Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Nintendo Switch Review - Is It Worth It?
Summary
TLDRNintendo 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.
Outlines
🎮 Review of 'The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom'
The paragraph introduces a review of 'The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom' on the Nintendo Switch, adapted from Alana Hags' written review. It emphasizes the game's blend of old and new elements, with a focus on life lessons subtly woven into gameplay. The review praises the game's art style, music, and the innovative use of the TR Rod, which allows Zelda to create copies of items and enemies. The game's structure is traditional, with dungeons, bosses, and puzzles, but with a fresh take on exploration and problem-solving. The review also notes the game's aesthetic, comparing it to a toy box filled with puzzles.
🔍 In-Depth Gameplay and Hero Mode
This paragraph delves into the gameplay mechanics, such as the use of Echoes for combat and puzzle-solving, and the ability to bind to enemies and objects. It discusses the game's difficulty, especially in Hero Mode, where players take more damage. The reviewer appreciates the game's originality and how it combines classic 2D gameplay with 3D elements. They also mention performance issues with frame rate drops in certain areas but overall find the experience rewarding. The paragraph ends with a high rating of 9 out of 10 for the game.
🌟 Exploration and Side Quests
The final paragraph focuses on the rewarding nature of exploration in the game, with numerous side areas and caves that offer substantial rewards. The reviewer highlights the game's non-linear approach, allowing players to figure out puzzles and quests on their own, which adds to the satisfaction. They also discuss the game's way-point system, which directs players back to the quest giver rather than the destination, encouraging exploration. The paragraph concludes with the reviewer's enthusiasm for Zelda's different playstyle compared to Link's and their hope for more mainline Zelda games featuring Zelda as the protagonist.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡The Legend of Zelda
💡Echoes of Wisdom
💡Nintendo Switch
💡Top-down Zelda
💡Hyrule
💡Echo
💡Hero Mode
💡Dungeons
💡Performance Dips
💡Side Quests
💡TR Rod
Highlights
The Legend of Zelda Echoes of Wisdom is a top-down Zelda game for the Nintendo Switch.
It contains many life lessons and is a marriage of old and new elements of the franchise.
The game features a beautiful minifigure look similar to Link's Awakening remake.
Zelda is the hero without caveats, and the game is structurally familiar to 2D Zelda games.
The game allows exploration of Hyrule in a new art style.
Echoes of Wisdom introduces the TR Rod, which can copy items and enemies.
Boss and enemy encounters are puzzles that require strategic use of Echoes.
Zelda can use a sword by turning into sword fighter form, and also gets a bow and bombs.
The game's aesthetic and Hyrule feel like a giant toy box full of puzzles.
Side quests provide fun diversions leading to hidden caves and optional dungeons.
The game includes a strange turn at realm for Zelda to explore.
Dungeons in Echoes of Wisdom are classic Zelda with puzzles, keys, locked rooms, and monsters.
The game offers a challenge with Hero Mode, which can be activated at any point.
Zelda can bind herself to enemies and objects to move them around.
Performance dips are present, with frame rate issues in certain areas.
Echoes of Wisdom is a 15 to 20-hour adventure that blends classic 2D gameplay with 3D experimentation.
The game should set the new standard for top-down Zelda games.
It is in contention with A Link to the Past and A Link Between Worlds as one of the best top-down adventures.
The game rewards exploration with numerous side areas and mini-dungeons.
Echoes of Wisdom encourages players to figure things out for themselves, which is rewarding.
Playing as Zelda in a mainline game is a fresh experience, different from playing as Link.
