Hyrule Warriors: the perfect bridge until The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 is released. Age of Calamity, the second mash-up of The Legend of Zelda mythology and Musou gameplay, will finally tell the story of what happened 100 years before Breath of the Wild.

The game essentially came out of nowhere when Nintendo released a standalone trailer in September. We were eager to dive back into the enchanting world of Breath of the Wild and learn a little more about its quirky characters. Here's what we know about Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity will be released for the Nintendo Switch on November 20, 2020. The game will cost $60 and players can choose between physical or digital formats. Those who pre-order the digital version will receive a special weapon (lucky ladle), but otherwise the two versions are identical.

The first trailer for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity was released on September 8. Since then, many videos of the game have been released, but this remains the best source of information about the game's story and setting:

Unlike the first Hyrule Warriors, which only had connections to Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword Age of Calamity" is a direct prequel to "Breath of the Wild. In it, players will learn the full story of how Link and Zelda attempted to stop Calamity Ganon and were ultimately outmatched. While some gaps were filled in Breath of the Wild through flashbacks, there is still a lot of uncharted territory here.

Understanding Hyrule Warriors: To understand the gameplay of "Age of Calamity," it helps to understand a little about the first "Hyrule Warriors" game. Hyrule Warriors is a hack-and-slash action game that debuted on the Wii U in 2014. While it was something of a sleeper hit on the first console, it got a boost with a port to the 3DS and a re-release on Switch called Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition

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The concept is simple: Musou gameplay with a Legend of Zelda skin. Dynasty Warriors (sometimes called "Warriors") is a long-running series of historical action games in which you control a semi-historical Chinese hero as he navigates the battlefield, fighting off hundreds of faceless enemy soldiers. The game is a bit strategic, as you must control checkpoints and decide where to place your allies, but it is generally fast-paced and chaotic, so you won't be bothered by the details.

Hyrule Warriors adds a fun twist to the Zelda formula with accessories familiar to fans, such as bombs, boomerangs, ocarinas, and hookshots. The main attraction, however, was the ability to control Zelda characters other than Link. The previous title featured nearly 30 playable characters, ranging from mainstays like Zelda and Impa to deep characters like Ghirahim and Marin. Considering that each character has different skills and upgradeable weapons, it can be a pretty deep rabbit hole.

Age of Calamity is going to have very similar gameplay overall, from the Warriors formula to the large number of playable characters. The weapon selection and world map seem to be a bit deeper this time around, but it won't take much to jump in and play. You can watch over 20 minutes of gameplay on Nintendo's YouTube channel.

Multiplayer is available in Hyrule Warriors, so co-op partners are in good hands: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity will feature the same multiplayer capabilities as its predecessor. According to the game's official listing, we know that, like the first game, it will support "up to two players" and that one Joy-Con can be used as a full controller. This should make spontaneous multiplayer sessions much easier.

It is not yet known exactly which modes will support multiplayer, but in the original game, players could cooperate in the story campaign, challenge missions, and a "free mode" where they could set their own mission parameters.

Hyrule Warriors: Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition featured nearly 30 characters: Age of Calamity would not be stingy. Link and Zelda are naturally playable, as are the four Guardians from Breath of the Wild: Dalek, Meefa, Revali, and Urbosa. Zelda's maid of honor, Impa, will also be a playable character.

We also know that Purah, Robby, and the King of Hyrule will be in the game, although they are not guaranteed to be playable. However, we imagine that there will be many more playable characters, and more details about them will be revealed as the game gets closer to release.