Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, the first Switch 2-exclusive game in The Legend of Zelda franchise, launches this Thursday, November 6. If you enjoyed Age of Calamity for Switch, you’re probably going to like this one, too. Age of Imprisonment currently holds a 78 Metascore on GameSpot sister site Metacritic–the same Metascore as Age of Calamity. And if you haven’t preordered a copy yet, there’s still time to order online and start playing the physical edition on launch day. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is available to preorder for $69 at Amazon and Walmart ($1 below its $70 MSRP).
If you haven’t played Age of Calamity, Walmart is selling digital copies bundled with the Expansion Pass for $55.88 (was $80).
And if you want to pick up a Zelda-themed wireless controller to play the new hack-and-slash spin-off with, Amazon is celebrating the launch of Age of Imprisonment with limited-time deals on officially licensed Switch 2 controllers with Zelda-inspired designs. Notable Zelda controller deals include PowerA’s Sworn Protector Bluetooth Controller for only $25 (was $45), PowerA’s Kingdom of Hyrule Enhanced Bluetooth Controller for $30.40 (was $70), and four other controllers.
$69 | Releases November 6
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment’s physical and digital versions retail for $70. Preorders are available at AmazonWalmart, Best Buy, Target, and GameStop.
Like all Nintendo-published games for Switch 2, Age of Imprisonment is a true physical edition with the full game data on the card. If you normally buy Nintendo games from the eShop, it’s worth keeping Age of Imprisonment’s file size in mind. As of November 4, Age of Imprisonment is listed as 43.4GB on the eShop, which means the digital version consumes roughly 20% of the console’s usable storage space.
If you opt for the digital edition and want to expand your storage space, Amazon has restocked the officially licensed Samsung 256GB microSD Express Card for $59. For a higher-capacity card, we’d recommend the SanDisk Gameplay 512GB microSD Express Card at Walmart. This exclusive card is virtually identical to the $120 SanDisk model, but it’s sold for $98 exclusively at Walmart.
Age of Calamity is the third game in Koei Tecmo’s Dynasty Warriors and Zelda crossover series. Like the previous two entries, Age of Imprisonment is a hack-and-slash action game that can be played solo or cooperatively with another player. It features a large cast of playable characters, led by Princess Zelda. This means that the two most recent Legend of Zelda games have actually starred Zelda. Last year, the heroine was the lead protagonist in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomthe first mainline entry led by any character beyond Link.
Just as Age of Calamity served as a prequel to Breath of the Wild, Age of Imprisonment takes place before the events depicted in Tears of the Kingdom. The story revolves around Demon King Ganondorf’s previous attempt to take control of Hyrule. This invasion is referenced in Tears of the Kingdom, and now fans will get to see how it all went down. Other playable characters beyond Zelda include King Rauru, Mineru, and other Sages. Most importantly, you can play as a Korok.
Age of Imprisonment supports GameShare on Switch 2, so you can play with a friend over local wireless with only one copy of the game. All Zelda Amiibo figures are compatible with the new game. Scanning Amiibo figures will drop crafting materials and other items.
If you haven’t played Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, it’s worth noting that anyone with a save file on their console will get the High Guard’s Claymore weapon in Age of Imprisonment. You’ll also get the High Guard’s Sword if you have a Tears of the Kingdom save file.
Hyrule Warriors and Zelda Games for Switch 1/2
If you want to revisit the previous Hyrule Warriors games, Walmart is selling the digital edition of Age of Calamity with the Expansion Pass for only $55.88 (was $80). Physical editions of Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition and Age of Calamity are available for a few bucks off, but all of these are sold by third-parties and fulfilled by Amazon or Walmart. A couple of these offers are for region-free imports; the only tangible difference will be the ratings board logo on the cover. That said, if you want the Age of Calamity Expansion Pass, you would need to buy it from the eShop matching the region of your physical copy.
Even though Age of Imprisonment takes place before Tears of the Kingdom, you will almost certainly get more out of the story if you’ve played the brilliant open-world adventure. The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is available for $79, or you can grab the Switch version for $62 and purchase a $10 Switch 2 Upgrade Pack from the eShop. We’ve included a list of all of the mainline Zelda games with physical editions for Nintendo Switch and/or Switch 2 below.
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
- The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
- The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
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