Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

You can fit me squarely in the latter camp and I'm not ashamed to admit it. When it comes to video games, The Legend of Zelda is my all-time favorite series, and Dynasty Warriors has always been my go-to guilty pleasure series. I love Zelda AND Dynasty Warriors immensely, and to combine the two always seemed like a fantasy that would never see the light of day. Yet, here I am writing a review for the very game I have selfishly dreamed of for years, still a bit shocked and in denial of its existence. Being a massive fan with a tremendous amount of experience with both Zelda and Dynasty Warriors, and having played Hyrule Warriors for several hours now (and many, MANY hours as of January 1st lol), I'm confident in my ability to lend a voice of reason to all those out there curious about whether this game is for you or not. However, this review may be a bit lengthy, so either prepare yourself for that or abandon ship now. You've been warned. I have to issue another warning before I say anything else: I will not pander to the DW haters out there. DW is a divisive series. You either love it or you don't. If you don't like DW, you more than likely won't like this game, plain and simple. There, I just saved you a bunch of time and money. Now you can go play or look at something you'll actually like and everybody wins... *Ahem* Are they gone? Good. For those who enjoy/love DW (and there are way more of us than some would have you believe), or are Zelda fans who have never played a Warriors game before but have an open mind, this is a review written for you fine people. Let's get started... The plot in Hyrule Warriors brings us to a new, original era in the kingdom of Hyrule. A new villain, a witch named Cia, arrives and throws the kingdom into chaos. In the ensuing conflict, portals to different eras in Hyrules history are opened, bringing the worlds of Skyward Sword, Ocarina of Time, and Twilight Princess into the fray. A new hero of legend (guess who THAT might be) must arise and he will be aided by the land's beautiful, wise princess, her attendant/protector/general, and many disparate heroes from across time itself, to right everything. I'm being vague about the story on purpose, because this was one of the most pleasant surprises about the game to me. For what it is, I think the plot is pretty riveting, and shouldn't be spoiled. There are plenty of twists and turns that keep you invested beyond the fun gameplay and Zelda celebration. It's not award-winning stuff by any means, but the story is wish fulfillment at its finest. I have ALWAYS wanted to play a game where Link isn't a lone wolf, but a hero of the people battling alongside Hyrule's army against the forces of Darkness. I've ALWAYS wanted a Zelda game that let you play through the story as... well... ZELDA, and Impa, and Sheik, and Ganondorf, and Midna (my favorite Zelda companion, our Rat Terrier is named in her honor, lol), and this game finally lets me do that. That alone makes it special to me. The plot is pretty good, but the storytelling itself is a big reason why it's so compelling. Cutscenes combine the cinematic flair Team Ninja/Omega Force are known for, with the subtle style of a traditional Zelda narrative, with a dash of storybook fairy-tale, and it's great. The action and cinematography is dynamic and exciting. Cutscenes are also made warmly nostalgic by the fact that all "speech" is relegated to traditional text boxes and "Zeldaesque" grunts/gibberish. I really like these two styles together. Even my wife loved the story in this game. She wanted to keep playing just to see what would happen next. All of the characters, whether familiar or new ones introduced in this game, are likable and fairly well-written. Any Zelda fan should find a lot to enjoy about the "Legend" mode in this game. The plot may follow in the spirit of Zelda closely, but the gameplay is mostly a huge departure for the series. This is where the Dynasty/Samurai/Orochi Warriors part comes in. If you're not familiar with DW (I'm assuming most reading this are Zelda fans and therefore are not), the gameplay goes a little like this: You assume the role of a larger-than-life hero among a big list of larger-than-life heroes, practically a demi-god in your powers and battle prowess, who enters massive battles between two (sometimes more) armies. Through the power of various combat combos and special attacks, you'll mow down hundreds, nay, THOUSANDS of peons who dare stand in your way. You'll also have an army on your side as well, and various actions will actually sway the battle in your army's favor. Taking out commanding officers, attacking fortresses, etc, all affect the tide of battle. It's all GREAT fun, and incredibly addictive, as you acquire new items and gear, level your characters up, and become more powerful. There has always been an arcade-like sensibility to the DW formula, and it fits perfectly with the LoZ setting. It just makes sense to have Link fighting in battles of this scope and nature. This particular game does stand out from the DW pack, however, as it introduces distinctly Zelda concepts and mechanics to the mix. For instance, a "dash" move has replaced the jump button. Z-targeting is included. When fighting commanding officers, there's a much greater emphasis on counter-attacking, at least early on. This makes those battles feel like actual one-on-one duels, very much in the spirit of Zelda. Littering each mission are chests that