E3 2014: Hyrule Warriors Could Be the Dynasty Warriors Game for You

At its Nintendo Direct E3 event today, Nintendo showcased some new gameplay from Hyrule Warriors, its upcoming hybrid of the storied Legend of Zelda series and the sometimes maligned Dynasty Warriors franchise. That is, the game uses characters and settings from the Zelda universe and transposes them into the over-the-top action brawling style of Dynasty Warriors.

From what was shown at Nintendo's event, the Dynasty Warriors influence is much, much more front and center. If you've ever played a Dynasty Warriors game, then you'll know what to expect from Hyrule Warriors: you play as one character and take on hundreds of enemies, slashing and attacking your way through those poor hapless souls like a lawnmower cuts through blades of grass. The playable characters confirmed so far include expected ones like Link and Zelda, as well as two more from the Legend of Zelda series' past--Midna and Impa. Nintendo says many more should be expected.

It seems that some of the other hallmarks of the Dynasty Warriors series--such as dynamic battles where you'll have to assist other "generals" on the field if they're under sustained pressure--will make its way into Hyrule Warriors. One thing the Zelda series will bring, however, is boss battles. While the Dynasty Warriors series has featured stronger generals as its level bosses, it looks like Hyrule Warriors will actually feature large beasties as its bosses. The Nintendo E3 presentation showed off two bosses--a dragon and a large, salamander-like creature--and I'm hopeful that the intricate, multi-stage boss patterns of the Zelda series somehow influence how these battles play out in Hyrule Warriors.

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