As a seasoned gamer who has traversed through countless realms and dungeons, I must say that Echoes of Wisdom has truly captured my heart with its vibrant visuals and innovative gameplay mechanics. However, like a charming but intermittently temperamental partner, it shares the occasional frame-rate hiccups with its predecessor, Link’s Awakening – a quirk that, while not deal-breaker, leaves me yearning for smoother sailing.
The game titled “The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom” connects the two realms that are synonymous with Nintendo’s renowned action-adventure series, the Legend of Zelda. It combines the whimsical riddles and puzzles from Tears of the Kingdom with the classic dungeon layouts that were a hallmark of the franchise before Breath of the Wild brought about a significant change. Echoes of Wisdom skillfully navigates between the past and present, creating its unique narrative, and setting the stage for a fresh legend concerning Princess Zelda.
You’ve likely realized that the main innovation here is that the title character is now playable, a feature first seen in Zelda’s Adventure for Philips CD-i, but that game was far removed from Nintendo’s Zelda series and wasn’t even published by them. Echoes of Wisdom marks the debut of a genuine Zelda-centric game, which might seem odd considering Tingle has starred in as many as three games and a DSiWare app where he offers fortune-telling services, making him one of the creepiest characters from Hyrule.
In this storyline, the switch in roles between characters doesn’t significantly alter events due to Echoes of Wisdom having a relatively sparse narrative. A malevolent force is causing fissures in Hyrule, transforming its inhabitants, including Link and Zelda’s father, into statues within a grim dimension called the Still World. Similar to Link being falsely accused in ‘A Link to the Past’, it’s Zelda who is now implicated for causing the rifts, leading to her imprisonment; you may find Wanted posters across Hyrule, but this time featuring Zelda instead of Link. In her cell, she meets Tri, an otherworldly entity akin to Navi from ‘Ocarina of Time’, who joins Zelda on her journey. Though some are initially taken aback that Zelda is the last hope for Hyrule, most recognize her as the only one capable of vanquishing the darkness threatening to engulf the kingdom.
In contrast to a conventional narrative filled with familiar tropes, Echoes of Wisdom stands out by offering innovative changes in gameplay mechanics. Instead of Link, you play as Zelda, and her combat, puzzle-solving, and platforming experiences are significantly distinct. Indeed, there’s plenty of platforming in Echoes of Wisdom. Equipped with a magical staff from Tri, Zelda can create “echoes,” duplicates of objects and enemies encountered throughout Hyrule. Apart from bosses, every enemy can be reproduced as an echo. As Zelda cannot attack directly, friendly echo monsters serve as the primary means of offense. Each echo comes at a cost, and exceeding your current limit causes the oldest echoes to disappear. Since there’s no cool-down period, and you can manually clear the slate whenever you want, this seemingly passive combat system is more interactive and thrilling than it may initially appear. Once I started creating echoes and was able to use more at once, I found myself enjoying the organized chaos more than any pre-Breath of the Wild combat system.
The player’s choices play a crucial role in the game’s combat system. Similarly to Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild, there isn’t one specific way to defeat enemies. If you fancy throwing rocks at your adversaries again and again, feel free to do so. Or perhaps you prefer instructing Zirros to launch bombs everywhere? That works too. You could even set up a ring of Pathblades that cut through armored Moblins and Lizalflos while you relax on a bed and recover health. This strategy proves effective. Zelda can also utilize Link’s conventional weapons in Swordfighter Form, although this ability is tied to an upgradeable energy gauge. When combined with echoes, Swordfighter Form serves as a potent additional feature, enhancing the organized chaos within Echoes of Wisdom’s combat.
127 echoes, predominantly monsters, form the core of this design, but it’s the unique blend of inert objects and Link’s knack for leaping that ties everything together in this meticulously crafted version of Hyrule. The Tri Force is essential to the functioning of this Hyrule. Emphasizing a single primary mechanism sets Echoes of Wisdom apart as distinct from other Zelda games. Consequently, this iteration presents a top-down Legend of Zelda experience with unprecedented freedom.
Different from Link, Zelda doesn’t require Roc’s Feather/Cape for jumping (she could show him how); instead, she can hide within pots and leap about to evade castle guards in an early stealth scene reminiscent of Ocarina of Time. The core platforming in Echoes of Wisdom often involves constructing improvised stairways and bridges, a skill that’s effectively demonstrated here using end tables, wooden crates, decorative trees, and the unusual touch: beds. Beds can be stacked to form bridges and towers, making for an amusing sight when they’re seen piled up on small islands in Lake Hylia or above molten lava in the Fire Temple. What’s even funnier is that you can spawn a bed during a boss fight to take a nap and slowly regain health.
