Nintendo have unveiled a brand new spin off entry into the ever brilliant The Legend of Zelda franchise.
Hyrule warriors is being developed by Nintendo in partnership with Tecmo-Koei creators of the well known and popular Dynasty Warriors franchise. Gameplay is set to resemble the traditional epic scale battles that have permeated the Dynasty Warriors series since it’s creation in 1997 but with the unique twist of featuring the heroes, villains and all the crazy weapons and items featured through the Zelda games over the years.
The reveal trailer gives us some immediate insight as to what to expect, graphically the game looks lush with a smooth and beautiful artstyle similar to that of the recent Skyward Sword but with lovely HD clarity. Fans no doubt will be pleased to see the trailer depicting Hyrule castle and the Hyrule field that many have fond memory’s of since their first play of Ocarina of Time back in the days of the N64.
We get to see a taste of the gameplay too and classic Zelda weapons including bombs, the master sword and Links ever handy Hylian shield. The classic Zelda sword spin move is shown too but unlike previous Zelda games and much more tonally inline with Dynasty Warriors it’s bombastic, over the top and looks bad ass.
As a huge Zelda fan I’m a little sceptical as I’ve always found that Dynasty Warriors games tend to lack any real depth. That said I have faith in Nintendo, this is a brave move that could help expand the franchise to a new audience or more negatively bastardize the high quality it’s always been known for. I’m excited at the potential and look forward to trying it in 2014.
Ben Corbett-Mills / @benleopards