Just earlier this month, Nintendo gave fans the Super Mario Bros 35th Anniversary Direct, which showcased all of the brand-new Mario related games and content that Nintendo fans are in store for over the course of the rest of 2020, and beyond. Fans learned about brand new titles and ports coming to the Switch, including the soon-to-be-released Super Mario 3D All-Stars. And while all of this was certainly exciting, it told Nintendo fans that, perhaps, Nintendo would give similar treatment to its other blockbuster franchise, The Legend of Zelda.
And just when things seemed to slow down, Nintendo announced Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity seemingly out of nowhere. Age of Calamity is another entry into the Hyrule Warriors games, whilst also serving as a direct prequel to Breath of the Wild. The game was announced simply by a trailer on Nintendo’s YouTube channel, with a relatively soon release date of November 20. The title will service as Nintendo’s big holiday title of 2020, but more interestingly, the game may be paving the way for the Zelda franchise’s big year.
Nintendo made no accident with releasing this spin-off at the end of 2020: it was on purpose in order to help build hype for Link’s big year. While the original Hyrule Warriors was not a hugely successful game compared to mainline titles, it in many ways felt like a celebration of the Zelda franchise as a whole. It featured tons of different characters and enemies, locations across the hugely expansive series, and felt like a love letter to Zelda fans. In the same why, Age of Calamity seems to be a celebration of the Breath of the Wild set of games, allowing for players to step into the shoes of tons of different characters from the 2017 game and will likely hint at future events to be seen in the upcoming sequel.
Even though Age of Calamity is due out at the end of this year, fans should not forget that the title is likely to receive additional downloadable content later down the road, as the original Hyrule Warriors did. If Nintendo wanted, the company could use Age of Calamity as a vehicle for delivering tons of new and exciting Zelda content that will help drive the 35th Anniversary hype train forward throughout next year.
It’s no secret that Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is an extension of the Breath of the Wild universe of Zelda games. The game has the exact same art style, contains a story that is directly derivative of the original game, and will surely hint at events in the sequel to the 2017 smash-hit. The new title is in the same universe as the Switch’s big launch title, and seems like the perfect bridge between mainline Zelda games. The game, in many ways, seems like an appetizer for the main course that is Breath of the Wild 2. The original was the most successful mainline Zelda entry to date, so releasing an entire game meant to build up hype for its sequel is a big way to build up the hype train.
So if 2021 is the year of Zelda, why is this new game coming out in 2020? Well, probably for multiple reasons. The most obvious answer may have been unplanned, that being Nintendo may have pushed this game’s release forward a couple of months due to other titles getting delayed due to Covid-19 issues. This would make sense, as Age of Calamity feels a little weak for a holiday game.
On the other hand, fans could think of this game’s 2020 release as being strategic on Nintendo’s part. It is the perfect game for Nintendo to support with Season Passes throughout 2021, thus giving the Zelda series a very strong presence throughout the year. Additionally, by having a major Zelda spin-off title release this year, it will leave fans craving a meatier Zelda experience next year. If the company manages to play its cards right, fans may be going absolutely insane for a new Zelda game by the time Breath of the Wild 2 releases sometime next year.
Let’s also not forget that Nintendo likely has other Zelda games to come in 2021. Fans already know that the popular spin-off Cadence of Hyrule is getting a physical release on October 23, so that’s two physical Zelda releases coming at the end of 2020 alone. Many fans are even speculating that Zelda will be receiving a 3D collection in 2021, similar to the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection releasing this year, as next year is its 35th anniverasry. With so many potential new releases coming in the near-future, it’s hard to argue that 2021 won’t be a big year for the Hylian hero.
Regardless of feelings for the spin-off, Age of Calamity is a sign that Zelda fans are in for a big year in 2021. With a distinct Breath of the Wild aesthetic, the new title shows that fans are in store for a big year, with Nintendo likely to have at least a couple of surprises up its sleeves. There was a tease at the end of the Age of Calamity trailer for more details to get revealed on September 26, so fans will have to stay tuned for whatever that announcement might entail. It may just end up being more details about Age of Calamity, but that’s still big for Link regardless.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity releases for the Switch on November 20, 2020.
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