Well it happened again this year. First Peach got her own video game (Sgathaich: Princess Peach Showtime!) and now another leading Nintendo lady is getting a game of her own with the newest entry in the Legend of Zelda series, where you play as Zelda! and no terrible CDi game this time.
Echoes of Wisdom opens up where many Zelda games would be ending. A fully powered Link rescuing Zelda from Ganon, only after the boss fight, the trident Ganon was wielding opens up a strange rift that pulls Link in, but not before he fires an arrow freeing Zelda from the crystal. From here on you play as Zelda, and rather than just playing like you would as Link but with maybe a different weapon, Zelda is given the tri rod! This allows her to make echoes of objects and enemies, though how many relates to the power of her companion for the game Tri. Tri gets more powerful as you play the game allowing for more shenanigans.
Mechanically I would call this game a mix of classic top down 2d Zelda games with BoTW/ToTK free roaming problem solving. While not as non linear and free to choose what to do first as those Switch Zelda’s, there is a level where you challenge first, but more importantly you’re much more free to come up with your own solutions to puzzles. With one exception, they are all good puzzles and none of them are done without the tools you have on hand. Tackling different dungeons in different orders may change the tools you can do them with making some easier but none are impossible. Though there is one puzzle that did a mechanic to solve it that no other Zelda puzzle has ever done, and in no way helps lead you to its solution, trapping you in the room because they failed to give any hint about something that’s never appeared before…. giving a point down because of that one.
Combat is primarily done by making echoes of the enemies you defeat, though you do unlock the ability to turn into a pseudo Link, however this is limited time but does make tackling boss encounters a fair bit easier than waiting for your army of pig men to throw the boomerangs.
The story takes a fairly interesting direction as around the midpoint you get many of the pre Skyward sword elements back like the goddesses and uncover a plot going far older than any Zelda game has gone before, and a villain the likes of which the franchise hasn’t tackled yet.
The art style of the game is exactly the same as that used in the Link’s Awakening remake on the Switch a few years ago, but while that game did push for a bit more toy box look, this one with its full free map rather than panel layout feels a very different game. It’s actually up there with Majoras Mask and Twilight Princess as one of the darkest entries in the franchise.
That ONE puzzle aside (ok they reuse it a few more times in that dungeon but after you figure it out there are ways to tackle it, just there was no clue that was what it was looking for.) This is a very enjoyable game. Good to see other characters in these franchises get their long overdue time in the spotlight. I mean it’s called the legend of ZELDA!
Rating: 🎮🎮🎮🎮
