“Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity,” a recently released title for the Nintendo Switch, is an enjoyable game that should appeal to both fans of action games, as well as to those who appreciate the Legend of Zelda franchise.

“Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity” poses as a prequel to “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” but as the player may quickly realize, it’s not quite that simple. With that said, playing “Breath of the Wild” first will certainly help the player gain the context to understand the events and characters of “Age of Calamity.”

In “Age of Calamity,” you play as Link, a knight of Hyrule, tasked with helping Princess Zelda seal the cause of the Calamity – Ganon, the series’ villain. Zelda is also tasked with finding “Champions” to pilot large machines called Divine Beasts, which would be used to aid in stopping the Calamity. In addition to these Champions, many other characters encountered in “Breath of the Wild” are found along the way. As the Calamity gets closer, Link, Zelda, the Champions, and other heroes fight to keep Hyrule safe.

In terms of gameplay, “Age of Calamity” feels a lot like the “Dynasty Warriors” series but also quite a bit like “Breath of the Wild.” It includes giving the player the power to take down hundreds of enemies, and even pilot the Divine Beasts from “Breath of the Wild” during certain scenarios. The player’s movement-and combat-related abilities take plenty of inspiration from “Breath of the Wild” as well, such as having access to a paraglider, runes, and unique abilities for each character. “Age of Calamity” would be great for fans of “The Legend of Zelda,” “Dynasty Warriors,” or even those who want to jump into “Hyrule Warriors” for the first time.

For those who want more of “Age of Calamity,” there’s a lot to do in Hyrule. The main story doesn’t need much more than the length of a day to be completed. Those who enjoy longer games can look forward to a lot of extra content. With most of the game’s content being optional, it can provide entertainment for people with little or lots of time.

The game’s visual presentation puts power into its animation and implements a mix of darkness and hope into its art-style. The graphics are so exaggerated at times that it slows the game down. While those who enjoy the art-style of “Breath of the Wild” would also enjoy that of “Age of Calamity,” people looking for the most impressive of graphic quality probably won’t be as impressed.

“Age of Calamity” has a good soundtrack, but many tracks don’t stand out from the rest. It can also be difficult to pay attention to the music because the gameplay takes most of the player’s focus. That said, for the purpose getting through battles with having good music in the background, it works well even for scenarios that last longer than half an hour.

While “Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity” is introduced as a prequel to “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” it is still exciting for those who want more. It features a new story, many distinct characters with different abilities, exciting gameplay, a lot of optional content, a compelling art-style, and good music. While it would be better if the graphics were more stable, and the music more distinct, it would still be a great experience for many of its players.