The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms: Switch
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $59.99 – Available Here
Overview
Nintendo may sit on a lot of properties, but outside of Mario and maybe Pokemon, none are as distributed and beloved as The Legend of Zelda franchise. Earlier this year, the big N shocked a lot of people when they announced The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. More surprising is that it would be a top-down adventure, where players finally got to play as Zelda herself. Do a lot of tricks and new gameplay techniques make this adventure one to cherish, or is it a rare miss for this brand? Let’s find out.
Story
This plot is simple but in true form, adds quite a bit of new lore for fans to sink into. Link has disappeared through a rift, and Zelda must find him by searching Hyrule in a new adventure where a new enemy by the name of Null has appeared. Along with some fairy friends, she must utilize the new Tri Rod to save the day. Sure, it’s a bit basic compared to prior titles, but I think most would expect that as this doesn’t try to be some massive undertaking. While the game is large, the story stays as minimal as possible to push forth the “echo” gimmickry, which really is where the heart of the experience is held.
Gameplay
While this game looks like it was built upon the engine that we got within the remake of Link’s Awakening, the echo system is really what this game is all about – which is a huge positive for the franchise, while also a small issue in itself. Players control Zelda from a top-down perspective as she navigates the large overworld, with dungeons to be found that build progression throughout the experience as you explore. The Tri Rod’s “echo” ability allows Zelda to capture beds, tables, fauna, and even enemies and summon them in order to progress forward. It’s a smart mechanic that is in true Nintendo form here, where players must tap into their creative juices in order to solve problems. Sure, there is some minimal combat as you can gain Link’s abilities for short periods, but the bulk of Echoes of Wisdom revolves around creating echoes to solve puzzles and defeat enemies.
At first, the echoes are a welcome breath of fresh air that feels a lot like what we got within Tears of the Kingdom. That kind of sandbox approach to puzzle-solving feels brilliant when it works well and makes exploration enjoyable as there are stamps and other things to collect along your journey. The real problem here comes from the echoes being required for combat. Think Pokemon, where you control a monster, but take out the ability to control their character. That is really what this is about. There are times when the enemy you summoned works great, but most are weak, and even if they are strong enough to defeat another foe, it usually takes a bit of time after trial and error to find the right formula that will actually work.
Remember that first octorok that you see in the original game? Instead of slapping it with a sword, you have to pull up a menu that has all of your echoes, select a quick summon, and see if the enemy or even object now has the power to defeat that once simple foe. I get it, it’s very creative, but the stop-and-go nature feels a bit awkward here, and while I did get used to it, it almost felt like I was playing Mass Effect in a Zelda world with how often I would have to jump in and out of this system. Sure, it’s still fun, but it just doesn’t feel as streamlined and fluid as it could have been in terms of execution.
The boss battles feel far more intuitive, as the summons seem to hit their mark and make exploring to find more worth it. These fleshed-out moments are a highlight, as they really capture that feeling of satisfaction, making your exploration pay off in the long run. Sure, I enjoyed summoning pots and tables to platform throughout the world as well and it’s fun to make weird bridges and paths from nothing, but the combat moments overlaying with that just leave a bit to be desired as a whole.
Audio
Should we expect less from a Zelda soundtrack? Absolutely not, as this one is superb. Sure, it sounds familiar, but the atmosphere in a game so different is important to nail here, and this game is dripping with all of the beats and tunes to really capture the essence of the franchise. There isn’t a lot of voice acting, but again – it’s Zelda and the sounds everyone makes really do fine and bring some personality forth.
Visuals
The graphics are absolutely stunning, especially if you enjoyed that recent Link’s Awakening port. All the characters are charming, bursting with energy and life with fluid animation and bright, bold colors. I totally get why they went back to this design as it works and I couldn’t have seen this game with any other style in retrospect. That said, the game has an issue that a lot of recent Switch titles from Nintendo have had, which is some performance snags. The game can stutter and feel over-encumbered with its own weight, and while it isn’t common or even game-breaking, it is a bit surprising considering this is Zelda and polish is usually an afterthought.
Overall
Nintendo kind of swung for the fences to give us another game in this franchise, and ultimately, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is a fine break from the norm. That said, it’s sometimes bogged down by its own gimmick, leaving moments feeling awkward and slightly tedious. Yes, the adventure here is grand, but constantly accessing menus to summon objects and monsters isn’t as streamlined as it should be, and fans may be deterred by the mandatory usage of such. The game also isn’t as smooth in terms of performance as all of its predecessors, which really shows Nintendo may need a bit stronger hardware to handle such an intuitive design premise. Either way, we do have a solid game here and Zelda fits in well as its lead, making these Echoes of Wisdom just loud enough to make their mark.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.