Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (20th November 2020)

[killthenet]

There's also a big possibility with BOTW2 that there is an entire underworld to explore, the trailer certainly hints at the caves and caverns below Hyrule will play a big part in the story so even if they are reusing a lot of assets there could still be a huge world to design (and a handful of proper, meticulously crafted dungeons too)

[Julius]

Pre-order for the physical version is now up on the Official UK Store for £49.99, I'm sure other online retailers will follow shortly. 

Box art is easily one of my favourites on the Switch, looks the right amount of epic 

A lot of new images on that page, that and a weird border I can't be fussed to crop (sorry ) is why I'll just throw them in the spoiler tag instead, save taking up the whole page!

Spoiler

 

 

Edited September 8, 2020 by Julius

[bob]

Pre-order for the physical version is now up on the Official UK Store for £49.99, I'm sure other online retailers will follow shortly. 

Box art is easily one of my favourites on the Switch, looks the right amount of epic 
A lot of new images on that page, that and a weird border I can't be fussed to crop (sorry ) is why I'll just throw them in the spoiler tag instead, save taking up the whole page!
Spoiler










 
 

You missed this one:

[Dufniall]

1 hour ago, Ike said:

With this being more story focused and tied with an existing game, I have doubts they’ll be adding many, if any, outlandish characters.

Saying that, I hope there are more than 6 characters. I’m sure there will be some original characters (do not steal).

I'm guessing they'll do a storyline with the 6 main characters, and put in a free-for-all or highscore mode where you can unlock some more silly ones. I'm really curious to see if they go for anything outside of BOTW, or just characters from that game. 

I never played the first one but I did enjoy Fire Emblem Warriors, so this is bound to be good.

[Kaepora_Gaebora]

I would tell anyone that listened that my main criticism of BOTW  was that the more interesting story was the one set 100 years ago...I'm absolutely thrilled with this, looks amazing! Really keen to play it, the more I've thought about 3D All Stars the less I'm interested in it...so colour me up for this!

[Julius]

Pre-order is now up on ShopTo for £42.85. 

Just realising I haven't mentioned my own thoughts, but yeah, I'm all in on this! 

I really enjoyed the exploration of Hyrule in BotW, but if there was one thing that was lacking, it was the story. For me, it was pretty bare. On the one hand, this meant there was some great environmental storytelling, which I really enjoyed, but the culmination with Calamity Ganon felt a bit...shallow, at best, especially after Hyrule Castle was easily one of my favourite parts of the game! It's difficult to build up to a villain which is more a force of nature than anything else, so it doesn't surprise me that the ending was a bit of a letdown for me, but still. 

I know, I know, don't get too invested in trailers ahead of films and games, but I distinctly remember this moment where we saw the Guardians overrunning Castle Town in the Switch Presentation trailer and I found it enthralling. The thought of playing through that really got me excited - escaping through the town, trying your best to save people along the way? - and one of my main hopes is that BotW2 has a few more local skirmishes (sort of like the ones found in Horizon Zero Dawn) to really flesh things out a bit more. 

So I'm really excited about this. I'm with @Kav in that this is the only way you get me onboard for this. If this was a Hyrule Warriors 2 which wasn't a prequel of sorts to BotW? I'd be hard out. Like @Kaepora_Gaebora and others have mentioned, what happened 100 years ago was the most interesting story stuff to happen in BotW for me too, almost by default really though, because that's where the bulk of the cutscenes and character development takes place. Great to see a return to this art style of course, and a very smart way to reuse some of these assets and get us back in this world, curious to see if there will be any hints at what is to come in BotW2. Looked a little rough around the edges as I think @Ganepark32 mentioned, hopefully that's just based on an old version or something like that! 

And one last thing, because a Zelda lore expert I am not, but I've generally been under the assumption it's a different Link in every Zelda game (bar a few instances I know have been confirmed before): is this going to be the first time the same Link has appeared (more specifically: be the main character) in three different main Zelda games (had to specify before some smart person came in and screamed Smash!)? As he'll have been present in BotW, this, and also BotW2 under his belt too (I mean, assuming he doesn't immediately die and the Link we saw was actually a clone... ). That'd be interesting if so!

Edited September 9, 2020 by Julius

[MindFreak]

Hmm. The only other possible Links being the same I can think of is the one from Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, but I'm not sure that's the case.

Anyways... don't we kind of know how this game ends?

I got bored by Hyrule Warriors when playing that but I kind of want to play this for the story.

[Glen-i]

6 hours ago, Julius said:

And one last thing, because a Zelda lore expert I am not, but I've generally been under the assumption it's a different Link in every Zelda game (bar a few instances I know have been confirmed before): is this going to be the first time the same Link has appeared (more specifically: be the main character) in three different main Zelda games (had to specify before some smart person came in and screamed Smash!)? As he'll have been present in BotW, this, and also BotW2 under his belt too (I mean, assuming he doesn't immediately die and the Link we saw was actually a clone... ). That'd be interesting if so!

 

11 minutes ago, MindFreak said:

Hmm. The only other possible Links being the same I can think of is the one from Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, but I'm not sure that's the case.

Nope, Choo-choo Link is Windy Link's Descendant.

There is one Link who has appeared in 3 main games. Possibly 4, depending on how you look at it.

This Link (Sleepy Link, I call him) is the star of Link to the Past, Link's Awakening and the two Oracle games.

Edited September 9, 2020 by Glen-i

[Dcubed]

Can we all just step back for a moment and appreciate just how much this game's name sounds like a bad, edgelord fan game? 

