Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Nintendo Switch Review - Is It Worth It?

Summary

Nintendo Switch's 'The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom' is a top-down adventure that masterfully blends classic Zelda gameplay with fresh mechanics. The game introduces the TR Rod, allowing players to duplicate items and enemies, and presents puzzles that require strategic thinking. With a vibrant art style and a rich, explorable Hyrule, it offers a challenging yet rewarding experience. Despite occasional performance issues, it stands as a new benchmark for top-down Zelda games.

Takeaways

• 🎮 The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is a top-down action-adventure game developed by Grezzo for the Nintendo Switch.
• 🌟 It combines classic Zelda gameplay with new mechanics, offering a fresh experience while staying true to the series' roots.
• 🏰 The game features a beautiful art style reminiscent of the minifigure look from Link's Awakening remake.
• 🔮 The TR Rod allows Zelda to create copies of items and enemies, adding a strategic layer to puzzles and combat.
• 🐎 Echoes can be used for various purposes, such as solving puzzles, fighting enemies, and uncovering hidden items.
• 🎶 The game's soundtrack includes a flute rendition of Hyrule Field's theme, along with new music that enhances the gameplay experience.
• 🔒 Dungeons in Echoes of Wisdom are classic top-down experiences with puzzles, keys, locked rooms, and monsters.
• 👥 Side quests provide additional content and challenges, leading to hidden caves, optional areas, and useful accessories.
• 🌐 The game world offers a high level of freedom, allowing Zelda to climb over obstacles that were impassable in previous 2D Zelda games.
• 🐙 The Still World is a unique area where Zelda navigates through a fractured version of Hyrule, encountering different challenges and dungeons.
• 💻 The game has performance issues with frame rate drops in certain areas, particularly in the Overworld and specific environments like Hebra Mountain and the Gudo Desert.

Q & A

What is the title of the game being reviewed in the script?

The title of the game being reviewed is 'The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom'.

Which platform is 'The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom' being reviewed for?

The game is being reviewed for the Nintendo Switch platform.

Who originally wrote the review script?

The review script was originally written by Alana Hags.

What is the significance of 'Echoes of Wisdom' in the Zelda series?

It is the first brand new top-down Zelda game since 'Triforce Heroes' in 2015.

What new gameplay element does 'Echoes of Wisdom' introduce?

The game introduces the TR Rod, a staff that can be used to make copies of items and enemies across Hyrule.

How does 'Echoes of Wisdom' differ from traditional 2D Zelda games structurally?

Structurally, it is very familiar to anyone who has played a 2D Zelda before, with a similar pattern of exploring, solving local problems, going to dungeons, and fighting bosses.

What aesthetic does 'Echoes of Wisdom' use for its Hyrule setting?

The game uses a 'beautiful minifigure look' similar to the aesthetic from 'Link's Awakening remake'.

What is the role of the character 'Try' in the game?

Try is an adorable companion to Princess Zelda who gives her the TR Rod, enabling her to create Echoes.

What is the significance of the 'Echoes' that players collect in the game?

Players can collect Echoes to summon various items and enemies to assist them in different situations as they progress through the game.

How does 'Echoes of Wisdom' handle side quests?

Side quests provide fun diversions that lead to hidden caves, optional dungeons, and sometimes accessories to help Zelda.

What is the reviewer's opinion on the difficulty level of the puzzles in 'Echoes of Wisdom'?

The reviewer does not find the puzzles to be hugely challenging, but they do encourage interesting solutions and can become more challenging in hero mode.

What performance issues were noted in the review?

The game experiences performance dips with frame rate issues, particularly in the Overworld, despite aiming for a consistent 60 frames per second.

What is the final score given by the reviewer for 'Echoes of Wisdom'?

The game received a score of nine out of ten from the reviewer.