It seems Nintendo is finally ready to reveal more about Hyrule Warriors, as the Japanese
website has unveiled new story details, character profiles, and even a look at a new stage yet
it seems like there's more mystery than ever surrounding this Legend of Zelda spin-off.
Now we've already talked about it at length in two separate discussions, but there's always
more to find.
And that's why we have the old Analysis Machine to see what other kinds of secrets and hidden
details we can find.
We'd also like to thank Streets Ahead for the initial translations and Heat Man for
his personal help with a few more.
Of course, be sure to watch our previous analysis as we'll be focusing solely on the new information
this time.
So let's get started.
The story of the game is at once classic and new.
The official website tells of a time when Hyrule almost fell into the hands of evil
when a hero wearing a green tunic appeared to stop it.
Victorious, the hero broke the evil's spirit into four pieces, hoping that this would prevent
its return.
He somehow sent three pieces into the depths of space-time and sealed the fourth piece
with the Master Sword.
Ever since that time, generations have passed and a sorceress has used a crystal to watch
the equilibrium between the Triforce.
While we don't know if it was always the same sorceress, in more recent times, Cia was supposed
to keep an eye out for any kind of disturbance but instead found herself the one corrupted.
She was once a good person and came to admire Link, a young knight in training, but her
jealousy was ignited when she saw how much time Princess Zelda was able to spend with
him.
Eventually the jealousy and the influence of the evil being chased away any good in
her, and she brought chaos to Hyrule.
Link must now stand against her and her minions, and bring peace to Hyrule while searching
for the missing Zelda.
Even without the influence of Dynasty Warriors, this is a very different kind of Zelda story.
Jealousy has never been used as an inciting factor so it begs the question of just how
close are Link and Zelda this time around.
Is this actually a romantic relationship?
Or are they just friends and Cia simply doesn't want anyone to be close to Link but her.
In addition to this story summary, we also have some artwork that's likely from the opening
cutscene.
It's done in an art style reminiscent of Wind Waker except the designs are completely unique.
We've been working off the assumption that Hyrule Warriors takes place sometime after
Skyward Sword and before Ocarina of Time thanks to some of the locations revealed so far.
We'll detail those soon, but for now, could this artwork be of Link and Zelda from Skyward
Sword?
It doesn't seem likely since Zelda never wore anything like that in the game and Link's
tunic didn't have yellow trim.
This seems to be a completely new Link and Zelda that's never been shown before especially
since we've never seen Link seal an evil in space-time.
But who was the evil that was sealed?
Demise would be the obvious choice, but the differences in art seem to strike down that
theory.
More curious is the artwork featuring the portal.
There's no real context for it in the story summary unless this is a portal to the space-time
that the evil was sealed in.
After all, there is a chain wrapped around the feminine figure that segments it into
four parts, just as the story stated.
The other possibility is that it's depicting Cia's corruption, but the presence of a portal
doesn't make sense since we see Cia standing in front of one in other screens unshackled.
Unfortunately, that's all we know about the story, as far as what's been directly told,
but there are many other clues hidden in the characters themselves.
First up is Link who is described as an exceptionally strong soldier in Hyrule's Army.
He is a kind boy who can speak with fairies and has a strong sense of justice that makes
him stand against evil no matter the odds.
At first we thought that this might be a clue that Link can speak in Hyrule Warriors, but
it likely means he'll speak in the same way that Navi and Link spoke in Ocarina of Time.
Fittingly, we can see he also has the mark of the Triforce of Courage on his hand.
What we don't quite understand is what qualifies Link to be the hero.
Even though he's strong, so strong that a blue aura surrounds Link and the other soldier
when he's training, what makes him immediately qualified to lead men?
Is it just because he bears the Triforce of Courage?
And could this fight between Link and the soldier actually be a tutorial sequence?
After all, Link is still in his trainee gear.
Link's fighting style looks like it's going to be pretty customizable.
His main weapon is a sword which allows him to use fast footwork on enemies, but we've
already seen him use the Fire Rod in the original trailer as well.
So his combos can definitely change.
However, the latest batch of screenshots show Link with 3 different sword and shield combinations.It
appears that he'll start off with a practice wooden sword and shield, before progressing
to a normal sword and blue shield, and eventually winding up with the Master Sword and Hylian
shield.
But will he naturally be given these at predetermined points or will he have to traverse dungeons
to find them?
Between all of these combinations, we see different finishers and even different beam
attacks.
There's a horizontal slice which we also saw in the trailer as well as a new vertical beam.
This actually seems to be causing some kind of small explosion when it strikes an enemy
though we don't know if it's just an effect or additional damage.
What's most curious though is what seems to be a new Musou attack.
Musous are powerful special moves in the Dynasty Warriors games that grant temporary invincibility
while being performed.
We've already seen one in the form of Link's spin attack and even see the beginnings of
it here with the blue light at the tip of Link's sword.
