Review: The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.

Initial release date: September 26, 2024

Developers: Grezzo, Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development

License: proprietary license

Composers: Manaka Kataoka, Masato Ohashi

Genres: Puzzle, Action-adventure game

Platform: Nintendo Switch

Publishers: Nintendo, Nintendo of America Inc.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is a fantastic take on the Zelda paradigm, combining the best elements of the series’ 2D entries with the puzzle format of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. The performance is a little inconsistent, but everything else about the game is excellent.

Given that the series is titled The Legend of Zelda, it’s odd that there have been so few titles in which the eponymous princess is playable. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom aims to change that, and it certainly outperforms previous attempts such as Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon. This is one of the most distinct games in the long-running franchise.

Given that you’re playing as Zelda rather than Link, the gameplay in Echoes of Wisdom differs from The Legend of Zelda’s normal fare. Rather to cutting enemies, you use “echoes” of various items found around you to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. There is a limit to how much you can make at once, so you must learn to control your echoes properly. Doing dungeons and optional minor rift sections can enhance your inventory, allowing for more inventiveness.

The dungeons offer a distinct puzzle-oriented gameplay style, with fighting playing a minor role in the overall experience. Like in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, I spent a lot of time traversing gaps or solving puzzles with unusual item combinations. One gap may require me to stack beds to form a bridge, but another may require me to swim up a wall using water blocks. There are so many ways to deal with barriers and puzzles that I never got bored, even if you tend to stick to a few tried-and-true strategies you discover while playing.

Combat is unique in that it may be approached in a variety of ways using echoes. You can temporarily get Link’s ability to fight with his sword and other things, but the more enjoyable method is to summon monster echoes or to tactically screw with foes with ordinary objects. You can use water blocks to drown enemies, boulders to disrupt sword swings, and much more. I like fighting bosses and enemies with stuff since I had to completely rewire my mental process from how I normally approach Zelda games.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, like expected from the series, offers a variety of activities outside of dungeons. You can locate Heart Pieces and ingredients to produce useful stat-boosting smoothies by using echoes to navigate all sorts of locations. You can also complete sidequests from charming NPCs, who add to the realm with their stories and eccentricities.

Speaking of the universe, I believe The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s narrative and setting are among its best features. This is a world where Link has not yet completed his journey, yet his presence can be felt in every location. Townspeople adore him and regard you as their bright princess, bringing fresh insights to well-known portions of the Zelda story. The primary villain also adds a new level of lore to the proceedings, resulting in a pretty unique plot for the series.

The only complaint I have with The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is the performance. The frame rate appeared to waver at random, resulting in erratic performance at best. It does not appear to be a particularly demanding art style, however I recall that the Link’s Awakening remake in this style had frame rate troubles.

Review Overview

Gameplay: 89%

Controls: 87%

Aesthetics: 92%

Content: 85%

Accessibility: 83%

Value: 88%

Overall: 87%

EXCELLENT

Summary: “The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom” is a captivating addition to the renowned franchise, transporting players to a world full of wonder, hard puzzles, and compelling combat. While it adheres to the known format, it does it with such polish and refinement that fans are unlikely to notice. The visuals are stunning, and the tale is engaging, albeit some side material may feel a little superficial in comparison to the main narrative. Overall, it is a worthy successor that captures Zelda’s eternal magic while providing a familiar but entertaining experience.