Hyrule Conquest Mod is a free-to-use game utility from modder The_Undying Nephalim. This custom content, created for the real-time strategy (RTS) game 0 A.D., lets you play as one of the many races and factions that inhabit the lands of Hyrule, the setting for most of the Legend of Zelda games.

From the faeries to the moblins, each of the factions in Hyrule Conquest Mod is given a fully functional tech tree and a variety of units. For more info on the lore, check out The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 2D or Breath of the Wild.

Conquer the rest of Hyrule

Like most RTS games, the objective of the Hyrule Conquest Mod remains the same. Build a base, develop your economy, train your army, research technologies, and ultimately be the last team standing. In this mod, however, you get the entire Legend of Zelda treatment. Fantasy creatures of vastly different aesthetics capture the variety of the long-running fantasy RPG franchise, giving players the incentive to try out each of them.

There are two types of factions: Major and Minor. Their main difference is in the scale of their buildings and the size of their roster. Of course, it’s fair not to expect the game to be balanced for all factions, some of them are definitely harder to play than others. Still, it has that unique appeal of putting you in the shoes of minor mobs from the Zelda games.

Also like most RTS games, there is a certain learning curve to learning 0 A.D. and its custom content. It doesn’t help to know that the game has challenging AI opponents by default, making the game immediately challenging. Other than that, there’s a challenge in installing the mod, requiring users to have a bit of technical knowledge to make it work, or risk crashing the game.

A fun, fantasy-filled RTS experience

If you’re a fan of RTS games, 0 A.D is a good game and having the Hyrule Conquest Mod makes it even better. Some players are thrown off by the unbalanced treatment of the factions, although it serves a purpose in this case—capturing the scale and accuracy of their portrayal in the Legend of Zelda games. Still, it’s worth noting that it’s challenging so expect frustration along the way.