Transcripts
hello there lovely pit alic from
Nintendo life here and today we're
reviewing for you the Legend of Zelda
Echoes of wisdom on the Nintendo switch
this review was originally written by
the exceptional Alana hags and has been
adapted for video by me but anyway
that's more than enough waffling let's
Dive Right into things
[Music]
The Legend of Zelda Echoes of wisdom
contains many great life lessons we
should all take into consideration get
others to do the work for you talking to
cats is worth your time making friends
with spiders is good horses can smell
carrots from hundreds of miles away oh
and of course beds solve all problems
okay in all seriousness as the first
brand new topown Zelda since 2015
Triforce Heroes Echoes of wisdom is a
near perfect marriage of the old and the
new as with many of Nintendo's best
titles this adventure completely
understands the magic of play The Wonder
of curiosity this time however that
Essence has been distilled into a tiny
topown experience complete with that
beautiful minifigure look from grezzo
links Awakening remake and the developer
is back to make more magic yet again
with the franchise for the first time in
a Mainline entry we're not counting
those Zelda is unabashedly the hero with
no caveats but this is still a Legend of
Zelda game meaning structurally it'll be
very familiar to anyone who's played a
2d Zelda before go here solve a local
problem go to dungeon fight a boss all
that sort of stuff it's genuinely
exciting to explore Hyrule in this art
style and looking at the glossy trees of
hyru field and the crystal clear waters
that you'll find in jabble waters and
faren wetlands it's just an absolute
treat the flute rendition of hyru fields
theme complete with a new flourish of
Zelda's lullabi equally gets our hearts
racing whilst Echoes of wisdom is
without a doubt a classic Zelda it takes
that old formula and twists it into
something fresh thanks to the titular
character herself you can't just go in
with your master sword and hook shot you
actually have to rewire your brain on
how you tackle every situation thanks to
the TR Rod a staff given to the princess
by her new adorable companion try this
simply put can be used to make a copy of
the various items and enemies across
Hyrule as you progress you'll amass a
huge catalog of Echoes to summon for
your every need and you'll be able to
cast multiple at once as you level up
your floating little yellow friend it's
never not satisfying to send out a horde
of moblins to destroy a group of enemies
whilst you're cutting grass or picking
up rocks to find ladders or hidden items
every boss and every enemy encounter is
its own little puzzle to solve whether
it's using the right monster Echoes for
the situation or utilizing the elements
through water blocks or brazers in a
pinch however Zelda can use a sword by
turning into sword fighter form
eventually you'll get the use of a bow
and some bombs giving you a brief
snippet of Link's gameplay but it isn't
a crutch despite being extremely
powerful Zelda can only maintain this
form for a few seconds a little bit
longer when fully upgraded so if you
want to use it you'll need to make it
count using Echo Zelda fully Embraces
the plasticky aesthetic and Hyrule feels
like a giant toy box stuff full of
puzzles where everything from getting a
heart piece to fighting enemies requires
careful consideration where Big Trees in
links Awakening or L to the Past served
as obstacles separating regions Zelda
can simply use beds rocks or even clouds
to climb up and walk just all over them
it grants a level of Freedom we've never
seen in a top- down Zelda before with
Echo comparisons to both breath of the
wild and tears of the kingdom are more
than apt just on a much smaller much
more controlled scale like the open
world 3D Adventures of the switch era
Echoes of wisdom gives you more to do
outside of exploring and using Echoes
side quests provide fun little
diversions that lead you to hidden caves
optional es and sometimes even
accessories to help Zelda along the way
you can run around and collect stamps
for highy rues Resident weird little
chap stamp guy you can also eventually
get automatons little robotic creatures
that look rather cool but feel a little
useless especially as you amass an army
of Echoes throughout the game that can
do pretty much everything these metallic
guys can back to the more traditional
Zelda qualities similar to the Dark
World there's a strange turn at realm
for Zelda to explore the still world as
Zelda enters menacing purple Rifts
throughout the game you'll uncover
fractured pockets of hyru you need to
restore trees are ripped from the ground
and floating bodies of water and now
suspended midair and the citizens of
hyru are in stasis dripping with black
goop navigating these little segments is
extremely fun many are optional and
reward you with upgrades for try but
most are home to a true Zelda staple
dungeons Echoes of wisdom applies its
whole philosophy to the series vintage
top- down dungeons to great effect none
of them are hugely challenged but they
are classic Zelda 2 a t complete with
puzzles keys locked rooms full of
monsters and more besides there are also
side on sections both in and out of
dungeons that require more smart use of
your Echo even and we can't believe
we're saying this the stealth sections
are fun especially if you accidentally
box the soldiers in together so only one
can see you but he's blocked by all the
others we're so glad we can make more
stupid decisions like this in a top down
environment plus if you want more of a
challenge you can always hop into hero
mode at any point
and it's worth it because it definitely
bites on a side note my entire
playthrough has been in hero mode and uh
oh Lordy another ability you'll need to
get to grips with is bind using try
Zelda can quote unquote bind herself to
enemies and objects and either shift
them around in accordance with her own
movements or follow their movements or
you could just like us use it to drop
enemies into Bottomless Pits it's all
valid it does take some getting used to
particularly after countless hours of
using magnesis or the ultra hand but but
it can be extremely useful when you're
in busy rooms filled with crates
Boulders and enemies you might need to
Target more specifically what you want
to bind to unfortunately this involves
using the target button over and over
again until you land on what you're
aiming for whether it's in combat or
just to solve a puzzle you don't need to
lock on if the item is right in front of
you but when items are high up or the
enemies are airborne targeting becomes
essential and cycling through makes
things just a little bit more fiddly
