The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Review

Verdict

The Nintendo Switch isn’t lacking in charming titles, but The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom takes the cake. From a thriving take on Hyrule that’s a joy to explore and interact with, to a whimsical gameplay loop that encourages thinking outside the box, Zelda’s long-awaited time in the spotlight also happens to be one of the series’ best games yet.

Introduction

Even though it may look like a sequel to the Switch remake of Link’s Awakening, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is entirely its own game with a whole new take on the series.

For the sake of being completely transparent at the outset of this review – I’ve never been a big fan of the top-down Zelda games. Whether it’s in playing A Link to the Past or A Link Between Worlds, I always find myself losing track of exactly where to go next, feeling disheartened and giving up several dungeons in. 

For my money, it’s the 3D Zelda games that are far more compelling and more intuitive in their design, but for Echoes of Wisdom, I was willing to give the top-down format one last try. After all, aside from being the first game in the entire franchise that puts its titular princess front and centre as the main playable character, it also does away with the traditional sword fighting of old in favour of a summon-based system for overcoming obstacles.

Well, I can now say that if Nintendo sees fit to release more games like Echoes of Wisdom in the future, you can consider me a top-down convert.

Story and gameplay

• Play as Zelda for the first time
• Summon ‘Echoes’ to overcome challenges
• Tons of variety in the gameplay

Before we dive into the gameplay, which is absolutely where the depth of Echoes of Wisdom lies, it’s worth first detailing the story because it’s no doubt the key selling point that Nintendo is pushing in its marketing of the game.

Even though there have been 29 different titles to grace the franchise over its near 40-year history, this is the first time that games have had the chance to play as Princess Zelda and I think I speak for everyone when I say it’s long overdue.

The game starts out, funnily enough, like the end of a typical TLoZ game with Link managing to vanquish a terrifying foe and rescue Princess Zelda. The only problem is that before he can celebrate, Link is swallowed up by an otherworldly rift that consumes everything in its path.

Zelda just about manages to escape and it’s here where our story begins. With Link out of the picture, it’s up to Zelda to save him whilst also bringing an end to the rifts that are now spreading throughout the Kingdom of Hyrule. It’s a solid premise, particularly when it becomes known that the rifts can produce impostor versions of those who have been taken, adding an extra layer of drama to the proceedings.

You’ll also find hints along the way that allude to the journey that Link underwent prior to these events taking place, making it feel as if you’re finally getting a chance to see what happens after the traditional ‘happily ever after’ conclusion.

Zelda isn’t on her own however, as she’s soon accompanied by Tri, a small creature from the Still World (the place within the rifts) that’s tasked with reversing the destruction. To invoke Zelda’s assistance, Tri bestows Zelda with the Tri Rod which can be used to summon objects and subjects out of thin air. It might sound a bit wacky, but this is where the genius of Echoes of Wisdom’s gameplay lies.

Because Zelda isn’t a fighter, she needs to use the Tri Rod to summon ‘Echoes’ of the things she encounters on her journey and use them to her advantage. This could mean using obstacles to avoid an enemy or summoning a friendly monster to do your fighting for you.

What’s so refreshing about the whole thing is the amount of variety at your fingertips. There are tons of different ways to overcome a puzzle or combat encounter, and some of the best moments I had with the game were when I started to think outside of the box and utilise some of my lesser-used Echoes.

While there are certain sections that are sure to leave people scratching their head (I count myself among them), you can rest assured that you always have the solution in your inventory; it’s just a matter of figuring out which Echo is fit for the job. With that said, the more Echoes you have, the easier these situations become and it’s an effective yet subtle means of encouraging exploration throughout the world to seek out new ones.

If you venture off the beaten path, there’s a good chance that you’ll find a new Echo that can be put to use down the line, oftentimes in ways you could never have imagined. It’s an effective gameplay loop that injects new life into the top-down Zelda series, although I’d be lying if I said that I enjoyed it more than my recent playthrough of Tears of the Kingdom.

In fact, with Tears of the Kingdom being such a pinnacle for the franchise, it hurts Echoes of Wisdom to be the title that follows it as it’s bound to be the key comparison point for most players, and I do think that I’d sooner play Tears again than Echoes. Still, there are some familiar elements here that classic Zelda fans will appreciate, namely the Sword of Might mechanic.

Not too long after Link is taken, Zelda acquires his sword which, thanks to some imbued magic, can give its wielder the power of a skilled warrior. When activated, Zelda can slash and away at enemies much like in Link Awakening, but it can only work for a limited time so it can’t be relied on constantly.

You do, however, have the ability to level up both the Sword of Might via Might Crystals, extending the duration, improving its strength and more. There’s also a levelling system for Tri, as the process of closing more rifts can allow you to summon more Echoes or even bring down the cost of summoning certain ones. 

In my entire playthrough, I only saw the Game Over screen once and that was due to me taking my eye off Zelda’s hearts during a fairly eclectic battle. Otherwise, the game is quite forgiving in its difficulty and I think that younger gamers shouldn’t struggle too much here, but for those after a change, there is a separate ‘Hero’ mode that you can toggle from the get-go that makes things harder, such as increasing the amount of damage dealt by enemies.

One aspect that really helped to alleviate the frustrations I’ve had with previous top-down Zelda games is the use of a fast travel system (finally). Throughout your journey, you’ll encounter a generous amount of warp points that Zelda can teleport to at any time, even when you’re in a dungeon. This makes it so much easier to stock up your inventory when you need to, and I definitely recommend doing so before a boss fight.

Similar to Tears of the Kingdom, there are ingredients to collect along the way but instead of having to cook meals on the go, Echoes of Wisdom has you whipping up smoothies at specific stalls across Hyrule. Various concoctions can be used to give Zelda buffs such as heat and chill resistance, as well as restore huge chunks of health, so it’s worth having a couple to hand at all times. It’s definitely not as complex as what we’ve seen in the open-world Zelda games, but it’s simple enough that gamers of all ages can utilise it.

Presentation and performance

• The game looks stunning
• Slight frame rate issues
• Wonderful music

One of my biggest concerns going into Echoes of Wisdom was the game’s frame rate. Link’s Awakening was perturbed by an insistent slowdown that really hampered my experience, and during a preview of this game, I started to notice some of those traits reappearing. Having now finished Echoes of Wisdom however, I’m glad to say that the technical issues have been greatly minimised. 

They’re not gone completely – the game’s opening section feels like more of the same and doesn’t do the best job of setting accurate expectations for the rest of the game, but once you get beyond this section, it’s smooth sailing.

Beyond that, I did encounter the odd moment of slowdown but never to the degree where it affected my enjoyment of the game, nor did it affect my ability to react to what was happening on-screen, and thank goodness because it would have been a great detriment to the utterly charming presentation.

Link’s Awakening’s toy-box style art design returns and it now looks better than ever. Every section of Hyrule pops with colour, and the plasticky shine of it all makes it seem as if you’re watching a collection of toys come to life in front of your very eyes. It’s the type of game that’s made for the Switch OLED.

Unlike Tears of the Kingdom, there’s no voice acting to be found here but I didn’t mind too much as the dialogue still kept me entertained all the way through. In fact, I was quite surprised by how invested I became in the stories of characters that Zelda meets along the way. This is the most alive that Hyrule has ever felt in any of the Zelda games I’ve played to date.

As a final note, the music still upholds the level of quality that you’d expect from this series, and the remix of Zelda’s Lullaby (a fan favourite from Ocarina of Time) that plays around Hyrule Castle brought an immediate smile to my face. This is one for both existing fans and newcomers alike.

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