Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition Review

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition is one of the best modern Musou games you can play right now, [...]

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition is one of the best modern Musou games you can play right now, and for those of you who missed out on the Wii U and 3DS versions of Hyrule Warriors and Hyrule Warriors Legends, respectively, the Switch revival brings a ton of exciting new content to the table. As a Legend of Zelda game it shines, but as a Musou game specifically, it dazzles.

When we think "Musou," we think Dynasty Warriors. For the uninitiated, people love these games because they basically empower you as a kind of military super-hero. It's no different in Hyrule Warriors. Picture a massive battlefield with multiple strategic choke points, filled from border to border with thousands of enemies. The majority of these enemies are grunts that you can dispose of with ease. You'll unleash torrents of flashy combos that send enemies literally flying through the air by the dozens, and it's not unusual to dispatch of over a thousand enemies in a single mission.

The sheer spectacle of the over-the-top combat, and the ability to control multiple characters in a single mission, is what makes Musou games so great. Hyrule Warriors totally nails all of the best Musou features, but it also maintains some of the more frustrating challenges the genre imposes.

Hyrule Warriors can be overwhelming. At any given time, in most missions, you may have two or three concurrent objectives to tend to. Three powerful enemies may be descending upon three different fortresses from three different directions, while you're tasked with defeating a mini-boss on the other side of the map. Meanwhile, a Gold Skulltula is tucked away in an obscure corner of the map demanding you search for and destroy it, while one of your companions is getting pummeled, close to fleeing, thus jeopardizing the entire mission. What do you do first? The clock is ticking.

It's a lot to take in, and for those new to the genre as a whole, Hyrule Warriors may come on a little too strong. Completionists will be attempting stages multiple times after the introductory arc in order to grab all of the treasure chests, hearts, and Gold Skulltulas, and the missions are frequently over 20 minutes long.

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Thankfully time flies when you're having fun. Hyrule Warriors boasts an enormous roster of beloved playable characters. Well-known heroes and heroines as well as more obscure personalities are gifted aresenals of combos and abilities, and Hyrule Warriors' original characters are mostly a joy to play. I found Linkle particularly fun to control, and totally OP. She's now my go-to for most of the Legend Mode missions, which make up the bulk of Hyrule Legends' "story mode."

Personally, I found Adventure Mode to be more varied and enjoyable. As you explore retro recreations of the Zelda universe's most iconic maps and themes, you'll tackle more bite-sized missions with focused objectives. Slay a certain number of enemies; defend a point; complete a "quiz" where you're asked questions and tasked with slaying monsters representing the correct answer.

Adventure Mode boasts ten unique maps to explore, each with its own unique missions, and these regularly yield up the best rewards in the game. There is a challenge mode for those of you who just love tapping x and y, as well as a bespoke fairy friend simulator that I admit did not speak to me at all. Some of you may enjoy it.

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Performance on the Wii U was all over the place, but it's been improved considerably on the Nintendo Switch. Playing docked, you can count on the frame rate maintaining a pace somewhere between 45-55 fps. The opening pans and dramatic cuts as stages and bosses are introduced can still stutter a bit, which is strange, but there's no denying that the textures, lighting, draw distance, and performance have all been greatly improved here, even in handheld mode.

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition casts a mysteriously-alluring spell. While specific challenges and strategic options vary from mission to mission, there's no getting around the fact that the bulk of the actual gameplay consists in you mashing two buttons and watching your enemies get absolutely obliterated. Having played the original on Wii U I knew this going in, but the game was still able to sink its hooks into me and keep me entertained for hours on end. I think about playing it while I'm at work, and whether I'm wanting a multi-hour mission marathon, or a quick 15-minute fix, Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition always manages to satisfy my appetites. Buy with confidence, and if you love what you play, give Fire Emblem Warriors a try.

WWG's Score: 4 / 5

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