During the Wii U era, Nintendo and Koei Tecmo struck an unlikely partnership. The two gaming companies began working on a line of games that used Nintendo’s properties and theDynasty Warriorsformula, developed by Tecmo’s studio Omega Force. The first of their crossover projects wasHyrule Warriors, aLegend of Zeldatitle that unites characters from across the franchise.Hyrule Warriorswas such a success that it received plentiful DLC, two updated re-releases on the 3DS and the Nintendo Switch, and aBreath of the Wild-focused sequel titledHyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.
WhileFire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopesmust prove itselfafter the lukewarm response to the firstFire Emblem Warriors, the twoHyrule Warriorstitles are both highly regarded. The firstHyrule Warriorsbuilt up a compelling cast ofZeldacharacters and offered a surprising amount of value thanks to its Adventure Mode. Meanwhile,Age of Calamityhad the most in-depth gameplay aWarriorstitle has ever seen, and it took advantage of being a prequel toBreath of the Wild. These two games are both winners in the Switch’s catalog, and Nintendo ought to consider backing a thirdHyrule Warriorsto push the side series even further.
RELATED:Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes Should Have a Demo Like Age of Calamity
There is Plenty of Room Left for Hyrule Warriors to Grow
There are still lots of things that could be done with a newHyrule Warriorsgame, starting with its gameplay. The basicWarriorsformula seen in bothHyrule Warriorsgames is solid, andAge of Calamityrepresents some of Omega Force’s best work. As parts of both games' rosters would presumably be merged in another in-series crossover, certain mechanics unique to each game could also be merged.
The additions of unique actions, EX Abilities, and more ways to cause weak-point gauges to appear would be great, and the dungeon items could return as loadouts toreplaceAge of Calamity’s Sheikah Runes. The wider roster of monsters found in the completeLegend of Zeldafranchise could also benefit from the more complex enemy design found inAge of Calamity.
Of course, aWarriorsgame isn’t much without its huge roster of playable characters, and a thirdHyrule Warriorsgame would deliver more than ever before. While some cuts are realistic, most of the fighters present in bothHyrule Warriorstitles could be brought together. There are also still plenty of blank spaces for a new title to fill, such as introducing the first 3D versions of Vaati and theOraclegames’ characters, as well as adding more fan favorites like Groose. There is still some room for original characters, and it would be interesting to see an original Sheikah warrior using elements fromthe canceled Retro Studios game.
Hyrule Warriors 3 Would Benefit From a True Musou Mode
One advantage thatDynasty Warriorsholds over the Nintendo crossover titles is its story, which freely focuses on different characters and factions depending on whom the player has chosen to control. Some of that is coming back inFire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, as players will be able to choose between three factions like they would in a modernDynasty Warriorsgame.
A thirdHyrule Warriorscould have an equivalent to that old Musou Mode, where every character would have a short run of stages. It would worksimilarly to a fighting game’s arcade mode, capped off with story vignettes. This allows for another epic storyline to be told in the main story mode, while minor characters will get their chance in the spotlight via this side mode.
Having the story and Musou modes be distinct entities would also allow for more experimentation with theWarriorsformat, potentially incorporatingAge of Calamity’s world mapalongside more varied mission objectives. ProperZeldadungeons with Warriors-level enemy density is an intriguing idea, and could hold some merit if done properly. The Musou Mode could even give DLC characters the chance to get some degree of story focus, even if they hadn’t existed in the plot before their addition. There is still plenty to be done withHyrule Warriors, and hopefully Nintendo and Koei Tecmo will ensure that something is in a few years time.