contain either heart containers or pieces of them for specific characters to collect, as well as Gold Skulltulas that appear after certain conditions are met. There are also many traditional Zelda items and weapons you can equip, such as bombs, bows, the fire rod, the Wind Waker itself(!), etc., that are all used both offensively and in light puzzle-solving. Sometimes these are essential on the battlefield as big Zeldaesque bosses arrive and wreak havoc. When King Dodongo shows up, you know to use bombs to give him a bad case of indigestion. Gohma's eye just BEGS for an arrow. All Zelda fans will know the drill, and things like this go a long way to making this game feel like a love letter to those very people. I applaud this. There are 13 playable characters in the game, and as of this edit to my review (10/1), I have unlocked all of them AND played quite a bit with each one. Let me assure you, all of them are awesome. Every character has totally different move-sets and weapons that make each feel unique, and they're all incredibly powerful. No one has a boring, no-frills hack-n-slash move-set in this game, no sir. It's amazing how many foes you'll dispatch in a single mission, always in the triple digits at least. I'd say that the combat is even more over-the-top than the already over-the-top DW games are. Most importantly, each character plays exactly as a massive Zelda fan would hope and expect them to, while also feeling refreshing and unique as well. I love Impa with her giant water broadsword/katana, or Zelda's rapier/magic-baton combo, or the always fabulous Lord Ghirihim's fabulousness, and Ganondorf? He's basically Lu Bu, if Lu Bu had the actual power of the goddesses. What a beast. I love this game. lol As you'd expect from a DW game, there are tons of modes and content beyond just the story campaign. There's an "Adventure Mode," where you have a grid-like map with each space representing unique missions or challenges to undertake. Awesomely, the map is represented in 8-bit graphics as a homage to the very first The Legend of Zelda. As you move across the map, you'll unlock tons of new content. Some of my favorite characters are unlocked this way, as are most of the weapon upgrades, so Adventure Mode is very important. There is also a challenge mode included, which is exactly what you'd expect. Bottom line: There is a TON of content in this game and pretty much all of it is playable in co-op, and that's swell! My wife and I love both love Zelda AND playing DW games together, and this game allows us to do both at once. I always award bonus points to a game that is fun and makes for good wife bonding time. :) I also have to mention the visual/audio aspects as well. The DW series has never been renowned for its cutting-edge graphics, and it probably won't be here either. I do think it's better looking than most DW games however, as the developers have been free to play with much more imaginative, fantastical motifs and color schemes. The cutscenes are drop-dead gorgeous (they're comparable to Super Smash Bros. Brawl's "Subspace Emissary" cutscenes). This is definitely the most vibrant, colorful Warriors game I've seen yet, and the variety on display is impressive. Ocarina of Time retains its vibrant anime/manga aesthetic, while Twilight Princess has a more gritty high-fantasy look, and Skward Sword still shines with its gorgeous water-color design. Despite these very different styles, the game still maintains strong artistic coherence, which I find remarkable. The character designs are a real treat as well. They're absolutely fantastic, with refreshing, unique takes on classic characters that just look awesome. I absolutely love what they've done with Zelda, Link, Impa, Ruto, and Ganondorf in particular, but they did a superb job on all characters, really. DLC will add more classic outfit/skin options for the three main characters, which is fun. I almost always prefer colorful, stylistic art design over hyper-realistic graphics in my games, so if you ask me, I think HW is quite beautiful overall. The audio is great too. As I said earlier, I adore the characteristic Zelda "speech" in the game. The soundtrack is the highlight for me. It is awesome, and giggle-inducing, to hear beautiful classic Zelda tunes in that unmistakable DW "butt-rock" style. The usually peaceful Skyloft theme in this game made me giddy, and the Hyrule Field theme from Twilight Princess is goose-bump inducingly awesome. This style of music, much like the rest of the DW elements in the game, may not be for everyone, but with an open mind, you just may love it as much as us grizzled old fans do. Give it a chance. It's awesome. So that's the majority of the game in a nutshell. You might be wondering if there's anything really wrong with the game. We already discussed how DW isn't for everyone, and that's fine. But what if you love LoZ/DW and want to know, from one fan to another, if there's any problems? Well, there are a couple minor issues. For one, the counter-heavy focus with the armored enemies, especially early on when you're low level, can cut the pace of battles a bit. This goes away as you level up and become more powerful though. The game implements the gamepad a little bit, but not much beyond off-screen play in co-op. Co-op also makes the game a bit choppier with more pop-in, and the resolution seems to take a nose dive if one of you uses the gamepad. It's not terrible mind, but it is worth noting. My biggest complaint about the game is that I wish