Hyrule cadence review

Truly Legendary

As the name suggests, roguelike games resemble the original Rogue but with some changes. For example, Link doesn’t die permanently when your hearts are reduced in Cadence of Hyrule. But he loses some of his items and his progress.

Quite literally, this turns failure into a learning opportunity for players. By learning more about the game and the various enemies, you will improve with each attempt. At the same time, the randomized levels and items mean you always need to be on the lookout.

All of this brings us back to the original question: Does Cadence of Hyrule really create anything new?

In a word, yes. It’s not quite like Crypt of the Necrodancer, and it’s certainly not like a typical Legend of Zelda game. The game we got is actually a wonderful hybrid of the two.

It is also proof that Hyrule is a mature world for almost any type of game. Once upon a time, it seemed like Legend of Zelda games were destined to keep making new versions of the same thing (kind of like Ocarina of Time was like a 3D version of Link to the Past.)

Between Breath of the Wild that redefines the Legend of Zelda formula and Cadence of Hyrule that turns the game’s universe upside down, there’s no telling what the future of the franchise will be. And that’s exactly how we like it.

Final verdict

So what’s our verdict: Can this game dance or does it sport two left feet?

Overall, Cadence of Hyrule is a great game. It’s not for everyone: if you don’t like rhythm games, this probably won’t win you over. And if you hate roguelikes, that doesn’t change the formula dramatically.

But if you have an open mind, and especially if you love Link and Zelda, then this is as much fun as you can get with a video game.