Story and Gameplay
Age of Imprisonment definitely has a narrative, and it’s… fine. Not awful. Not offensive. Just not the reason you’re here. The story beats feel like they’re mostly filler to justify why every person in Hyrule is punching every other living thing in a field somewhere. It’s serviceable but absolutely forgettable. Fortunately, the moment the swords come out, none of that matters. The combat is where this game plants its triforce-shaped flag: It is fast, flashy, buttery-smooth hacking and slashing that makes mowing down 200 enemies at once in the first minute feel embarrassingly satisfying. The gameplay loop is pure dopamine, and every combo chain feels like fireworks going off in your neurons.
Graphics and Sound
If this is what Switch 2 can do at the beginning of its lifecycle? Nintendo’s future is looking spicy. The visual fidelity here is shocking with dense crowds, crisp textures, fluid animations, dramatic particle storms and it all holds up in handheld mode. I can’t believe how impressive the Switch 2 titles are even in handheld mode in under a year after launch. Bring on more graphical goodness!
The audio matches that same studio-grade glow: big, cinematic scores pumped through pristine orchestral mixes, chunky weapon impacts, heroic voice stings everything feels premium in a way that legit makes you forget you’re playing on a portable.
Feedback and Verdict
Sure, the story didn’t leave a mark and honestly, that’s ok but it could have been so much more. And no, this isn’t the next Ocarina-level cultural lightning strike that will change the gaming industry as we know it but as a brawler, as a musou, as a pure “turn off your brain and become a spinning bladed lawnmower of destiny” machine, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is an absolute blast. Gorgeous, fluid, polished, and deeply fun. For Switch 2 owners looking for their first big hack-and-smash addiction, this one delivers!
