Review: Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition

At the start of the Nintendo Switch it was the "Legend of Zelda" that became the face of the new console and provided it with excellent sales. A year later, with a hybrid device, another part of the franchise came - and again we are not exclusive, but a port with Wii U, this time supplemented by a huge amount of content from the version for 3DS. 

So, Hyrule Warriors is a packaged in the universe of "Zeldy" Dynasty Warriors . We can tell about the gameplay of a slasher 18 years ago in one sentence: we control a hero who, in one battle, must kill a bunch of small opponents and 5-10 generals, and also capture half a dozen fortifications. Many times during any battle, literally from nowhere there are new serious enemies, sometimes events happen so often that some tasks overlap the others, you do not know what to rush - "geymover." 

The scheme itself, although primitive, but in its very cool - not for nothing is already the ninth part of Dynasty!! We are constantly kept in suspense: we must run and fight, fight and run, cover up our own, defend and clean up and only sometimes pause to see where to send the allied general. The trouble is that, in addition to new locations and heroes, the variety of missions of the plot campaign is not offered. Therefore, to sit down for them for a long time I could not. It became boring. Although some battles, such as Skyloft and Palace of Twilight, forced to sweat and show all possible restraint - after them it felt the same as after the passage of the dungeons in "Zelda".

It would seem that short aggressive sessions of 20 minutes are what you need for the road. And it's ... almost like that! After all, the Switch's screen has much more diagonal and resolution than the 3DS, but still the "Warriors of Khairul" are so full of enemies and events, and the mini-card is so tiny and also hidden in a corner ... In short, it is better to travel for trips more or less simple missions in one of the alternative regimes. To go best on the HD-screen, especially as the game looks even better than the version for Wii U, - although the scenery is simple, but the fighters and special effects are simply perfect, and from the number of small reptiles it begins to ripple in the eyes.





f you are a fan of Zelda, in Hyrule Warriors you will be very warm. Many of the missions take place in the universes of the previous issues of the series - from Ocarnia of Time  and  Twilight Princess  to Majora's Mask  and  Wind Waker  . The scenery is familiar - there is, for example, the village of Kakariko and Lake Khiliya. And the heroes here are already 29 pieces, and the greater part of them, including the sorceress Sia and the classic villain Ganondorf, is available from the very beginning, albeit not in the "plot." Finally, additional modes: in a good way Legend Mode, where we save the world from the invasion of eternal evil, is just a "waiting room" for a giant disneyland.

In the amusement park, not two and a dozen battles of the story mode dominate, but many hundreds of battles that you will spend in Adventure Mode. Here at the player's disposal are huge cards dedicated to different parts of the series. They are decorated in the style of the firstThe Legend of Zelda   , so that you feel instant nostalgia. Each cell on the map is a single fight, so you can count how many you have to fight to open all the zones on a 16-by-8-cell site.

In addition, the conditions here are much more interesting than in Legend Mode. Often, you do not just have to kill an enemy army and capture its forts, but attack only specific enemies, get rid of a couple of giant "bosses" in a limited time, and sometimes the enemy generals are several times stronger, so you'll basically have to dodge, preparing a crushing counterattack . It is in the adventure mode that most of the weapons, equipment, as well as some characters are represented in the game. And to make it even more interesting, a system of objects was introduced into the map. Before the campaign, you need to check the area of operations on the hiding place - sometimes only so you can get serious enhancements for the characters.




Against the background of the epic Adventure, other modes seem less impressive, but they have their own value. Favorite episodes of the campaign can be pereobroti for any fighter in Free Mode, tests in the Challenge Mode from the first minute will test for the strength of those to whom the two "big" entertainment will seem easy, and My Fairy will satisfy the Tamagotchi lovers - they need to grow their own fairy. It is also important that all modes are brought together - the same fairies work magic in battles, at the expense of Adventure Mode it is very convenient to pump heroes and extract new resources.


After reading, you might get the impression that this is such a unicellular "dolly" for fans of one series, but in fact the game is a little deeper. Not in the structure of battles, but in the other. First of all, experts from Team Ninja - authors of Ninja Gaiden worked on the production of fights . Their efforts dilapidated Warriors base was supplemented by a very powerful system of combos and special techniques. In total, out of two attacks, we were able to juggle crowds of enemies. This mechanic is supplemented with special techniques and the ability to concentrate, that is, to increase the strength and agility of the fighter.





Plus there is a role-playing system. It's pretty simple, but it's not necessary for a slasher too much. In addition to the usual levels that improve the health of Link and comrades, we use the scraps found on the battlefield to pump out badges. And the badges can be both passive skills such as accelerating the set of special reception, and new comboseries. The skills tree varies slightly depending on the hero, plus each has its elemental element, so you'll soon find that fighting for the Imp with a huge sword and the ability to cool the ardor of the villains is cool, but Shake with his weak and fast attacks is sucks . Or vice versa. The potential for tactics will be. 

Especially it is manifested in fights with the "bosses". In The Legend of Zeldait's such a tradition - all the leaders should be huge and catchy. That is, to overcome them, you need to use the right thing in time. For example, a huge dragon, watering your fortress with fire, almost impossible to fill up without a harpoon. This feature of the series is well transferred to Hyrule Warriors and famously supplements the whole monotonous fights with the rank and file and generals. However, closer to the end of the campaign of monsters, to which a special approach is needed, becomes less. But they can always be found again in the mode of adventure.

Rate: 8/10

Cheers! :)