Famitsu’s Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity review says it’s one of 2020’s best Switch games

The first Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity review has been published in Japanese weekly magazine Famitsu.

According to Ryokutya2089 (via Gematsu), Famitsu’s four reviewers each awarded the Zelda title 9/10, for a total score of 36/40, calling it “highly satisfying as a spin-off of Breath of the Wild”.

The reviewers praised the variety of attack styles attributed to each character, and said that overall Age of Calamity featured a strong blend of familiar BoTW and Dynasty Warriors elements.

Only one Switch title has been awarded a higher score by Famitsu in 2020: Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Seven additional Switch titles have received a 36/40 score this year; Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Paper Mario: The Origami King, eBaseball Powerful Pro Yakyuu 2020, Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, Gnosia, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 and Persona 5 Scramble.

The original Hyrule Warriors was also awarded 36/40 when Famitsu reviewed it in 2016.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity was announced in September, with a Nintendo Switch release date set for November 20.

The game features a story set 100 years before the events of the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which Nintendo says will transport players “to the time before the Great Calamity happened, participating in epic battles against a backdrop of familiar locations in Hyrule before they were destroyed”.

A demo is currently available on the eShop, allowing players to experience all of the game’s first chapter, with save data carried over to the final game once purchased.