than we feel they really needed to be
there's another lingering problem one
which was present in the links Awakening
remake and one that you may well have
noticed already performance dips just
like the 2019 game echos of wisdom's
frame rate despite aiming for a
consistent 60 frames per second is all
over the place if you like spinning
around in the Overworld and cutting
grass you'll notice pretty frequent
frame drops hebra mountain and the gudo
desert also suffer where sand storms and
snow make things feel really quite
choppy inside buildings and dungeons
though the game is pretty much silky
smooth which makes the frequent
Overworld stutters in both docked and
handheld mode even more noticeable other
than that though this 15 to 20h hour
Adventure is a Zelda fans dream with
classic 2D gameplay and 3D
experimentation coming together Echoes
of wisdom's originality reminds us that
there's definitely space for both zeldas
in this world Beyond just remakes and
sequels that alone makes us happy to
wield the triwood and cause some serious
chaos for the monsters of Hyrule The
Legend of Zelda Echoes of wisdom should
be the new standard for topown Zelda
going forward rather than abandoning the
classic formula Zelda has shown that the
old and the new can come together and
produce wonderful results that reward
experimentation and reinforce the joy of
play this is easily In Contention with
the likes of a link to the past and A
Link Between Worlds as one of the best
top- down adventures in the series and
we hope we don't need to wait another 35
years for Zelda to take a starring role
Again The Legend of Zelda Echoes of
wisdom you're getting a nine out of 10
from us
[Music]
[Music]
you've reached the end of the review
that means it's time for Alex's personal
thoughts and I absolutely adore this
game when I played the preview I got a
sniffer of what I was to expect but then
finally getting my hands on the game
proper it's just a different world
entirely not to say that the preview was
misrepresentative or anything like that
but it was just like it was like looking
through a keyhole as opposed to opening
the door as I mentioned as a little
aside in the review yes my entire game
was in hero mode and it really really
knocks you for six that you take so much
more damage than you might immediately
expect it's much more in line with
something like breath of the wild or
tears of the kingdom in the sense that
certain enemies will just hit you once
and it'll take off I don't know like
eight hearts or something like that in
hero mode um sometimes I'm sure there's
times where it's taken more but even so
you'll just see your hearts go down to
nothing and you can think oh I don't
need to heal I've got like seven hearts
and uh then you'll die I love it I did
see in the comments of the preview that
there were some people that were a
little bit concerned that because you
can do a puzzle in so many different
ways therefore it's going to be dead
easy and I wouldn't say any of the
puzzles were like hugely challenging
anything like that but it does kind of
encourage you to use things in
interesting ways and often times it'll
throw um you know like a load of
powerful enemies in there at the same
time and you've got to navigate whilst
dodging projectiles and you can't fall
into the water cuz it's full of great
big shark monsters that I can't remember
the name of and it's those elements that
make even the puzzles in hero mode even
more challenging because you're having
to avoid enemy fire and stuff like that
it is it is tough it really is but in
such a rewarding way I I loved every
second I played this game oh but the
performance really is just oh I just I
kind of wish in a way that they just
tried to keep it at 30 like don't get me
wrong when it's 60 it is a
delightful but it's not there often
enough to really kind of justify it
particularly in the Overworld maybe if
they done like a kind of a split frame
rate thing where it aims for 30 in the
Overworld and 60 indoors and like in
dunge and the Ste world and stuff like
that maybe that would have been better
but I don't know but even taking that
into consideration I didn't care I love
the game too much it's just so lovely
one thing that I really want to
emphasize is just how rewarding it is to
explore and I'm not talking you know
sort of oh you might find some rupes
under under a rock or something but it
reaches the point where the rewards that
you get in these little side areas like
little caves and things like that which
are
innumerous uh the rewards that almost
reached the point of being a little bit
underwhelming because there's so many
and to be honest the reward is doing the
extra fun gaml by itself just going into
a cave and oh it's not just a little
space or something like that it's like
several rooms it's and sometimes you may
even find what is essentially like a
mini dungeon like I don't want to spoil
anything but there was a point where I
just I got a Quest from someone who's
like oh you know could you go here and
check something out for me and it's like
yeah okay what's it going to be and it
was like it was like a like a 20 minute
D well dungeonesque type area it was
gorgeous the game doesn't hold your hand
except for through like the early parts
of the game and it's teaching you stuff
but as soon as you're sort of let free
the game's just like hey you work it out
for yourself and that's so rewarding and
that's probably why things aren't too
challenging All Things Considered except
in hero mode but the fact that you've
worked it out without anyone saying oh
go here and even the way points like the
way points are usually you know sort of
like very much like breath of the wild
or tears of the Kingdom the way points
will point to where you got the quest
rather than where you need to go someone
will say oh yeah there's a you know so
uh there's a cave up in the north area
of this of this town or something or
something to that effect and it won't
give you a waypoint as to where it is
it'll give you a waypoint as to where
you got it so you can go and check the
information again you can also do that
on the pause screen but it means that
you've got to work it out and that's one
of the things that I love so much about
side quests especially in the likes of
bre of the wild tears of the kingdom and
now Echoes of wisdom it's a delight it's
an absolute delight and playing a Zelda
for the first time properly come on in a
Mainline game is just absolutely superb
she plays completely differently it's
such a breath of fresh air I really hope
this isn't the last time this happens
because my God is this game are good
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