Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition Nintendo Switch Review

Since the Wii U failed to gain traction Nintendo has been re-releasing a lot of the exclusive titles on the more successful Nintendo Switch. The latest game being Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition that includes all the Wii U, 3DS and DLC content from the past entries. Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition brings this Dynasty Warriors Legend of Zelda hybrid title new life thanks to improved performance.

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition ditches the traditional dungeon exploration elements found in conventional Legend of Zelda games for the large Dynasty Warriors battles formula. You'll blast hundreds of enemies using iconic attacks from notorious characters spanning from various Legend of Zelda games.

The story provides a shallow reason for the large crossover with a portal between space and time opened. Link, Impa, and Lana must each lead a campaign to close the gate to each era and are aided by heroes from each period. It won't wow fans of the series but it's an adequate reason to see characters found in Twilight Princess and Wind Waker in the same universe.

Combat is exciting and for the most part, helps quell the monotonous mission structure. Having direct control of iconic heroes and villains from The Legend of Zelda franchise provided hours of excitement. Each of the over 25 characters had unique powerful attacks lifted directly from their games, however, this also decreases the challenge.

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition isn't a hard game. You're dropped into a battlefield and must turn the battle in your favor. Playing the role of commander means that it's your job to turn the tide of battle for your troops. This means there's always something to do, whether it's killing cannon fodder, capturing enemy bases, or fighting mid-bosses. There's no shortage of objects in each battle.

Bosses are well-designed but like much of the game are easy to dispose of. Weaknesses are obvious such as using your Hookshot to pull a dragon out of the sky. These small changes are nods to the Zelda franchises more puzzle focused bosses but built in a way that complements the fast-paced action.

Other Zelda elements are included such as slicing grass for Rupees and unlocking chest while hearing the notorious theme. Items are sufficiently included in the main story allowing you expand your arsenal of sub-weapons. For example, the bow and arrow can stun crowds and bombs are excellent for crowd control.

Levels improve their health and damage but also have skill trees to unlock combos and increase resistance to specific damage. Rupees and material used for crafting are collected from defeated enemies for these same trees. However, most of the skill trees are identical which can lead to a lot of tedious grinding when starting a new character.

Each character does have access to different weapons for elemental damage, combos, and skills. Things become more intricate when you can merge weapons to transfer skills between characters. If that sounds complicated, it is and for a game that involves killing hordes of enemies a more streamlined process would've complimented gameplay. 

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition does have a lot to do. The main mode "Legend" can be completed in around 10 hours. Adventure mode presents you with an overworld grid, themed after NES The Legend of Zelda, where you complete battles with special rules. Winning these fights earn you item cards to unlock secrets and rewards on the main map. The map spans various different Zelda universes each one themed after that game.  And finally challenge mode is what you'll expect; constraints are placed and you must compete for high scores. With higher ranks unlocking harder challenges.

The Nintendo Switch version has significantly improved the performance of the other versions. Definitive Edition has better framerate, improved textures, and is much brighter than the Wii U and 3DS versions of the game. In docked mode, the game runs smoothly at 60fps.

In handheld mode, the game the frame rate and visuals take a dip. It looks and plays like the Wii U version without the dock. In cooperative play, things remain constant but the small screen coupled with the large battlefields can cause players to keep track of what's going on.

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition is a great port of the original game. It's mindless fun action that offers a lot of content and combines the Zelda and Dynasty Warriors franchises into a title that complements both franchises. Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition may not have the depth of other Zelda games but it provides a fun adventure where you can slash away.

Adam Siddiqui, NoobFeed
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