In the style of Tears of the Kingdom’s Ultrahand rune, the game Tri allows you to attach onto and move ‘echoes’, which are a simpler version. Unlike Ultrahand, you can’t rotate objects or build complex structures with multiple moving parts. Instead, you mainly use it to stack objects for crossing gaps or solve puzzles. My preferred and most frequently used traversal echo is the water block, found when helping the Zoras calm a familiar creature to long-time Zelda fans. Water blocks can be arranged vertically or horizontally to construct towers and tunnels for swimming through. This feature is excellent for platforming sequences and solving puzzles, but it also demonstrates the versatility of echoes. Since flying monsters cannot survive in water, you can create an above-ground pool and drag them into it, instantly killing them. Similarly, you can lure enemies towards torches placed in the center of a room to deal with them. Figuring out various ways to lead enemies to their demise using echoes is one of the game’s many pleasures.
The advanced echo system promotes curiosity and invites discovery. Keep an eye out for items that glimmer, as they are capable of being duplicated. Jumping pads (trampoline echoes) can help access areas before enhancing the Tri Rod, while expert platformers can use vanishing cloud echoes to traverse large parts of the map without touching the ground. Additionally, you can tag along monsters instead of directing them; birds can lift you into the air and sharks can pull you through strong currents underwater. However, remember that when you choose to follow monsters, you do not control their movements directly – only indirectly. If you explore, chat with others, and finish side missions, you’ll uncover new techniques that can significantly change your approach to platforming challenges and puzzles.
As a devoted fan, I must say that Nintendo masterfully blended the familiar with the innovative in Echoes of Wisdom’s design. Precursors to dungeons echo the style of Tears of Kingdom, featuring multi-part quests that even include a journey to the enigmatic Still World to reunite Tri with his lost companions and purify a tainted expanse. These treasure hunt-like sequences offer an intriguing glimpse into smaller versions of Tears of the Kingdom’s dungeons.
In comparison to Breath of the Wild’s Divine Beasts, The Tears of the Kingdom temples seem more akin to traditional dungeons. However, they still deviate significantly from the old formula. Echoes of Wisdom’s seven dungeons resemble the classic design with multiple levels, automated doors that close behind you, rooms filled with enemies, hidden small keys, and a large chest containing the boss key. Like Hyrule Castle, these temples maintain themes related to their environments: Forest (Faron Temple), Ice (Lanyru Temple), and Water (Jabul Ruins).
Among the standout features of these dungeons lies the way classic conundrums involving floor traps, torches, and other franchise icons appear strikingly innovative. Unlike gathering fresh equipment to solve problems, you manipulate new items and creatures instead. The side-scrolling segments, which were straightforward in Link’s Awakening and the Oracle games, are now intriguing enigmas to decipher. The complexity of these puzzles adapts beautifully as you advance, allowing you to create more echoes at once while reducing the cost of summoning some of them. Despite its toy-like visual aesthetic reminiscent of Link’s Awakening, these challenges can get surprisingly tough. In fact, a few left me scratching my head longer than any puzzle in Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom. Sussing out solutions offered the same sense of accomplishment as solving a truly clever brain teaser. And much like all challenging logic puzzles, you can tackle each one from various perspectives. Discussing strategies with another TopMob team member was intriguing, as we arrived at solutions in completely different ways.
Fighting in this game isn’t as tough as the pair of open-world Zelda games, but you can still find yourself in trouble quickly if you don’t strategically spawn monsters that are a good match for your enemies, particularly during boss fights which are longer and more difficult than dungeon bosses from other top-down Zelda games. Even early bosses, like the mole-like creature wearing sunglasses in the Gerudo Ruins, can be tricky due to its swift underground movements and quicksand that weakens some monsters, making them less effective in a fight. Although I never died while battling a boss, I had to heal multiple times to avoid the Game Over screen.
In this game, traditional dungeons are surrounded by a variety of side missions, reminiscent of those found in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. These side quests range from simple tasks like speaking to an echo, to more complex activities such as mini-games, combats, and errands that involve exploration and puzzle-solving. Completing these side quests can reward you with various useful echoes and items. Even obtaining horses and having your own is tied to side quests. For the first time in a top-down Zelda game, horseback riding is included, and the horses are adorable, though not particularly practical. Despite being one of the largest top-down Zelda games in terms of map size, Echoes of Wisdom offers a convenient fast-travel system with multiple warp points in each zone. Since Hyrule is designed around the echo system, I often found myself dismounting my horse to investigate points of interest that were inaccessible on horseback.
In the world of Zelda games, the hunt for hidden treasures has always been a significant aspect. Echoes of Wisdom resurrects the most cherished treasure of them all: Heart Pieces. This iconic collectible underscores how Echoes of Wisdom bridges two epochs of Zelda adventures. In total, there are 40 Heart Pieces hidden across Hyrule, with a considerable number camouflaged within the most intricate puzzles. Defeating bosses will grant you a Heart Container and an enhancement for the Tri Rod. Alongside Heart Pieces, you’ll come across Might Pieces that can be traded for improvements to Zelda’s Swordfighter Form. While some of these are unavoidable, many require completing side quests or exploration, making them worth the effort to find. Lastly, Stamp Guy, an eccentric stamp collector and one of the game’s quirkiest characters (other than Tingle), is introduced as a third collectible. I gathered stamps mainly out of curiosity about what he would do once each stamp album was filled. His unwavering passion and dedication are truly captivating.
