As someone who’s spent countless hours traversing Hyrule and beyond, I must say that “The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom” has truly captured my heart. This 2D gem, while not quite reaching the expansive freedom of “Tears of the Kingdom,” offers a delightful blend of nostalgia and innovation that’s hard to resist.
In contrast to her prominent role in the franchise title, Zelda has rarely had the opportunity to take center stage as the main character in The Legend of Zelda series. With the exception of a relatively obscure CD-i game from three decades past, Zelda has consistently been overshadowed by Link throughout the games. Nintendo has now addressed this issue with The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, an exciting new Switch title that brings Zelda to the forefront. It’s about time, and the end product has proven to be extremely promising, delivering a one-of-a-kind adventure that preserves the franchise’s signature elements while adding its own unique flair.
In the tale known as “The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom,” we find ourselves at what appears to be the finale of one of Link’s heroic journeys. Armed with a powerful arsenal and a plentiful supply of vitality, Link chases after Ganon in his valiant attempt to rescue Princess Zelda. Despite defeating the malevolent villain, Link is sucked into a Rift, but not before releasing an arrow. This singular shot allows Zelda to shatter her crystalline prison. Upon meeting her new companion, Tri, Zelda ventures back to Hyrule Castle. It doesn’t take long for her to realize that the entire kingdom is being engulfed by these ominous Rifts, and the citizens are being replaced by dark doppelgängers of familiar faces. With Link nowhere in sight, it falls upon Zelda and Tri to save the day.
In essence, Tri plays a part much like many other supporting characters in Zelda series, propelling the story forward and linking to fresh gameplay features. Using the Tri Rod, Zelda gains the ability to duplicate objects and adversaries, which she can employ to conquer puzzles, traverse the world, and vanquish foes. Interestingly enough, these duplicates of wisdom almost function like a monster-catching game, similar to Pokemon. However, Zelda’s offensive prowess is constrained initially, necessitating that she deploy these duplicates in combat on her behalf.
In the game “Echoes of Wisdom”, the ‘Monster System’ stands out as a captivating feature. Unlike discovering inanimate items where Zelda can instantly learn their echoes upon finding them, defeating enemies first is necessary before she can harness their echoes. The game features a blend of both familiar and novel adversaries, allowing players to essentially recruit iconic foes from the series. Thus, Moblins, Keese, and Darknuts transform into battle companions, each with unique strengths and weaknesses. Typically, Zelda games limit combat options, mainly providing swords and arrows. However, the Echo system introduces a degree of flexibility, enabling players to discover what suits them best. Each echo comes at a cost, symbolized by triangles that follow Tri. If Zelda dispatches an echo requiring more triangles than Tri currently possesses, the earliest dispatched one will vanish automatically.
The Echo system within the Legend of Zelda series offers a lot more complexity than one might initially expect, with various intriguing aspects. Defeating an Echo doesn’t result in any penalties, and Zelda can capitalize on their disappearances by using Tri’s triangles effectively. For instance, if a Darknut Echo is about to lose a fight against an enemy, you can send another one out from behind the creature, enabling it to deal some crucial blows before it turns around. Additionally, many monster Echoes possess additional abilities that can help solve puzzles, such as Ignizol’s fire-lighting ability or Strandtula’s web-creating ability in side-scrolling areas. The Echo system could be one of the most impressive mechanics ever added to the Zelda series, and I sincerely hope it appears again in future games. This game has ignited a deep passion within me for the enemies in Zelda games, which is a significant achievement given that it took over two decades of fandom for this feeling to develop. The Echoes of Wisdom could potentially inspire a spin-off series focused on these creatures, similar to how Square Enix has done with Dragon Quest Monsters.
Alongside her ability to utilize Echoes, Zelda eventually acquires a Swordfighter mode. Unlike Link, who can constantly wield a sword, Zelda has a meter that drains rapidly, compelling players to save and judiciously employ it. Adapting to playing a Zelda game with restricted sword usage was at times difficult; even when I was 10-15 hours into the game, I’d still accidentally try to swing a sword upon returning to play. It clearly illustrates how these features have been ingrained in the franchise over its nearly four decades of existence. However, I would soon correct my mistake and discovered that mastering Echoes is incredibly satisfying.
In this game, the monster-hunting aspect is fantastic, but the use of Echoes for items could be a bit more versatile. Players can pick up and utilize Echoes of common objects like beds and boulders to traverse or uncover new routes. Once you understand which Echoes are useful, summoning them becomes straightforward. However, my main issue with the Echo system is that many puzzles have only one solution. For instance, I struggled for a while trying to reach a high-up item using beds to create a staircase and different Echoes, but it turned out there was a specific ledge I hadn’t noticed where I needed to create a Keese Echo, glide down, and hold on to get the necessary item. This experience showed me that while Echoes of Wisdom provides more freedom compared to previous 2D Zelda games, it doesn’t quite match up to the level of innovation we saw in Tears of the Kingdom.
One aspect through which Echoes of Wisdom learns from the 3D Zelda games is by emphasizing increased freedom, yet it also shows strong similarities reminiscent of Breath of the Wild. This can be observed in various elements such as gathering smaller edibles that can be combined to create more advantageous meals, or observing Moblins lurking around camps and structures. As early as 2013’s A Link Between Worlds, Nintendo was exploring ways to advance the 2D Zelda series, but it’s fascinating to notice the clear impact Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom have had on its development.
In a short span of time, following the release of Princess Peach: Showtime!, another Nintendo Switch game titled Echoes of Wisdom will hit the shelves. Both games feature female protagonists who have gained new abilities that significantly impact gameplay. Unlike Princess Peach’s game, which appears to be a potential series starter, Echoes of Wisdom distinctly echoes the Zelda series. If you’ve played any 2D Zelda games, particularly the 2019 remake of Link’s Awakening, you’ll have a good understanding of the gameplay style and structure in store. This new game maintains the isometric perspective found in 2D games since the NES era, while also incorporating side-scrolling sections similar to those seen in Link’s Awakening.
The remake of “Link’s Awakening” served as the foundation for “Echoes of Wisdom,” but the creators have significantly enhanced most aspects from the original game. Although there are occasional lags, the game runs much smoother than “Link’s Awakening.” The visual aesthetic remains consistent, yet a broader range of sights is presented. While “Echoes of Wisdom” isn’t the most visually stunning game on Switch, it pushes the visuals further than they were in the previous 2D Zelda. This improvement can be partly attributed to the fact that “Link’s Awakening” was a remake, whereas “Echoes of Wisdom” is an entirely original creation. This allowed for more freedom to incorporate diverse locations, resulting in a more appealing world that’s a joy to explore.
A Fresh Spin on Classic Zelda: The Tale of Echoes of Wisdom
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is scheduled to drop on September 26th, available only on the Nintendo Switch. For this critique, we received a code from the publisher, which was played on a Nintendo Switch OLED console.
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2024-09-25 15:10