafans were left confused and disappointed by the non-canon plotline of the second game,Age of Calamity. The third-act twist of heroes from Hyrule’s modern age traveling back to help win the war that devastated the original timeline became a controversial aspect of an otherwise great game. Now, with time travel already a central plot device inAge of Imprisonment, one wonders if a similar twist could lead this game down the same road.
Age of Imprisonment Must Get Time Travel Right
Time travel is hardly new to theLegend of Zeldaseries. Ever sinceOcarina of Time, Link has made a habit of traversing the ages, with some of the most belovedZeldagames including time travelin some way. Of course, the most recent example comes inTears of the Kingdom, when Zelda is thrust backwards in time at the beginning of the game. While that game focuses on Link as he tries to uncover the truth of her whereabouts while guiding Hyrule through myriad disasters,Age of Imprisonmentwill more closely follow what happened to Zelda in the distant past and her fight alongside new allies to imprison Ganondorf.
Age of Imprisonmentwill begin with Zelda’s trip through time, but what happens next is still largely unknown. Unlike the previousHyrule Warriorsgames,Age of Imprisonmentwill be canon to theZeldauniverse, according to Nintendo. While the firstHyrule Warriorswas simply a spin-off, andAge of Calamityleft its canon up in the air, it has been confirmed that the events ofAge of Imprisonmentare tied directly toTears of the Kingdom, representing what actually happened in Hyrule’s past, not simply what might have happened. This gives more importance to this game than either of its predecessors, making its events critical to its success.
Does Age of Imprisonment Need More Time Travel?
The time-travel twist inAge of Calamityis what makes or breaks the experience for many fans. As a whole,opinions are divided onAge of Calamitywhen it comes to the roster and story. While some players weren’t happy about the inclusion of time travel, it did deliver some of the game’s best playable characters. The modern champions were some of the best in a roster that lacked much recognition fromBreath of the Wildin their absence. So, while controversial, the time travel did deliver one of the best parts of the game’s gameplay.
Characters fromAge of Calamitywho traveled to the past included:
Age of Imprisonmentfaces a similar challenge when it comes to including familiar characters. Of course, players know and love Zelda, and afterTears of the Kingdom, they are familiar with King Rauru and Queen Sonia. Other characters implied to be playable are the ancient sages of Hyrule, who have yet to develop that icon status. If recognizableTears of the Kingdomcharacters appear inAge of Imprisonment, it may give players more reason to care more about the roster, and to justify that, time travel may be the only answer. IfHyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonmentdoes see more characters traverse time, it is of the utmost importance that it doesn’t come at the price of a dissatisfying story.