In Echoes of Wisdom, elements from contemporary, cutting-edge game series have been incorporated. For instance, it utilizes an interactive map system, similar to other games, complete with identical objective markers and pins to denote points of interest. Each region within Hyrule remains hidden until you visit it, subtly emphasizing the importance of exploration. The menu layout and quick-menu structure are also modeled after these games. Navigating through over 100 echoes might be a bit tedious, but you can organize them based on five distinct criteria, such as most/least recently used, which improves efficiency. Instead of preparing meals, you can visit Deku Smoothie shops. By combining materials like fruits and monster parts into various drinks, you can restore hearts and gain stat boosts like cold resistance, increased dive time, and damage reduction. Some materials can only be obtained by completing mini-games or exploring areas outside the main storyline, encouraging careful examination of your surroundings. Although Zelda doesn’t have as many outfits as Link, there are two primary ones, along with a few adorable outfits gained through side quests and Amiibo scanning.
In Zelda’s game, she sports two primary costumes, with additional ones hidden within side missions and exploration. I managed to obtain these two by using Amiibo figures. Costumes might slightly adjust attributes, but not always. Optional add-ons offer significant ability enhancements and overall boosts, like enabling higher jumps, extended underwater breath-holding, or increased drop rates for items such as crafting materials and coins. The gear system leans more towards traditional outfits rather than the RPG systems found in current Zelda games, with “echoes” acting as your character build.
If you’ve experienced the remake of Link’s Awakening, you’re aware that Echoes of Wisdom boasts stunning, vibrant graphics. However, similar to its predecessor, it experiences occasional frame-rate hiccups, although less frequently. Given its expanded size and numerous moving components, it’s evident that enhancements were made to the game engine. Remarkably, I didn’t encounter slowdown while summoning echoes, not even when simultaneously placing eight of them on the map. The frame-rate drops, much like those in Link’s Awakening, seem to be related to rendering the world map.
Almost all areas on the map are open from the beginning, but you’ll need to enhance the Tri Rod to grab collectibles and solve specific puzzles scattered across the vast landscape. You can complete main quests in whatever sequence you prefer, within certain limits. After the initial dungeon, you can choose to assist either the two Zora factions in Gerudo Desert or Jabul Waters. The first three dungeons (known as Ruins) are reminiscent of Ocarina of Time’s Young Link phase. The mid-game dungeon is consistent for all players before branching out into three distinct paths for the larger temples.
In a refreshing twist, Echoes of Wisdom seems to emulate a semi-open world experience, allowing players to switch between quests for a change of scenery. Unfortunately, during my initial playthrough, I stumbled upon a game-breaking bug that erected an invisible barrier at Goron City’s entrance, making it impossible to complete the Eldin Temple main quest without progress. Frustratingly, I was forced to abandon my 35-hour save file, which had accumulated numerous hours of troubleshooting efforts, and restart the game. TopMob has reported this bug to Nintendo, and we’ll update this review if the issue is resolved. Interestingly, my colleague did not experience this problem. I’m unsure what caused the bug, but during my second playthrough, I began the main quest in Kakariko Village and proceeded directly to Goron City without exploring any optional content in the region first.
In just a few stages left, including the final dungeon, the game forced me to utilize the backup save point earlier than usual, compared to playing Zelda games. If there’s any advantage to discarding 35 hours of progress and starting anew, it’s that I grew more adept at using echoes and came up with fresh strategies, making each dungeon run feel as engaging as the initial playthrough, for different reasons. Although the excitement of figuring out numerous puzzles was diminished, refining my approach with these new strategies made me appreciate the second playthrough nearly as much as the first. Instead of following my own path, I frequently found myself drawn to new solutions unconsciously.
In my initial attempt, I surpassed 65 hours of gameplay, yet if circumstances allowed me to finish the game then, it probably would have been around 30 hours before hitting the credits. Echoes of Wisdom isn’t as expansive as Tears of the Kingdom or Breath of the Wild, but it’s larger than what fans might anticipate from a top-down Zelda title.
If Zelda only has one shining moment in the limelight, it’s still an unforgettable journey. Here’s hoping it marks the start of a fresh legend for our heroine. The intriguing way Echoes of Wisdom connects its echoes system across two eras demonstrates that modern gameplay mechanics can work seamlessly with the franchise’s established formula. It’s not just a side story or minor installment between major games: The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is a significant event that you shouldn’t overlook.
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2024-09-25 15:10