Edited September 9, 2020 by Dcubed

[drahkon]

53 minutes ago, Glen-i said:

Choo-choo Link

53 minutes ago, Glen-i said:

Windy Link's

53 minutes ago, Glen-i said:

Sleepy Link

Ok, I need you to write down all your names for all the Links that exist, please.

 

[Mr-Paul]

Nintendo's most exciting announcement this year!

Hyrule Warriors was one of my favourite Wii U games, and right now I'm actually playing BOTW on Switch, having originally played it on the Wii U. So this comes at a great time for me! 

[Julius]

Official Link and Zelda artwork for Age of Calamity:

Think this is honestly one of my favourite art styles in a game, so glad it's making a return!

Edited September 9, 2020 by Julius

[Dufniall]

Yeah the game looks good, I got the press kit so I uploaded all the screenshots from it on the main site as well:

https://www.n-europe.com/games/hyrule-warriors-age-of-calamity/screenshots

[S.C.G]

19 minutes ago, Vileplume2000 said:

Yeah the game looks good, I got the press kit so I uploaded all the screenshots from it on the main site as well:

https://www.n-europe.com/games/hyrule-warriors-age-of-calamity/screenshots

Nicely done, Dennis.

This game really does look good, I think this art style really suits this type of game, of course there's plenty of assets reused, but it all makes sense.

I'm unsure if I'll pick this up when it comes out, I think I should at least try to put some more time into the original Hyrule Warriors first.

But this does look like a nice exclusive title for the Switch, and what a game for November as well.

[Glen-i]

23 hours ago, Dcubed said:

Can we all just step back for a moment and appreciate just how much this game's name sounds like a bad, edgelord fan game? 

I mean, you've heard the original's remixes, fits quite well.

23 hours ago, drahkon said:

Ok, I need you to write down all your names for all the Links that exist, please.

I'm glad you asked.

Spoiler

Sideways Link (Zelda 1, Adventure of Link, TV series)

Sleepy Link (LttP, Link's Awakening, Oracle Games)

Timey-Wimey Masky-Wasky Link (Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Hero's Shade from Twilight Princess)

Multi-Link (Four Swords)

Windy Link (Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass)

Multi-Link Redux (Four Swords Adventures)

Tiny Link (Minish Cap)

Furry Link (Twilight Princess, Link's Crossbow Training)

Choo-Choo Link (Spirit Tracks)

First Link (Skyward Sword)

Sleepy Link 2: Painting Boogaloo (A Link Between Worlds)

Fashionable Link (Tri Force Heroes)

Old Link (BotW, Hyrule Warriors 2)

Mr. Game & Link (G&W Zelda)

The Link Who Won (The three CD-i Games) {You gotta say the "won" part just like he does}

EXTREME! Link (Hyrule Warriors)

Funky Link (Cadence of Hyrule)

 

Edited September 10, 2020 by Glen-i

[MindFreak]

You need a Missing Link as well. It'll be the game where Zelda is the main character.

Or a Weakest Link. Where he's just a side-kick.

Edited September 10, 2020 by MindFreak

[Dufniall]

And don't forget Lady Link:

Edited September 10, 2020 by Vileplume2000

[RedShell]

This looks great, and more BotW style Zelda goodness is very welcome by me.  Just a shame about that release date though.

[Glen-i]

3 hours ago, Vileplume2000 said:

And don't forget Lady Link:

Unlike all the Links, Linkle has her own unique name, so she didn't need me to name her.

(Also, not actually a Link, she thinks she's the Hero, but she isn't aware that Link is around, doing his business.)

I know I shouldn't expect Koei Tecmo to reuse a lot of characters from the original game, but I hope they keep Linkle around. She was a fun character in being the polar opposite of Link. Boisterous, talkative, rubbish sense of direction and loves Cuccoos.

[Jonnas]

We need a coffee-themed Zelda game just so we can have a Hyper Link.

[Glen-i]

So I've been thinking about this game a lot in the past 24 hours. Mostly about the "Wide variety of characters" that was mentioned.

I get that the main plot of this revolves around 100 years before BotW. Naturally, the 6 characters on the box art will be the ones that feature the most in the plot.

But I hope there's a side mode (Like the Adventure Mode in the original game) that lets Koei Tecmo not worry about canon and include some characters that couldn't possibly be alive back then.

In other words, give me the ability to unlock the only BotW character I really like and I'll be a lot happier.

Don't argue. I'm right. You all want to beat things up with an accordion. No-one likes that Falco rip-off anyway.

Edited September 10, 2020 by Glen-i

[Julius]

The update on the 26th will be part of Koei Tecmo's Tokyo Game Show panel, with that segment of their panel starting at 14:00 BST:

The panel actually kicks off at 21:00 JST / 13:00 BST, but the first half is dedicated to KT's new Atelier title, with the second half turning the focus to Age of Calamity. 

I have to imagine that Nintendo/KT will release a separate summary video after the end of the panel. 

Edited September 11, 2020 by Julius

[Glen-i]

I'm getting vague flashbacks to that E3 demonstration of Hyrule Warriors where I was still kind of skeptical.

But then they showed the whole Palace of Twilight mission and I realised that the game might actually be more about choosing when and where to fight rather than button mashing your way through everything.

And then Argorok got smacked with the moon and I was sold.

[Julius]

There ain't no party like a GameXplain Analysis party:

 

[Glen-i]

24 minutes ago, Julius said:

There ain't no party like a GameXplain Analysis party:

Unnecessary and goes on way longer than I'd like?

Because that's every party I've ever been to.