Nintendo recently showcased some gameplay of playable characters like Princess Zelda and Urbosa were shown in combat, and the footage gave everyone a clear look at what the world would look like in the timeline of Hyrule Warriors. Since the game takes place in the same universe as Breath of the Wild, these areas are pulled straight from that game, and it's fascinating to compare the two Zelda ages side by side.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was a fantastic game with a stellar open world and engaging combat, but it was light in the story department, and lots of the backstory of most of the major characters and locations was left up to interpretation. By the time the game starts, many important characters, like Daruk, are dead, and the rest have grown far too old to fight, like Impa. The entirety of Hyrule kingdom is in absolute ruins, with rubble standing where lively settlements once stood. Age of Calamity takes place before Calamity Ganon wrecks Hyrule, so many players are excited to compare the old Hyrule to the new one and finally see the differences for themselves.
One of the main areas that Nintendo showed off was the Gerudo Town in the desert. In Breath of the Wild, this town was accessible only if the player dressed in female clothing, since men are not allowed within the walls. It was home to many shops and quests, which made it a safe place that offered players a chance to breathe.
How Age of Calmity's Gerudo Town Compares To BOTW
In Age of Calamity, however, the town is swarmed with of the Yiga Clan. The town is structurally very similar, with palm trees, stands, and buildings all in the same locations. It's hard to say exactly why the Yiga are attacking the town in this part of the story, but they have always been associated with the Gerudo in Breath of the Wild so it's not too surprising to see them here.
What Lon Lon Ranch Looks Like In Age of Calamity
The other section which was shown during Age of Calamity's gameplay reveal was Lon Lon Ranch, which made its debut in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It's strategically designed in Breath of the Wild so that many players will reminisce about their experiences with Malon and Epona back in the N64 classic, but only through memory, as this time it's totally destroyed. The area is optional, but it could be an emotional experience for some players to see such a memorable place in complete tatters.
In Age of Calamity, however, the ranch looks much like it did in Ocarina of Time, complete with mini jumping fences inside the horse track. It's safe to say that the ranch had been abandoned sometime before Age of Calamity, since the area is now used as a military training ground for the knights of Hyrule.
Another interesting similarity is that the map screen matches up very well with the map found in Breath of the Wild. Nintendo and Koei Tecmo made the Breath of the Wild trilogy.