more Zelda games had been represented beyond OoT, TP, and SS. I would have absolutely loved it if The Wind Waker (my personal favorite Zelda game) or A Link to the Past/Between Worlds had been included more substantially (ie. characters, levels, etc.). However, the fact I'm resorting to such a small complaint (that admittedly reeks of entitlement) should really show you how good the game is overall. Maybe we'll get to battle bokoblin hordes on Outset Island as Toon Link alongside Tetra, Medli, and Valoo in the sequel (fingers crossed). Lastly, DLC, both free and paid, is planned that will add new costumes, playable characters, levels, weapons, etc. to the game. A free patch will make the game's trio of original villains playable, which I think is pretty cool. Future paid DLC includes a "Majora's Mask" pack. Whether or not that's a positive is up to you. Personally, I think Nintendo does DLC right (see Mario Kart 8 , Fire Emblem: Awakening, etc.) so I'm excited, but it's pretty subjective, so I'll leave this factoid here on its own. Nintendo's stated purpose of supporting this game for the long haul, even in America, is admirable in my opinion. Bravo! In many ways, Hyrule Warriors feels very similar to the Smash Bros. series. Both are a love letter to the fans and a celebration of gaming heritage. HW is also the only place alongside Smash Bros, as of now anyway, that you can play as beloved Zelda characters other than Link. HW has so many wonderful nods to the Zelda series, it's incredible. DW fans will love it as a standalone Warriors game for its unique content and the sheer amount of it. There are many features I haven't even had a chance to mention (I TRIED to keep this review reasonable in length). You can tell that every moment in this game was crafted with love and care, by massive LoZ fans FOR massive LoZ fans. If you're a gaming savant who already loves DW or are open minded to it, and you love the Legend of Zelda series (and you should. It's the greatest series in all of gaming, :D ), then recommending this game is a no-brainer. Buy it, steel yourself for the battles ahead, and go save a legendary kingdom in one of the most celebratory love letters the Zelda series has ever seen. *Update 12/24/14* Hello all. Just thought I'd update this review with some new information regarding the game. Since I originally wrote this review, there have been several additions to Hyrule Warriors in the form of Amiibo implementation and, most importantly, DLC. First of all, scanning a Link Amiibo figure will actually add a new weapon for Link into the game, and they also made it so that you can scan 5 other Amiibo figures a day which gives you a randomized reward. This is pretty cool if you ask me. It gives the already novel Amiibo idea more life to it, and I enjoyed how they did something to incorporate it for this game. The real treat, though, is the game's DLC. OH the DLC! I wish the game's industry as a whole would take notes on how Nintendo implements DLC, because they seem to be the only big company that does DLC right. As of now there have been two major DLC packs released, with another two on the way in the near future, as well as the pre-order costumes that you can now buy in packs at a ridiculously cheap prices. You can buy all four major packs together in a "Season Pass" of sorts for twenty bucks and a free Dark Link costume thrown in for free. Is it worth that much money? You'd better believe it. For instance, the Master Quest pack adds new costumes and 8-bit weapons for every character of the game. Most substantially, it adds in a brand new adventure mode map with 100+ new missions with very master questy remix ideas. This new map alone will add HOURS upon HOURS of playtime to the game, but they also added in a new addition to story mode that gives the game's original bad guys a chance to shine in their own little origin story. Incredible value. The second DLC pack is Twilight Princess themed and it adds even MORE costumes, weapons, upgrades, etc. to the mix as well as another MASSIVE adventure mode map with its own twists and tweaks to the formula. You also get a new character to play in the form of adult non-imp Midna which is awesome enough by herself. It's just great stuff. Each DLC adds a lot to the game, both in terms of unique, engaging content and the sheer amount of it, without feeling at all tacked on or like it was pulled from the game to get more money out of the player. They are substantial additions that enhance the game at a fantastic value, which is what DLC should be. Bravo Nintendo! Great job! I can't wait until January's Majora's Mask pack. I have no doubt it'll give the game even more legs than it's already got (can't wait to see the two characters they add to the game). I also have to salute Nintendo for making the original bad guys FREE DLC to everyone. That's just classy. All-in-all, Hyrule Warriors is one of my favorite games of the year. I'm still playing it to this day and enjoying it just as much as I did when it first released. There's just so much fun to be had here. Zelda and Dynasty Warriors turned out to be just what I thought it'd be: a match made in heaven. Honestly, it's hard to find an equal or better value in a game aside from this, Smash Bros., and Dragon Age Inquisition. Hyrule Warriors is superb. Now if ONLY they'd make a Fire Emblem Dynasty Warriors game, then I would want for nothing (HINT HINT Nintendo). Well there you have it, hope you enjoyed the review and this little update. Take care.