Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment Is The End Of The Breath Of The Wild Era

1 week ago 15

collage of breath of the wild and age of imprisonment

Maddie Fisher is a writer, journalist and game developer. She was born and raised on the east coast, having started working in games journalism over fifteen years ago. She tends to enjoy musical theater, hockey and tennis.

As the sand in the proverbial hourglass begins to run out for the Breath of the Wild era, The Legend of Zelda is poised to make a big leap in the next few years. Before we know it, a new mainline Zelda entry to become obsessed with will be announced.

Until that fateful day, it would be easy to look back on the Breath of the Wild era and say it was good or bad, but I feel like that's missing the crux of the argument.

Zelda eras don't tend to last this long.

With the release of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, this period of Zelda titles will have lasted for over a decade. That is frankly absurd for this franchise, as iterations of Link and Zelda are frequently rotated out for new ones.

Nintendo and series steward Eiji Aonuma have made it very clear that this era of Zelda is over. As a lifelong devotee of the land of Hyrule, I feel both sadness and excitement.

Best Order to Play Every Mainline Zelda Game thumbnail, featuring Skyward Sword, Ocarina of Time, and Tears of the Kingdom.

Best Order To Play All Mainline Zelda Games

This series has gotten so convoluted, it's almost looped back to being simple.

On the one hand, it has been fun to watch something more interconnected unfold rather than expecting a reset for the next game.

On the other hand, I'm more than ready to move on from this version of Hyrule. It's had its day. In fact, I would say that Hyrule as a location has had its day, and it's time for something drastic.

But I'm not here to reinvent the wheel. Rather, I'm here to talk about the conclusion of the Breath of the Wild era, and why it's more interesting than you might think.

An Unconventional Finale

The End Of An Era

The Breath of the Wild era didn't end with Link triumphing over Ganondorf in some climactic final battle. Instead, it ended with a Dynasty Warriors spin-off that serves as a prequel to Tears of the Kingdom.

Age of Imprisonment was extremely enjoyable, but at the end of the day, the Breath of the Wild era ending its run on a prequel spin-off isn't quite the climactic finale I was hoping for. It doesn't mean it's bad, but rather that one of Zelda's greatest runs ends on something of a quieter note than expected.

In a way, though, it kind of makes sense. These versions of Link and Zelda have been through the ringer.

The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild Link Hyrule

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They've traveled through time, defeated Ganon on multiple occasions, and witnessed Hyrule go from its darkest point to an age of prosperity. These versions of Link and Zelda are battle-tested, so perhaps their adventures ending in a spin-off is exactly what the story called for.

It doesn't mean it's bad, but rather that one of Zelda's greatest runs ends on something of a quieter note than expected.

As a franchise, Zelda is rather used to breaking conventions. The series has prided itself on finding new ways to innovate on the classic Zelda formula.

In that sense, Age of Imprisonment may have been exactly the way you end this era of Zelda. There were no more battles to fight, only the land of Hyrule to safeguard. Setting Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment in the past, during the events of the Imprisoning War, might just be the only appropriate way that this era could end.

Protecting The Mythology

The Imprisoning War Is The Perfect Cap To This Era

The Imprisoning War has been a central part of Zelda mythology ever since it was first mentioned in A Link to the Past. It was continuously referenced throughout the series, playing a key part in the background stories in games like Ocarina of Time.

It was not manifested until Age of Imprisonment, however. Considering just how tied to the origins and older mythology the Breath of the Wild era has been, there was no better time to explore this ancient conflict than right now. To that end, Age of Imprisonment and the games in this era have been very protective of the Zelda mythology.

Hyrule Warriors Age Of Imprisonment Zelda Attacks

Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Imprisonment Gives Princess Zelda Another Starring Role

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is a new entry in The Legend of Zelda series, where Princess Zelda once again takes on the main character role.

This era has been deliberate in its desire to fiercely guard the Zelda mythology. If that means the finale has to be an all-out brawl, then so be it. It's not the Zelda game I expected as the finale, but in retrospect, after having played and finished Age of Imprisonment, it's the one that makes the most sense.

Considering just how tied to the origins and older mythology the Breath of the Wild era has been, there was no better time to explore this ancient conflict than right now.

Age of Imprisonment makes good on a promised battle that has been an integral part of Zelda lore, and for a franchise so focused on enjoyable game design, leveraging that with a game franchise that is hard coded for combat was probably a wise decision. It was probably quite possible for a team at Nintendo EPD3, the in-house Zelda team, to have produced something for the Imprisoning War.

But considering that team is most likely knee-deep in production on the next mainline Zelda, that may not have been the wisest move. To that end, Age of Imprisonment was absolutely the only way to end the Breath of the Wild era.

An Eye To The Future

The Future Of Zelda

Age of Imprisonment has been labeled by Nintendo as the end of the Breath of the Wild era. The next mainline Zelda game is still a ways off, and while Aonuma has confirmed it will feature familiar gameplay elements from the Wild era, it's likely going to be something far different in terms of its story and setting.

For now, the Breath of the Wild era remains one of Zelda's most prosperous times. Maybe the way it ended isn't even important. Perhaps the true measure of the era's success isn't about how good the final entry was, but rather what the entire era meant to the franchise.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment didn't have traditional Zelda dungeons or puzzles. It didn't have a vast, open-ended Hyrule to explore or a Great Sea to conquer. That may be disappointing to some. It certainly felt that way to me upon first blush.

Looking back, however, I find a far more positive feeling about how Age of Imprisonment ended this era than negative. It wasn't perfect, but it still showed an immense level of respect and care for a franchise that I hold so very close to my heart. And because of that, I can't be that upset.