The Legend of Zelda is a series that has stood the test of time. It’s survived the great leap to 3D, worked in open world, and now, there’s a new jump for it to make. While the series may be called the Legend of Zelda, it has never had Zelda as its main character. That all changed on the 26th of September, 2024.
On that day, The most popular game company Nintendo released the next entry in the Legend of Zelda series. Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, is a bold new direction and is a game targeted to new fans and nostalgic fans alike. This game was a surprise, coming out only a year after the last entry in the series, Tears of the Kingdom, which was an open world exploration game.
What makes this game so spectacular is the gameplay. For example, the player learns how to echo the form of Link, receiving his sword, his shield, and eventually his other tools. Throughout the game you can create other echoes, or copies of things, such as enemies to fight alongside you, and tools for platforming. For example, an Octorok, a classic Zelda enemy which launches rocks to hit flying enemies, or a flying tile to move quickly and across large gaps, etc.
Zelda gains these powers through her new companion, Tri. Tri bestows upon Zelda the Tri Rod, unlocking the echoes. Tri also can be bound to objects to help them move. This can help you explore by allowing you to adjust your stacked echoes, building pseudo stairs, or by allowing you to move heavy objects and enemies otherwise unmovable to solve puzzles.
This kind of system gives the player the creative freedom to play how they want to play. Every puzzle has many solutions, every dungeon can be cracked in many ways, only limited by the player’s imagination. The same goes for the combat. The player could cast echoes to fight for Zelda, move objects and creatures alike with Tri, echo Link and fight as the hero of Hyrule, or do both! It’s all about resource management and making your own way through the game.
Another great point of creativity in this game is that it lets gamers choose for themselves to explore or follow the story. The player can start by finishing side quests, unlocking teleport waypoints, and playing in a stamp rally on a sightseeing journey. Gamers could have also been playing the other way, gaining new abilities for Zelda and experiencing the story with the resources the game expects you to have.
Another great aspect is the artstyle, specifically, it is the same doll-like artstyle Nintendo explored in the Switch remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. Back when Link’s Awakening was released, the style was hotly debated. Many gamers believe the unique artstyle sells the game and matches the unique gameplay and main character. The artstyle portrays Zelda and all the characters as a chibi version of themselves, looking like a large headed anime character. The artstyle also works well for the enemies, who in the past have been adapted to a similar chibi artstyle featured in the previous entries in the Legend of Zelda franchise, premiering in the early 2000s, and the Toon Link’s debut in LOZ Four Swords and Wind Waker.
It’s easy to highly recommend this game to all Zelda fans and people with Switches. But there’s a better way to play, and a better way to buy. If you have a Costco membership, buy the 100 dollar Nintendo Switch pack for 90 dollars, then buy the two game pack and choose Echoes of Wisdom as one of your two choices. It will save frugal players 15 dollars for two games, and if you buy Tears of the Kingdom, another 10 dollars, totalling 40 dollars in savings!
This game is one that will be looked on fondly in the future, as one that broke from tradition in a positive way. If players want to experience the fresh new take on the Legend of Zelda franchise from the beautiful collaboration between Nintendo and Grezzo studios, purchase Legend Of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom!