However, another screen shows Link in the same pose while symbols and energy burst out
from around him.
We don't recognize the symbols but could they mean anything?
What if this isn't a Musou attack and instead him using some kind of magic as a sub-item?
We've seen something like that before in Ocarina of Time with Din's Fire.
But Link won't be the only playable character.
Impa will also be joining him in the fight.
She's described as the commanding officer of the Hyrule Imperial Guard and an attendant
of Princess Zelda.
She's also the leader of the Sheikah, who protect the royal family from the shadows.
Impa is said to care little for herself and instead dedicates herself fully to the safety
of the royal family.
And while Impa looks remarkably similar to her incarnation in Skyward Sword, right down
to her belt and the feathers at her side, this one is indeed different.
Her Sheikah symbol is no longer tattooed on her forehead but worn on her breastplate.
Instead, she has a new tattoo on her left eye.
Impa's fighting style also seems to be very different from Link's.
She uses a giant longsword in quick succession to precisely take out enemies and is considered
a sword master with precise footwork.
This style can be seen in the screenshots as well.
In this one we can see enemies being smacked away even though her sword is still in its
sheath.
This could imply that she uses a style of quickly drawing and sheathing her sword, which
usually indicates incredible precision.
However, the sword can also be driven in the ground in front of her.
We don't know how the move works completely, but it could be that she slams the sword in
front of her and dashes back while simultaneously retrieving the blade.
What's really unique about her though is how she seems to mix power with her quick movements.
The previous screens showed her speed, but here we see Impa pile-driving her sword into
a crowd of enemies.
It's certainly a unique maneuver.
Meanwhile, some of her moves appear to be water-based.
We're not sure if these are her Musou attacks or some kind of magic, but they do appear
similar to some of Link's attacks.
In one we see a water shockwave emanating from her as she slashes forward while in another
she summons liquid versions of her sword all around her before sending them out at her
enemies.
Whether it's Musou or magic, it's certainly impressive.
Impa even seems to be able to use this water for her own version of Link's beam attack.
But that's not what has us curious.
It's our only good look at her sword and we can see that it has the symbol of the Gorons
on it.
In Ocarina of Time, it symbolized the Spiritual Stone of Fire so one might think that she
should be using fire attacks.
But that's assuming the elemental power is an innate part of the sword, but that seems
unlikely specifically because she's using water attacks instead of fire.
The symbol could merely mean that her sword was originally forged by the Gorons.
We haven't seen them yet, but it seems like a safe bet that we will.
In addition to the heroes, we also got our first look at the villains with the sorceress
Cia looking to take the main role.
But beyond her backstory, we don't know much about her.
How did she come to admire Link?
How does she protect the equilibrium of the Triforce?
And what are her origins?
It does appear that she's a member of the Sheikah based on her darker skin, white hair,
tattoos, and even the feathers at her collar.
There are some other theories on her origins too.
One states that she might be one of the Twinrova sisters, based on her witch-like powers, while
another is the visual similarities she shares with the Poe, Meg, from Ocarina of Time.
It's too soon to say which of these theories is correct, but they all cast Cia in an interesting
light.
Curiously, all the screenshots of Cia show her in what appears to be the Lanayru Gorge,
where she has opened some kind of space-time portal.
Although it looks similar to the portal in Skyward Sword, we don't think they're directly
related as the symbols around the edge are completely different.
This instead could be Cia's attempt to bring back the ancient evil and it almost looks
like some kind of energy is coming out of the portal.
Does she succeed early on and the rest of the game is spent with the heroes combating
this evil?
It's difficult to say exactly especially since one of the screens appears to show her emanating
with some kind of power.
Is she being possessed or is she simply demonstrating her power?
Cia even has two minions: Valga and Wizro.
Valga is described as having made some kind of deal with Cia in order to obtain great
power.
Yet he also has some kind of honor to him as he wants to take opponents head on.
What's truly striking though is the way he looks.
His armor and helmet are remarkably similar to Volvagia, the dragon boss from Ocarina
of Time.
Even his hands look like Volvagia's and his lance is described as being reminiscent of
a dragon's claw.
And with the similarity in names, we might just be looking at the human precursor of
Volvagia.
But how is that possible?
Well, we have a few theories.
The power he obtained from Cia can be seen while he's powering up.
Perhaps eventually he will transform into his Volvagia form.
Then Link could seal him in Death Mountain.
Although if you know your Ocarina of Time history, the Gorons described Volvagia as
having been sealed by a Goron with the Megaton Hammer.
But in Ocarina of Time, Link was made an honorary Goron for his help.
Perhaps the same thing happens to this Link and, over time, he is only remembered as an
actual Goron.
Farfetched yes, but it's possible.
Then there's Wizro, who is surprisingly tricky to pin down.
He's described as originating from a ring that gained power from whoever wore it until
Cia gave him a physical form.
