Exciting new gameplay of Impa was showed off today in a Nintendo Treehouse broadcast for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. Impa is a mainstay in the Legend of Zelda franchise, and she was confirmed as a playable character in Age of Calamity during the Tokyo Game Show, to the delight of many fans.

Even before Impa was announced, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity was an exciting prospect for a lot of fans. The game is a canonical prequel to Breath of the Wild, taking place a century before the events of the world-renowned game. Players will follow Link, Zelda, and the four Champions introduced in the original game, as well as additional side characters like Purah, as they struggle in the ancient conflict that sets the stage for Breath of the Wild. The game features Koei Tecmo's well-known Dynasty Warriors gameplay, pitting a single player against an army of opponents and giving them a broad range of special abilities with which to lay waste to the forces that oppose them.

Today's Nintendo Treehouse showed off a lot more about the upcoming game. In addition to a first look at Urbosa and Zelda, as well as a deep dive into the game's map system, the broadcast showed off a much more thorough display of Impa's combat style. Her TGS preview gave fans a lot of info, including the ability to summon mystical clones and attack enemies with kunai, but the Treehouse went even further. She seems to combine Zelda's reliance on Sheikah Slate runes with Link's use of tools, including the iconic paraglider. She can also absorb mystical symbols to spawn more clones and power her incredible magical abilities. These abilities include bombarding creatures with explosives and aerial strikes and, perhaps most significantly, conjuring a giant frog to crush enemies in her path. Check it out below.


Much like its predecessor, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity looks ready to blow players away with wild, over the top combat. Impa is just one of the many iconic Zelda characters whose shoes players will be able to fill, and they all look like a delight to control. Impa in particular is sure to be a fan-favorite, and that frog of hers will likely delight players for months to come after the game releases.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is certainly an unconventional title. The amount of direct sequels/prequels in the Zelda franchise is very rare, but even when they do happen, as with Ocarina of Time and its sequel Majora's Mask, they at least use similar gameplay styles. Age of Calamity is taking its gameplay from a non-canon spinoff and using it to provide a direct prequel to Breath of the Wild, and as odd as it may seem, it will likely make for a phenomenal game. Since Breath of the Wild's sequel is still a long way away, fans should find Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity a welcome way to pass the time when it releases next month.