The Triforce vibrates at the bottom of the screen. It is the proof that you are following the rhythm of movements and sword strokes in an adventure with all the most iconic elements of Zelda. And that’s basically Cadence of Hyrule, a dream come true in which Nintendo, in collaboration with an indie developer, shows us that these kinds of experiments are possible.
Nobody expected it, but it was surprising. It was in a Nintendo Direct dedicated to indie releases. I think a laugh escaped me, not only because of how nice the proposal was, but because of how weird it was to see Nintendo leave a license like Zelda in the hands of a small studio (the Canadians from Brace Yourself Games ). One of Sega’s most legendary developers, the Japanese Yuji Naka, even said that Cadence of Hyrule demonstrated a great change in the Kyoto company.
Although we have seen other approaches to the style of Hyrule Warriors , it is true that this is not seen every day. But the best part is that we already have it with us, on Nintendo Switch , and I am happy to say that the experiment has gone very well. I can’t tell if Cadence of Hyrule is more of a Crypt of the Necrodancer in the form of Zelda, or a Zelda in the spirit of Crypt of the Necrodancer. But that fundamental doubt already tells us something important: that we are faced with a formidable fusion of ideas in which the iconic features of each creation have been used. There is no better news than that.
Cadence of Hyrule not only takes advantage of the mythical soundtrack of the Zelda saga , but also puts it at the service of its own style of play. A very rhythmic one , but one that does not leave aside the dynamics that have characterized the work of Shigeru Miyamoto. Dungeons, use of objects, containers of hearts, rupees … Everything is here for the enjoyment of the fan, but also of anyone who feels minimally seduced by an original, carefree, and above all high quality proposal.
Cadence of Hyrule E3 2019 Trailer
Power, wisdom, courage… and lots of rhythm!Cadence of Hyrule begins simply: a villain, known as Octavian, has plunged the kingdom of Hyrule into darkness, and we are in charge of saving the situation. A new adventure against evil, but from a very different perspective than usual. Although it coincides in using the zelda’s zelda perspective in 8 and 16 bits, here the bet is on some very rhythmic playable mechanics that rely on something as simple but effective as pressing the four directions of the pad or stick following the tempo musical.
The graphics solution adopted is 2D, with a great finish in terms of quality, as well as a lot of fidelity with respect to Zelda.
That is the essence of Cadence of Hyrule: following the rhythm imposed by the sheet music. A metronome in the shape of a triforce indicates the rhythm to follow in the keystrokes on the controller at the bottom of the screen … but I already tell you that you won’t need it. In a few minutes I was fused with the experience of moving with the tempo that marked the main theme of Zelda, the music of the Gerudo or the melody of the lost forest. A joy. There are more than twenty themes , which range from the desert area to the beach, and from there to the mountain with smooth, almost priceless transitions, maintaining a continuous rhythm between screens that at times generates tension peaks.
Cadence of Hyrule not only takes advantage of the mythical soundtrack of the Zelda saga, but also puts it at the service of its own style of playThe composer Danny Baranowsky (musical author in Super Meat Boy or The Binding of Isaac ) has linked the sound concepts of The Legend of Zelda and Crypt of the Necrodancer with mastery, giving rise to something like a techno-zeldera dance , but without going overboard . decibels. If you are still wondering why the soundtrack is so important, it is for something as simple as keeping the rhythm now allows you not only to play better, but to obtain better rewards by killing enemies on the screen. The triforce vibrates when this happens, encouraging you to push yourself, not to get confused even in a single beat of rhythm. In fact, there are parts of the map where there are chests that only open if you follow the compass without errors.
Usually we will be surrounded by enemies, so tactics are important when moving on stage.
Speaking of the map, it is another of the great successes of Cadence of Hyrule. It is basically a free interpretation of the scene of the Zelda of NES and SNES , with the beach region, forest, mountainous and desert. There are allies like the Zora or the Gerudo here, as well as a number of iconic enemies: from octoroks to moblins. A simple glance at the screens that accompany this analysis will give you an idea of what I’m talking about: a fusion of video games and eras within the Zelda saga, although the more retro stage tends to be represented with greater attention.
For this reason, the map is a reimagining of the classics, and the best thing is that it gives us high freedom of movement. There is no preset order to clear the four dungeons . Once I tried to go in one direction, but when I was mercilessly killed I decided to go another way. Failing and retrying is common, but made fun by the simple fact that you always have a new place to go. If something becomes difficult for you, you can try something else, such as a minigame of marksmanship or dedicate yourself to collecting rupees to enter a store and improve equipment.
Of course, and as in the Zelda, there are also places here that you cannot access without the proper object. It could be a hook, the bombs, a shovel, a flashlight … Exploring is part of the magic: spinning like you’ve always done in this series. The size of the inventory is surprising in this regard, as is the number of progression options . We can temporarily improve attack and defense, gain the ability to swim or resist fire, as well as increase our life counter.
It is a game that has its challenge, and although we do not have difficulty modes, there is the option to activate the arrhythmic mode , which consists of moving the character without having to follow the rhythm. Although personally I do not find it funny, it is one more option, that does not hurt anyone, and that is inserted into a game that can be completed in about 6-8 hours (quite variable figure), although through I have already seen online classification that there are people who have managed to do it in just over 23 minutes, and without any deaths. Quite an achievement.
There are numerous optional locations that we will find as we explore the environment. There is a lot of freedom.
The adventure can be played with both Link and Zelda , without major differences between them, beyond appearance and that they begin their adventure at different points on the map. But the best thing is that we can use them in the cooperative mode for two players , which is undoubtedly one of the best things about Cadence of Hyrule. Don’t worry if you want to play it alone, since this multiplayer is drop in / out (the second user can enter and exit whenever they want) and there are also three save slots in case you want to try the two concepts separately: individual and coop.
The game has many more positives than negatives. Everything is very well thought out, including teleports (they greatly facilitate moving around the map). I also liked, oddly enough, that you lose all rupees and temporary equipment when you die, something that forces you to be careful: it is a considerable penalty. There are also checkpoints distributed fairly evenly, and when you resurrect you appear in a shop that comforts you with items that make your next attempt more enjoyable.
Performance is exceptional in both TV and laptop mode. In the latter case it looks great.
Everything is very well measured. We even have some musical puzzles that, without being the ultimate, propose that point of variety so necessary in this type of game. Perhaps not the desirable variety, although competent. I also say this for the final bosses . They are not specially elaborated, but they fit within a studied game system, with few cracks and that has undoubtedly been a real surprise. If you like Zelda, rhythmic video games or just crossover experiments that go well, here is a suitable game option for Nintendo Switch.
“Excellent”
Cadence of Hyrule
Cadence of Hyrule is a great demonstration that when two good ideas come together (Crypt of the Necrodancer and Zelda), things can turn out very well. Indie developer Brace Yourself Games shows great talent in a production that knows how to fuse the rhythmic concept of her most successful game with the iconic features of The Legend of Zelda saga. A great combination that manifests itself in a title that has its challenge, variety and is also quite innovative as a crossover experiment.
- Very successful fusion of concepts: “necrodancer” rhythm and zeldera action
- The representation of the Zelda universe is simply magnificent
- Good sense of progression, with upgrades and items
- Balanced challenge level, with considerable duration and replayability
- The musical themes are very good, essential to generate the playable rhythm
- A little more variety is missing in puzzles and bosses
- There are hardly any differences between the control of one or the other character
