Hyrule Warriors (Hands-On) (Wii U) Preview

Marmite, with a splash of cheese, is something that usually divides crowds into a clear two. Perhaps it's a clichéd analogy, but such is the case when it comes to Hyrule Warriors - something that instantly resonates with a player, or something that's just far too astray from what's made Nintendo's series so popular in the first place.

The post-E3 demo quite literally grabbed players by the paws, and threw them straight into the heart of the action, taking the role of either Princess (Queen) Zelda or the silent protagonist himself, Link, with the remaining roster unfortunately locked up and waiting. Link relies on heavy sword-play, whilst Zelda dashes into the fray with more graceful, flowing combos, with her approach being more appealing and interesting to play as, over Link, surprisingly.

The level did away with any storyline preamble, engulfing either character in a huge horde of sword-wielding, orange Moblins, each hungry for a splatter of Hylian flesh. To dispatch them, simply tap away at the primary action button, which invokes a slice of a sword, weaving into delightful combos with plenty of bite. That's a fairly standard and familiar element for those who have played any 3D Zelda title since Ocarina of Time; so the main appeal comes in the range of special moves and combos available and presumably only a small selection on show for the E3 build. After tallying up damage meters, say after ten or so hits, special moves become available - either a single button blast or a charge ability that boosts strength. There was a feeling that the game could well become repetitive, given the number of enemies that consistently spawn across the landscape, but the use of combos and special moves helps break up the constant button mashing.

The control scheme itself would have lent itself to Wii Remotes in particular for all the slashing, but the demo build relied solely on the GamePad for a button-based setup. It's a straightforward layout, with analogue control to move about, the ability to lock onto certain enemies with the left shoulder button, plus selected items and moves mapped out to the right triggers - like bombs, for example. Players are also able to shuffle through additional items, like a nifty potion to restore those much needed lives. In the final release, expect there to be a fair number of different unlockable items and weapons to assign to characters, including Link's meaty Fire Rod, to give even greater variation in how the game can be tackled.

Despite having the arcade flavour, there actually is a storyline and mission-based approach to the game, where characters are woven into the playable selection by encounters with others. For example, Link hunts out Zelda, and then the pair wander off into the army -painted battlefield to seek out Impa, who does need a fair bit of help in order to protect the castle from the imminent Dodongo and Moblin attacks. Having some structure to what could have been an endless barrage of the attack button, does help make things feel that bit more engaging, where enemies don't need to all be defeated in order to progress.

With the mechanics and controls set firmly in place, it comes down to both the graphics and music to bring things all-together, and visually is where the game becomes hindered by quality. The art direction fits nicely within the mould set by Eiji Aonuma and his team over the years, but where the game is noticeably lacking is the texture quality and finishing touches - quite frankly Hyrule Warriors looks like it were born two generations back, sitting comfortably on Nintendo GameCube, rather than Wii U. Admittedly the graphics have come some way since the company announced the game last year, with far better detail in the current build, but still falling short of contemporary offerings. There's not a big amount to say about the music, but it sits nicely with the action and works well within the Legend of Zelda landscape.