Ocarina of Grind │ Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition Review

This may be Hyrule Warriors' third time around the block, but this is the first time I've been able to play it. So let's see what I think.

If you like what I do, please consider supporting me on Patreon!

TWOOTER: @ArloStuff

"Reloaded Installer #11" by LHS.

[ArloStuff]

*ADDITIONAL NOTES*

For this review I wanted to do things little differently. I normally like to go really in-depth, but in this case I wanted to be a little more concise. I have so many opinions about so many of this game's elements that I felt like if I let myself the review would end up being twenty minutes long, with more than half of that taken up by nitpicks. So instead of that I decided to keep it relatively simple (still well over ten minutes, heh) and drop a few additional points here in the comments.

First off, I found out that when the game starts to bug out I can fix it by resetting the software. So it's good that it can be fixed, though it's still disappointing that it happens and I have to keep an eye out for it.

The game has co-op play, and it's great that you can do it in every single map of every single mode in the game. The problem is that it's too limited. You've got to remember to enable co-op every time you're selecting warriors, and player 1 has to pick everything for player 2, who has no control over the menus. There's no system link, which is disappointing for people who want to grind their warriors on their separate games. (I know both players having different progress would complicate this, but I feel like at least one or two modes could have been made link-friendly.) Also in a tactical game like this it would be really fun to have vs. matches, but there's none of that either.

The game tilts the camera down just a liiiitle too much. I constantly find myself fighting with the camera, tilting it up just a little bit to better see the map around me. This isn't a big problem until you do split-screen and both players are just looking at the patch of ground in front of them the whole time unless they're running at full speed forward, which is when the camera tilts up a little. Just annoying.

The more I play the more I'm annoyed at how little the game values my time. It's one thing to require grinding and replaying and all that, but I feel this game takes it just a little too far. Between all the Legend and Adventure Mode scenarios there are so many things to get out of each level, but it often requires beating each one many times. You'll find yourself spending ten whole minutes just to get some minor item you missed or to farm some fairy food, despite the fact that you've played that exact level three times before. It just feels like a little too much sometimes. Instead of making me say, "Wow, look at all this content, I should really try to do everything, " sometimes I'm like, "Wow...what's the point of even trying?"

I mentioned "difficulty annoyances" in the review. This is the result of all character levels being used across all modes. And like I said, this is convenient for a number of reasons, but man, when you go into a scenario you just never know how well your character is going to do. Sometimes I just want to get past a certain square in Adventure Mode but the character it requires is too weak to do any significant amount of damage. As a result I've either got to sit there wailing on enemies and chipping away and their health for ages and hoping I don't take too many major hits, or go off and spend hours grinding that character. You can spend money to pump up their levels, but that's a surefire way to waste every last penny you've got, as the higher you go the more it costs.

I also mentioned this in the review, but it really is annoying how often the game just doesn't give you the info you need. Different scenarios often have different requirements for getting an A rank, but (again, unless I'm just missing it somewhere) it doesn't tell you what those requirements are. I've spent fifteen or twenty minutes on a map just to find that woops, apparently 1500 KO's wasn't enough. Please try again, for twenty FIVE minutes next time. Same with gold skulltulas; the game tells you that to get some of them you've got to play maps as certain characters and on certain difficulty settings. What it doesn't tell you is that there are certain events that have to go a certain way and you've got to keep certain characters above a certain amount of health the whole time. How on Earth is anyone supposed to know that? So that's something I've wasted a lot of time on as well before finally looking it up.

Anyway, that's probably it. It's definitely a fun game that I'm completely addicted to at the moment, but it's pretty flawed.

[Darunia]

"Obscure characters like Darunia" This breaks my heart, Arlo. It really does. If not for Darunia, how would we know what a hot beat Saria's Song is?

[TFconfused]

The new design for Link in this game is so simple but FANTASTIC. It is by far my favorite Link design, the metal shoulder pad and Blue scarf are small things but I just LOVE. Wish it was a costume in BOTW and SmashUlt

[PressLP]

Visual glitches can happen with the game being left on too long. It's a common bug on the Switch version that will hopefully be patched soon. To fix it, just close and reopen the game from the Switch home screen!

[shulkthesmileyboi]

For anyone wondering, A Rank requires the following:
Time: under 15 minutes
K.O. count: 1600 or more
Damage taken: less than 150 (37.5 hearts)

Also, I've found that the visual glitches only really occur after extended periods of time playing, about 5 hours or so. Exiting out to the home screen and closing and restarting the software will fix it.

[magnificentmajunior]

Everyone knows when Arlo uploads, the sun shines exactly 0.078% brighter.

[thelegocraftgamers]

I had this game for the Wii U, and except for the minor blemishes, I think that this version really improved on the original.

[amateurishauthor]

A number of features you're listing in this review weren't in the original, I think it should be pointed out. Commanding the other 'heroes' and swapping characters aren't in the Wii U version for starters.

[Flyxien]

How could you turn the music off?! IT'S SO GOOD!!! I realise its not traditional Zelda music but it really fits the gameplay and I personally really like it.👍

[infernaltim]

Having never played this or any Dynasty Warrior style games, I can honestly say this is my favorite game on the Switch at the moment. I've sunk about 40 hours into it since release and still going through the Adventure mode maps collecting stuff. I guess I'm a fan of this style of gameplay and never had any idea.

[ontos]

Links look in Hyrule Warriors has got to be one of if not my absolute favourite design for his out fit I don’t know why but I just really love they scarf

[sanctusletum]

Interesting, I haven't experienced any of these graphical glitches. Anyone else experience this?

Edit: of course, 15 hours of no glitches and almost as soon as I put this comment up it cropped up in my game too.

[yesfredfredburger]

I think this game is perfect for putting down and coming back to every so often. No big story to commit to, and you always feel like you'll be able to unlock SOMETHING if you spend an hour in game

[JEDonnert]

I appreciate this review and your take on the game. I'm one of those people you mentioned where this game was made for me and I can spend hours upon hours at it. I love the warrior games, and this game I've wasted a good couple hundred hours on already with the Wii U. Now I will have no limitations on my switch! The universe is mine!!!
Oh sorry got a bit carried away... 😅

[CrimsonNick]

I like it just for the fact that Link has an army with him, instead of just having Link be the only one to save Hyrule.

[DansTubeTV]

Fantastic review, I love how detailed your videos are Arlo!

[iammaxhailme]

What Arlo said about this game: (paraphrasing) "One day, I'll feel like it got too grindy and repetitive, and I'll feel like it's a job and just say, I'm not playing this game anymore. But I don't know when I'll get to that point"

I've felt that way about Guitar Hero and Rock Band for, what, 13 years now? Still play almost every weekend.

[andrewulrich]

the music was one of my favorite parts of this game!

[astrotrain]

You know what terrifies me about this? I could spend 100's of hours playing this and unlocking stuff... and 3 years from now, maybe I'm too busy and don't feel like paying for Nintendo's online service (which will be $40 a year by then), so I stop... then I drop my Switch.... and my Zelda data is gone. And no way to get it back.

I just can't understand Nintendo. I pre-ordered the Smash Bros. collector's edition Switch, but I'm still on the fence due to not being able to back up my saves without paying money for the rest of my life.

[Sackboy]

I didn't expect to love this but I did, played nonstop up until adventure mode, now I'm just going to chip away at it occasionally.

The story was actually quite nice, at least in terms of context