With only a few weeks left until the launch of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, Nintendo has shared one last trailer that sets the stage for Zelda’s epic clash against Ganondorf. Titled “Unite Against the Demon King,” the trailer shows off some story bits that build up Ganondorf as the menacing threat he is. There are glimpses of gameplay thrown in that highlight team-up musou attacks, where two characters combine their strength to unleash a devastating super move. It’s reminiscent of Dynasty Warriors 8, which is a good sign.
The trailer also highlights the 60 fps playback the game will have. This was a big focus for Koei Tecmo’s AAA Games Studio, as the team wanted to leverage the additional power of the Switch 2 to bring a smoother experience to players. It should make for a noticeable improvement over Age of Calamity, which struggled so hard on the Switch 1 that it sometimes felt as if it would make the system melt.
While Nintendo is insisting this story is canon to Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, it’s really hard to say. The previous Hyrule Warriors game, Age of Calamity, was marketed as being canonical, but then went off on a “what if” scenario that rendered it mostly moot. Age of Imprisonment has some kind of Zonai structure that resembles Link, so my thoughts are that this story will wind up being much the same as before. It should be fun, but don’t get your hopes up for any interesting story developments or lore implications.
One last detail this trailer showcases is that there will be a save data bonus available in-game. Players who have save data for Tears of the Kingdom on their console will receive a “High Guard’s Sword” as a selectable weapon. If you have save data for Age of Calamity, you’ll get the “High Guard’s Claymore.” Both weapons probably won’t be useful in the late game, but should give a bonus in the opening levels.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment will be available on November 6, 2025, for Switch 2. Pre-orders are open now at Amazon.
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
