The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom owes much to Link’s Awakening in its design and approach. It is considered an entirely separate game from this adventure, but there is enough familiar about it to call it a worthy spiritual successor. Beyond aesthetics, it shares a very novel approach to exploration and puzzling, as well as a real sense of whimsy.
The stakes are high in this journey, as Zelda is at the mercy of a Hyrule being torn apart by a mysterious darkness, but it’s hard not to get swept up in joy of this game, as you traverse a toy-like Hyrule filled with dancing critters, funny little faces, and light drama. Sure, the River and Ocean Zora are fighting a war – but they’re oh so itty-bitty and cutesy. I want to put them in my pocket.
Regardless of these personal distractions, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom‘s aesthetic works well for its dark, slow-burn story, which sees Zelda taking the reins, as Link is swallowed by the darkness and unable to save the day. In lieu of a hero, Zelda breaks free, wielding the powers of the Tri-Rod (and a special Swordfighter Mode) to conquer beasts, and restore Hyrule to peace.
The toy-like vibe of the adventure is charming, but it also leaves plenty of room for horror and shock – and that’s why it feels so clever. It gets away with a lot, thanks to that sheen of cuteness.
In a more realistic game, the idea of living beings being swallowed and crystallised by an oozing, inky darkness is terrifying, as is the appearance of shadow beasts. That’s not to mention the game’s plethora of monsters, including spiders, creature-eating plants, and axe-wielding knights.
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The combination of creepy and cute drives you ever-onwards, with that dose of horror providing a intriguing texture to this adventure. While The Legend of Zelda has always had a strange sense of dread lurking beneath its surface, recent titles like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom have somewhat shied away from it. Not so in Echoes of Wisdom, which features a rich, compelling world that embraces the terror of evil alongside the purity of good.
Wisdom is certainly needed
Zelda must chart a Hyrule falling to darkness using newfound powers of creation in Echoes of Wisdom. In bursts, you can play the game like a traditional Legend of Zelda game, fighting with a sword and bow-and-arrow to push back enemy forces. But the primary form of exploration and combat revolves around summoning objects or “Echoes” onto the battlefield.
I mentioned this in my early preview, but Princess Zelda fights a bit like V in Devil May Cry 5. She’s not directly involved in the action – what you’re doing is summoning beasts to fight on your behalf. For the majority of the game, that meant I was summoning a Peahat (a giant, flying plant with spikes) to spin into my enemies, dispatching them from afar while I saved my limited health.
Eventually, it meant mobilising a Moblin army wielding spears, while I cowered behind them. Does it feel particularly heroic to have your creatures do your dirty work? It doesn’t – but given the Zelda of this universe is a princess first, it makes sense. Zeldas of past games have been warriors (often in disguise), but the Echoes of Wisdom Zelda is an altogether different character.
She’s soft and sweet, and very brave, and the Echo system speaks to her character. While there has been some criticism about this system and how it might work, the result is incredibly smooth, and satisfyingly different. If Zelda simply played like Link, there wouldn’t be much point in her being the star of this adventure, after all.
Echoes of Wisdom is brimming with fresh ideas, and the Echo system is one of its brightest. Not only does it make combat encounters more strategic, as you’re working out the best ways to protect yourself while also hitting enemies hard, it also makes for novel puzzling.
Much of the challenges in Echoes of Wisdom require that extra layer of thought, as you manipulate the environment to your desires. Would a rock placed in front of a wind machine stop you from being blown away? What about an event bigger rock? What if you bind yourself to the rock, and it follows it your movements? How far can you get?
Each dungeon in Echoes of Wisdom is a lot like a layered puzzle box, by design. It’s not enough to engage with this title on the surface level, you must think deeply about its many challenges, and figure out where best to spend your Echo points. You can’t create a tower to the heavens, as you’re limited by Tri’s power, but you can get pretty close when you understand the key systems backing this adventure.
That lends itself well to very creative solutions as you traverse Hyrule, crossing its many dungeons, rivers, deserts, forests, mountains, and beyond. It feels a bit like getting away with something, as you manage the perfect array of trampolines, rocks, statues, and trees to hop and skip your way up plains – but you’re amply rewarded for experimenting, as there’s secrets in many of the game’s hidden paths.
A different Zelda for a different Zelda
In its design and approach, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom takes a different, only occasionally familiar path for the franchise. It’s a game that’s taken lessons from Link’s Awakening, but also takes bold new steps in its primary combat and puzzle design, for an experience that feels pleasant and refreshing.
The story doesn’t always feel as compelling as it should, and “fighting back against an encroaching darkness” is perhaps too-familiar ground for this franchise, but regardless, the game’s best ideas hold it up well. Zelda is a delight in the hero role, her powers are novel and interesting, and the game’s world is beautiful and exciting to explore.
This isn’t the swashbuckling, swords-first sort of game that The Legend of Zelda players have been given in the past, and that’s a wonderful thing. With a dose of whimsy and some very clever ideas, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom makes a memorable, exceedingly lovely impression.
Four stars: ★★★★
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: 26 September 2024
A code for The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom was provided by the publisher for the purposes of this review. GamesHub reviews were previously rated on a five-point scale. As of 29 July 2024, they are rated on a ten-point scale.