And you can even see the ring on his hand.
Yet despite Cia essentially being his mother, he only seems attracted to whoever's strongest.
The question is, what are his origins?
It seems like simple enough of an answer based on his name, which suggests some kind of connection
to the common Wizrobe enemy--could he be their origin?
Even the description of his attacks, being magic pulses and bullets, fit the Wizrobes.
But his design, while similar, doesn't exactly match the classic look of those enemies.
So an alternate theory has sprung up stating that he could be the Poe collector from Ocarina
of Time since they look remarkably similar, including the single red eye.
But this flies in the face of another theory regarding the Poe Collector.
One that states that he's actually the same soldier that resided in the storage room during
young Link's time in Ocarina of Time.
If that theory is true, there's almost no way the Poe Collector and Wizro could be one
and the same.
But it is just a theory--although Wizro being the origin of the Wizrobes seems likely, only
with a much different design, similar to how the ones found in Wind Waker looked completely
different from the ones that came before.
That's all the characters we know about for now, but we also got a better look at some
of the stages.
The first is Hyrule Field which also seems to contain Hyrule Castle.
This is probably the first area in the game since we can see Link training in what appears
to be a part of the castle.
It would also explain how he and Zelda were able to become so close.
Hyrule Castle itself looks to be a precursor to the one found in Ocarina of Time though
there's no sign of Castle Town.
However, there is a strange symbol on the front wall in this screen.
The problem is, we can't identify it at all.
It alternatively looks like a long-beaked bird with a sword on its back, or a one-eyed
man with long ears and a staff.
Either way, we've never seen this symbol before.
Could it be some kind of symbol for the soldiers-in-training?
This screenshot doesn't seem to be showing anything significant at first until you look
closely at the rocks on the left side.
They appear to be blocking a bridge.
In the new information given, it was stated that bombs won't just be used for offense,
so this could be the first example of that.
Bomb the rock to clear the way across this bridge.
Perhaps the nearby building is even where we see Link find the chest with the bombs
inside?
If not, then will each area contain some kind of dungeon?
The screenshot also shows the first instance of tall grass which could mean that it could
be cut down for hearts or maybe even rupees.
Finally there's this screen of what appears to be a Great Fairy Fountain.
We can even see pink lights around which are likely a few of the fairies.
The question is, where is this located?
Usually these are hidden away, but the presence of the gray control point jewels means that
this is an area that can be fought in and won.
Unless there are secret control points, this might actually be inside Hyrule Castle itself.
After all, Link is said to be able to speak to fairies.
Maybe this is where he learns that he has that ability.
The attack on Hyrule Field seems to be led by Valga based on the background of his screens
and Lanayru Gorge is where Wizro is first encountered.
The gorge is described as a wasteland that rests on steep cliffs.
Near the ruins at the north of the gorge is terrain that, according to our translation,
exhibits an ominous air thanks to the malevolent power of what lives in the ruins.
Is it referring to the ancient evil that Cia is likely trying to summon or Wizro's presence.
We believe the former, but this stage is significant for several other reasons.
For one, the Lanayru Gorge also appeared in Skyward Sword and was where you could meet
Lanayru the Thunder Dragon.
Perhaps those dragon statues are depicting him.
The gorge was more of a desert in that game though there are still hints of that past
in some of the screenshots.
It's likely been several generations since the time of Skyward Sword.
Could the influence of that evil power be what corrupted this place further?
And are these ruins what remain of the buildings in Skyward Sword?
Or perhaps a precursor to the Gerudo Fortress?
Another screen shows an area with a flowing river of lava and wooden embattlements.
It's actually remarkably similar to the Eldin Volcano in Skyward Sword.
Could this version of Hyrule be a transitional stage between Skyward Sword and Ocarina of
Time?
It's difficult to say but the similarities are intriguing.
But the most mysterious picture is artwork depicting a floating island above Hyrule Castle.
In fact, this island seems to be Skyloft since the statue of the goddess can be seen on the
smaller island and birds are flying all around it.
These could be Loftwings.
But is the island falling or rising?
We believe falling because the land lacks a crater where you'd expect it to be.
Skyloft appears to be emerging from ominous clouds above that could actually be another
space-time portal.
It's a crazy idea, but could the evil actually be pulling in characters and places from all
of Hyrule's history to this present time?
It would give the developers a way to have iconic characters and setpieces appear in
Hyrule Warriors.
This would also help reconcile all of the Skyward Sword and Ocarina of Time connections.
In fact, we can even see that the Stalchildren, first seen in Ocarina of Time, will appear
as an enemy here too as seen on this Hyrule Warriors artwork.
This directly puts an Ocarina of Time enemy design side-by-side with a Skyward Sword enemy,
being the Bokoblins.
Whatever the reason, Hyrule Warriors is shaping up to be a truly unique entry in the Zelda
series.
As E3 approaches, we'll have to see what else the game has to offer.
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