Staff Thoughts on Hyrule Warriors’ Story, Gameplay, and Adventure Mode

Hyrule Warriors has finally been released in North America, and many of us here at Zelda Dungeon have been able to pick up our own copy and enjoy this Zelda spin-off title. And there have also been those of us who have gotten the game already, from either Japan, Europe or Australia. Now that we’ve had the chance to play the game, we’d like to give our thoughts on the title, to all of you. Interested to know more? Go ahead and hit the jump to see our opinions!

Hyrule Warriors is a Dynasty Warriors title with many Zelda elements, making it much more than a Dynasty Warriors game. It features many characters, items, and foes that you may be familiar with throughout the Zelda time. The game features many modes as well, including Legend Mode (Story), Adventure Mode, etc. After the North American release, some of us here at Zelda Dungeon finally got the chance to experience the game for ourselves. Here’s what we thought about it:

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SkyruleArcher:

The story in Hyrule Warriors was pretty good, although not great. There are a couple of interesting twists, but other than that, it was a fairly standard Zelda story. That being said, the story didn’t end where I thought it would, which was very interesting. The gameplay was excellent. I was absolutely blown away by the sheer amount of different moves and combos you can use. Every character plays differently, and (almost) all of them are very fun to play as. The basic elements of the gameplay are very repetitive, but they never seem to get old. Graphically, this game wouldn’t stand up to the higher end games on PS4 or Xbox One, but it is still the very best looking Zelda game thus far. All the characters and stages are gorgeous to look at, and all the colors pop, even on the darker colored stages. Additionally, Adventure mode is a very fun challenge. There are tons of stages with different objectives, and most you will have to play twice or more. As a result, Adventure mode is likely where you’ll be spending most of your time with Hyrule Warriors. Overall, Hyrule Warriors is a fantastic game that holds to the golden standard set by the Zelda series.

9.2/10

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Liam:

To be honest, I really enjoyed it. Hyrule Warriors has a feel to it greater than any Dynasty Warriors game I’ve ever played. I liked this one far more than any of the others. Although it isn’t for every Zelda fan, it’s fun and explosive gameplay makes up for a brand new formula that’s fun for newcomers and fans alike. It’s storyline is definitely different from your average Zelda game, as it plays out more like a Zelda Fan-Fiction; but you know what, I’m okay with that. It gives us a new breath of fresh air, and makes up for it in the end with all of the classic Zelda characters. I find myself mostly playing Adventure Mode, which I absolutely love the concept of. I’ve probably played it more than Legend Mode, by far. You can unlock various things in Adventure Mode, such as new weapons, item cards to navigate through the map and gain new rewards, and even characters; some even being villains, like Zant and Ghirahim! Adventure Mode is like playing the original Zelda, but with various challenges to tackle, some being exceptionally hard. Overall, I love Hyrule Warriors. Don’t go into the game expecting a Zelda game, but go into it expecting a new Dynasty Warriors game, or something of the sort, with Zelda elements. And it’s definitely a game I would recommend to everyone else. Even if it means just giving it a try.

9.8/10

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Colonel-Majora:

It’s funny. I was going into the game rather skeptical, but things turned out great when I started playing. Many people said that it was just Dynasty Warriors again, but with a Zelda skin, and perhaps it is, but I have never played Dynasty Warriors, so I guess I can consider myself lucky enough to see this as a fresh experience. Honestly, I recall thinking to myself, “Cool. The whole Adventure Mode thing is a great idea, and I can see that this is going to take a long time to get through everything.” That is a good sign. I get the idea that I am just about through the main story, so it is nice to know that there is more to come. That being said, the story is not… the best thing ever. I sincerely hope that the whole thing with Cia’s little backstory develops into something interesting. It would be a shame to have a main antagonist be too boring. The story is also quite short, and even though there are a lot of collectibles along the way, and replaying as different characters and going along different paths seems like it will still be fun, honestly, it was a bit repetitive. Escorting people and having to clear out monsters en masse did get a bit irksome from time to time, especially when the weak point openings were few and far between, like on the Skyward Sword moblins. Still, I look forward to playing as the villains along the way, and getting some DLC. I really do like the game. It was well-put-together, filled with nostalgia explosions, and there is a pretty good amount of content. Save for some major issues I have with the way a couple of the characters play (*cough* *cough* Lana *cough* *cough*), it is worth the price, and I look forward to playing it through to the end. Let’s all just pray that any future games like this have, oh, I don’t know, ONLINE BATTLES/CO-OP.

7.8/10:

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Stephen:

Personally, I went into Hyrule Warriors expecting myself to play exclusively as Link and Darunia, solely because Link is Link and I’ve been a huge fan of the Gorons for as long as I’ve known about Zelda Dungeon. I was extremely happy to find that Link and Darunia are interesting and fun to play as, but there are a few other characters that I play as quite a lot as well. I actually use Sheik more than anyone, which is shocking because I’ve never cared for Sheik as a fighter. Sheik’s moves revolve around her Goddess Harp and the combos are very, nostalgic to say the least; so that would be why I play as her so much. But honestly Zelda fans, you can’t go wrong buying Hyrule Warriors. Even if you don’t think you’d like hack and slash titles, the fact that this hack-and-slash has Zelda mixed into it, is a good reason to buy it. The fluidity of the controls as well as the ever expanding gameplay will keep any fan held over until Zelda U. Plus, if you’re not too sure who to play as, all the characters are very diverse and they all bring their own flavor (so to speak) to the field, unlike past fighting games where Ganondorf was a copy of Captain Falcon. *cough* Hyrule Warriors is well worth the buy.

9.0/10

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Bottom line: We all thought it was a great game.  Whether you’re a Zelda fan or not, we recommend you give Hyrule Warriors a shot. You like it? Great! If you don’t? No one blames you.  It’s definitely not a traditional Zelda game, but as the first major spin-off, it’s an excellent title, and one that you should at least give a chance.

What do you think?  Do you agree with our opinions, or would you like to share your own?  Do you love, or hate Hyrule Warriors?  Let us know in the comments below!