Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment Assists Nintendo's Switch 2 Pass Its Crucial Challenge to Date

It's surprising, however we're approaching the new Switch 2 console's half-year mark. When Metroid Prime 4: Beyond debuts on December 4, it will be possible to deliver the device a fairly thorough progress report based on its impressive roster of Nintendo-developed launch window games. Major titles like Donkey Kong Bananza will headline that analysis, however it's two newest Nintendo titles, the Pokémon Legends installment and now Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, that have enabled the Switch 2 pass a crucial test in its opening six months: the hardware evaluation.

Tackling Hardware Worries

Prior to Nintendo formally revealed the new console, the main issue from users around the hypothetical device was regarding performance. In terms of components, Nintendo has lagged behind PlayStation and Xbox over the last few console generations. This situation began to show in the original Switch's later life. The expectation was that a successor would deliver more stable framerates, better graphics, and standard options like 4K. That's precisely what arrived when the console was released in June. That's what its hardware specifications promised, anyway. To really determine if the Switch 2 is an improvement, we'd need to see some key games running on it. We now have that evidence over the last two weeks, and the assessment is favorable.

Legends: Z-A serving as Initial Challenge

The console's first major test arrived with October's Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The franchise had well-known technical problems on the first Switch, with titles such as Pokémon Scarlet and Violet releasing in downright disastrous states. The system wasn't exactly to blame for that; the game engine driving the Pokémon titles was old and being pushed beyond its capabilities in the franchise's move to open-world. This installment would be more challenging for its developer than anything, but there remained much we'd be able to glean from the game's visual clarity and how it runs on the new system.

Although the title's limited detail has opened debates about Game Freak's technical capabilities, it's clear that Legends: Z-A is not at all like the performance mess of its predecessor, the previous Legends game. It performs at a smooth 60 frames on Switch 2, while the Switch version maxes out at thirty frames. Pop-in is still present, and you may notice plenty of blurry assets if you zoom in, but you won't encounter anything similar to the instance in the previous game where you first take to the skies and watch the complete landscape transform into a rough, low-poly terrain. That qualifies to earn the Switch 2 a decent grade, however with limitations since Game Freak has its own problems that exacerbate limited hardware.

Age of Imprisonment serving as a More Challenging Tech Test

There is now a tougher hardware challenge, though, due to the new Hyrule Warriors, launched earlier this month. This Zelda derivative pushes the Switch 2 due to its action-oriented style, which has players facing off against a huge number of enemies at all times. The series' previous game, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, had issues on the first Switch as the console couldn't keep up with its fast-paced action and density of things happening. It frequently dropped below the desired frame rate and gave the impression that you were pushing too hard when fighting intensely.

Fortunately is that it also passes the performance examination. I've been putting the game through its paces over the last few weeks, completing all missions included. Throughout this testing, the results show that it's been able to deliver a more stable framerate relative to its previous game, reaching its 60 fps mark with more consistency. Performance can dip in the most intense combat, but I haven't experienced any time when it becomes a choppy presentation as the framerate chugs. Part of that may result from the situation where its bite-sized missions are structured to prevent overwhelming hordes on the display simultaneously.

Notable Limitations and Overall Verdict

There are still foreseeable trade-offs. Especially, shared-screen play sees performance taking a significant drop around 30 frames. Moreover the premier exclusive release where there's a clear a noticeable variation between older OLED technology and the current LCD panel, with notably in story sequences appearing less vibrant.

But for the most part, Age of Imprisonment is a complete change compared to its earlier title, just as Z-A is to the earlier Pokémon title. If you need any sign that the Switch 2 is meeting its hardware potential, although with certain reservations still in tow, both games provide a clear example of how Nintendo's latest is significantly improving franchises that had issues on previous systems.