The land of Hyrule is also in need of saving and without it’s hero, and Zelda is the only one who fits the bill. The land of Hyrule is covered in rifts, and these rifts are malignant and breaking the land apart. Zelda will need help to close the rifts and save her kingdom, so it is a good thing she has an ally at hand.
Zelda can’t fight initially but is soon joined by a specter named Tri. Tri is a special ally who acts as her navigator and gives her the Tri Rod, and after realizing she needs her help they work together to close the rifts and save Tri’s friends. Tri bestowing the power of echoes, changes things up for Zelda. She can learn different echoes from the world around her, and she can do a number of things with these, Make a bridge of beds, summon an enemy to defend her, even use enemies to launch her on a bed and into the air. It’s really all up to the player and it can definitely lead to a lot of different playthroughs.
Zelda can also rely on her handmaid Impa, and a number of new characters, such as Lueberry, Impa’s brother who will help improve Zelda’s other special power. Minister Lefte and Captain Wright will also help Zelda along with her father eventually. It’s nice that she has support as without Link she is truly the last defense against the darkness.
Dampé the grave digger even comes back and this time his role is completely out of left field. For some reason instead of him being a grave digger, he works to craft automatons. These little friends can help Zelda like Echoes, but are different as each of them requires different echoes to be made.
I appreciate that the game logs each use of the Echoes. This allows players to share which Echoes they use the most and gives them a chance to compare. What echoes did you use and not use? It’s rudimentary but is a nice touch, and helps players access their favorite echoes more easily too.
Zelda soon finds the power of the Hero Link, by picking up special weapons., namely the sword, bow, and bombs. Using these powers, Zelda can fight for herself, though, she only has so much energy which is why Lueberry is so important. Lueberry will upgrade Zelda’s Swordsman powers, and make them stronger and last longer.
The game has a similar quest system to Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Players will meet characters and head into dungeons or find certain echoes for them. These quests help increase playtime and are generally interesting. You never know what you’ll find in a quest.
Players will delve into quest lines revolving around the different races of Hyrule. These involve learning about the problems ailing the citizens, fight through a dungeon, and learn new echoes to continue the journey with new creative ideas flowing. The different areas all bring with them classic characters and fun, and I particularly like that the Deku Scrubs are back.
Quests in Echoes tell there own stories and fill in the gaps the player might miss out on. Seeing how characters are related is always fun. Each location has a number of quests to complete that help show a fuller picture of the world. These snapshots help make Echoes shine all the more brighter.
In addition, players must also delve into rifts, and these are more easily traversed with echoes. Zelda must take down enemies and collect the stolen away pals of Tri. They are fun and mix up the normal game play too, because echoes once again make the traversal up to the player.
Rifts can appear anywhere on the map and often lock behind them characters and quests. They aren’t always so long, but it’s always nice to complete them and rescue Tri’s friends. It’s also interesting to see how the rifts affect the areas, and how they effectively change up the game.
A new part of the series in the Slumber Dojo, a place where Zelda is put into dream scenarios. She must take down foes in a certain way, such as with only echoes available in the stage. The challenges get increasingly hard and there’s even a boss rush to take on. It should be stated that the Slumber Dojo isn’t a necessary thing, but it adds challenge to a game that might not be a challenge for all.
Zelda can also dress up in a number of outfits, and all of the outfits but two actually do affect Zelda. The Cat suit lets Zelda talk to cats, which aids in an eventual quest. The others just are for looks and while it might be a little disappointing, there are plenty of accessories which do help Zelda out. Accessories are important to the game because again they add customization. Paying off the great fairy gives her more slots for accessories. These accessories might make her swim faster or spin faster, or even make it easier to find hearts and energy for her Swordsman form.
Players will run around opening chests too. The chests usually contain ingredients or rupees. There isn’t much to be found in chests, but it’s okay. The chests are still worth collecting because smoothies are a new mechanic that can really help Zelda on her journey.
One thing that must be said is that smoothies are a magical thing, and these are something the Deku Scrubs sell. These masterful mixers make smoothies, from two ingredients. Pick and choose and find the over 60 different smoothie options. Some smoothies restore health, while others might help fight off the cold. It’s interesting to see what ingredients make, and a golden egg ups the level of the drink too!
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom itself is more open world than before. It’s a game that values creativity but doesn’t actually let players play the story exactly as they want. They can play either of the first two dungeons and later can choose the order of the final 3. It’s interesting to have this choice though.
The open world definitely works with this kind of game. It is clear that it takes on the idea of Breath of the Wild’s open world and a classic Zelda game. It’s clearly using classic mold but breaking from it to allow more freedom. I’m still pretty sure we won’t get full classic styled Zelda games now, but this mix does work.
The doll styled art style makes a return and is still a perfect fit, which I’m happy to see come back. I really did enjoy Links Awakening and seeing still in use gives me hope for an Oracle of Ages and Seasons remake in the future. The characters are so cute and I appreciate that they can differ so much from the 3d variants, plus they are easily marketable as toys too honestly.
The music is also quite good. Though having the main theme play all the time in different mixes can be a drag. The later version of the song does add that Zelda flair and I can appreciate it as the real theme for the game. I do love the music though and find it fits the different areas as always.
The different areas of course each have their own themes. These themes work to take on the characters that live in the area. The music is all very classic and reminds me of older Zelda games which is definitely a good thing. Again the only thing that really bothers me, is that the main theme plays so often. Otherwise the music in this game is sublime.
I could definitely see more spin offs in this style. Maybe other characters that haven’t got a game could get a game in this style. Maybe a Groose game? I just think it’s a charming style that will be back again and again and I’m all for it.
Echoes of Wisdom is a fantastic entry in the Zelda series. It tells an early tale of Zelda, where she finally is the main character. Using new powers and the creativity of the player clearly is a new hallmark of the series. I am definitely excited for the future of both 2 and 3 D games. Zelda needs to use Echoes to save her kingdom, will the player help her save Link and Hyrule?
Disclaimer: A review key was given to us by Nintendo.
