Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition Review

Hyrule Warriors remains one of the best entries in Tecmo Koei’s long running hack ‘n’ slash series regardless of which platform you choose to play it on. There’s just something about the mix of Warriors’ slap happy gameplay with The Legend of Zelda that proves to be endlessly entertaining regardless of whether you are playing it on the WIiU, 3DS, or Switch  

But is the new Switch version, really the definitive edition? Is it worth the double, or even triple dip?

For those of you that missed it both times, Hyrule Warriors is half Dynasty Warriors, half Zelda compilation album; with Link and co. facing off against some of the series’ most iconic bosses and battling in some of its most memorable settings. It’s all held together with a story that is paper thin but Zelda-esque as new baddy Cia attempts to resurrect Ganondorf by opening rifts in time - dragging all manner of nastiness through and threatening to unmake the whole of existence in the process. So, it’s up to Link, Zelda, Impa, and even Tingle to seal up the rifts and repair the time space continuum.

Hyrule Warriors‘ gameplay is more akin to a typical  Warriors game than Zelda, with players choosing from a large roster of playable characters before facing hordes of enemies and batting them away with an array of flashy combos and over the top specials.

If you’ve ever played a Warriors game you know the drill. Your character is dumped on a battlefield and has to deal with a set of objectives that evolve and change as the tide of the battle shifts back and forth. However, most of your time is spent ploughing through hordes of enemies turning the map from red to blue as you convert outposts and forts to your cause by killing everything inside them.

Though the switch edition doesn’t add anything new ‘per se’, other than some Breath of the Wild costumes for Link and Zelda, what it does do is combine all the best features of the WiiU and 3Ds versions into one package.

All of the DLC and additional characters from the 3DS version are included but more importantly so are the gameplay improvements with players able to switch between different allied characters on the battlefield on the fly, as well as being able to command them to capture different areas, protect allied units or help take down a boss.

The ability to teleport to owl statues placed around the map by playing your trusty Ocarina also makes a return.

All the side quests which were once separate, now unlock as you progress through the main Legend mode. You’ll be happy to hear this also includes Linkle’s story which was previously exclusive to the 3DS. I really hope she becomes a part of the series proper soon, because she is as bonkers as she is badass - brandishing twin cross bows and mowing down everything in her sight while commanding an army of Cucos to victory.  

Hyrule Warriors was a substantial game to begin with and when you chuck in all the extras from Legends (3DS version) and all the previously released DLC - Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition is guaranteed to keep you busy for a very long time.

Unlike Legends, the Definitive Edition doesn’t cut anything. Multiplayer is back and now runs in split screen in both docked and handheld mode with players can using a joycon each.  I would recommend saving multiplayer sessions for the TV though, as the screen is too small to keep track of everything in multiplayer and the frame rate takes a kicking.

Graphically it also looks a little better than the WiiU with it running in 1080p in docked mode with improved lighting, and higher quality textures that makes everything pop. It also runs much better than on WiiU and particularly on the original 3DS. In docked mode you get a consistent 60 frames with the occasional slight dip at the most hectic moments in docked mode, and a nice stable 30 in handheld mode (in single player at least)

Packing all the content from the previous releases, and looking better than ever the Switch version of Hyrule Warriors certainly is the definitive edition of the game.

Ultimately it’s the same game we played back in 2014, and the tweaks, changes, and additions to the game probably won’t be enough to sway those that didn’t like the original.

If you missed it the first, (or second) time round, and are looking for some more adventures in Hyrule after Breath of the Wild is sure to scratch that Zelda itch while we wait for the next instalment. However, those that played it before might not find enough reasons to justify the double dip, though it certainly is the best and most complete version of the game.  

As someone who played the game on the Wii U when it first came out and has been sank considerable hours into it, I found myself being just as taken with Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition, maybe even more so now that I can just grab my switch and jump right in whenever I want.

SCORE: 8/10