Nintendo announced a surprise prequel spin-off to its modern classic Breath of the Wild, an action-focused game called Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. You will play the role of Link, as usual, but also the four champions and Princess Zelda herself, in an attempt (unsuccessfully, as we know) to fend off the hordes of Ganon 100 years before Switch's launch title.
The game, clearly intended to surpass hungry fans of the recently teased sequel, was developed by Koei Tecmo, who previously made the first Hyrule Warriors game as part of their long-running Warriors series of large-scale combat. That, however, was more of a Zelda-themed action game, very much in the old realistic style that Nintendo had abandoned for a more painterly and stylized one.
Age of Calamity adopts not only the new look, but also the characters and setting of Breath of the Wild, which means it is a canonical entry in the franchise and a direct prequel.
One of the most interesting features of Breath of the Wild was the princess, who has passed years of tradition by not just being a damsel in distress (though she is too) but an interesting character to herself, more so than Link and most samples. His curiosity and academic ambition captivated players and made them realize that the warrior they were playing was smart and strong, but little more than that: everyone wanted more Zelda.
The sequel may very well scratch that itch, but in the meantime we'll have to work with the princess in battle mode in this prequel. It's a rare treat - it was playable in previous Hyrule Warriors and a handful of other games - and hopefully it's a taste of things to come.
While I recently complained about Nintendo's conservative and underwhelming approach to bringing its classic 3D Mario games to modern audiences, Zelda has been successfully reinvented and updated more than once. The Warriors series isn't known for breaking new ground - it's really about killing monsters and enemy soldiers by the hundreds - but this could prove to be a valuable addition to one of the games' most beloved franchises. Don't expect just brain-teasing puzzles from this.
Find out more about the game and pre-order on the Nintendo website.
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