Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Calamity Includes This Epic Zelda First
The Nintendo Switch is getting a highly anticipated The Legend of Zelda release on Nov. 20 — but it won't be the traditional grand adventure game that fans have become accustomed to. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity hearkens back to the intense hack and slash battles featured in its predecessor. Besides all of the big clashes players will engage in, Age of Calamity will include one major feature that fans of Breath of the Wild's story should enjoy.
The latest trailer for Age of Calamity provided more footage of the playable characters handing out punishment to their foes. The most surprising part of the trailer also happened to be the most exciting. At around the 1:06 mark, fans received confirmation that they'll be able to take direct control of Breath of the Wild's towering animal-like machines, the Divine Beasts.
The very first Divine Beast the trailer put on display was Vah Medoh, which can take flight and shoot down the opposition with repeated laser blasts. Up next was Vah Naboris, a camel-like Divine Beast that can stampede at high speeds and take down any gates blocking its path. The third Divine Beast to be showcased was the elephant-like Vah Ruta. Vah Ruta's suite of abilities includes being able to send out streams of water arrows and use its trunk to activate a water fountain attack beneath its feet. And lastly, Vah Rudania could be seen smashing the ground and using a laser beam to cause mass destruction.
The addition of playable Divine Beasts in Age of Calamity marks an enticing reason for Zelda fans to give the spinoff a chance. Besides that cool mechanic, the game will also allow players to wield the melee and magical prowess of several recognizable heroes, such as Link, Zelda, Mipha, Daruk, Urbosa, Revali, and Impa. Judging by the huge selection of playable characters from the first Hyrule Warriors, chances are there will be even more playable warriors in this soon-to-be-released sequel.
For those of you who are still on the fence about checking out the full game, Nintendo just released an Age of Calamity demo that includes the entirety of its first chapter. If you end up enjoying your time with it and are looking to continue your adventure in November, the demo's save progress will carry over to the main game once it launches.
If you still happen to have save data for Breath of the Wild, Age of Calamity will give you instant access to the Training Sword bonus item. And what makes that special weapon even more of a treat is the fact that it can be used alongside a Pot Lid shield. The combination of the Training Sword and Pot Lid gear set has the ability to trigger a Perfect Guard, which should be immensely useful during enemy encounters.
Age of Calamity presents itself as a prequel to Breath of the Wild that takes place 100 years before the events of the 2017 release. Players will be thrown right into the Great Calamity, which is the grand war that takes place between the armies of Hyrule and the evil forces of Calamity Ganon. Due to the outcome of that epic clash, the total collapse of the kingdom of Hyrule eventually came to pass. Age of Calamity will allow players to experience that major event.
When it comes to the Divine Beasts' importance to both stories, they fight for the side of Hyrule at first. But, due to the negative influence of Calamity Ganon during the Great Calamity, all four beasts wreak havoc across the land. In Breath of the Wild, players must free them from their corrupted state by exploring their innards. Once saved, the Divine Beasts join together to help Link confront Calamity Ganon. Breath of the Wild sees players exploring the Divine Beasts' inner sanctum as dungeons, while Age of Calamity will let them experience their immense powers firsthand by controlling each beast during battle.
A cool Easter egg pertaining to the Divine Beasts can be seen in their last names being inspired by the names of Sages from two Legend of Zelda games. Vah Ruta's name is tied to Princess Ruto from Ocarina of Time, Vah Medoh owes its name to Medli from The Wind Waker, Vah Rudania's name is inspired by Darunia from Ocarina of Time, and Vah Naboris' name is a nod to Nabooru from Ocarina of Time.