Echoes of Wisdom starts with our trusty swordsman, Link, running into battle to save the princess! When bam! He’s pulled into a rift and sucked down. Now we’re left with Zelda, who is seen as our main protagonist of the game, rushing out of a collapsing building in the cloak of Link–almost as if he’s still part of us. Once free, she returns to Hyrule Castle and the actual game begins.
We follow our princess and her new companion Tri; together, they try to stop rifts in each region of the world. As we follow them we meet familiar faces such as the Gerudo and Gorons who need Zelda’s help, while also meeting different and new creatures like a tribe of coconuts and a yeti!
As the game progresses and you continue to defeat the rifts, you also begin to mend the rifts in conflict between each region. For example, with the Zoras, there’s a war between the river and the ocean side. To continue mending the rifts you have to fix their relationship which then ends with a gorgeous song and positive outcome.
The story is absolutely gorgeous. Most Zelda games always have this satisfaction and thrill when progressing, and that follows with this game as well. As most Zelda games, we have a main storyline along with side ones following. But, this game does a beautiful job at tying everything together and making sure that every bit of dialogue connects.
There are small similarities between this game and past Zelda games story wise, one similarity being bringing Zelda back to her silent princess ways. Unlike in Tears of The Kingdom or Breath of the Wild, this game brings back Zelda with no dialogue, which frankly adds more into the story. Not knowing Zelda’s thoughts or feelings makes it feel as if the player takes that role. Having Link stay silent in most Zelda games also adds this feeling of connection between the player and the character.
The art style is similar to games such as Link’s awakening, (Switch Version) with more of that simplistic chibi style, as well as Wind Waker. While not the exact same style as Wind Waker, it brings in components of it with that childlike simplistic look that Wind Waker did a good job portraying. The art style isn’t as extreme as Legend of Zelda but the simplicity adds a lot to it. If this game was in that same style as newer releases then the feelings would be completely different.
I love the simple look; it gives the player a sense of calmness. The cute art style makes it almost childlike which fits the PG cute story and gives the player a better feeling of what they should expect. This is not to say that the art style isn’t gorgeous. It still is and even just as you play the game you can see all that was thrown into this game: such as the beginning cutscene of Hyrule. Mirroring that of Breath of the Wild, Zelda standing on that ledge looking out onto the Hyrule castle is gorgeous. The simple art style fits, in fact it adds to the story and the players experience.
Unlike past games there isn’t a scary giant boss; I mean at one point you fight a mind controlled fish and yeti but the scariest it gets is a giant dragon. The gameplay should still be talked about; especially the main element: THE ECHOES!
With Zelda’s companion Tri and a magic wand that Zelda gets, she’s able to copy certain objects and enemies that she discovers. At the start of the game she’s trapped in a prison so then we, the players, are told to copy a bed in order to escape! As the game continues Zelda discovers more and more Echoes that can be used to help with getting around the map within or boss fights. Early on we discover the bed Echo, and when placed and slept in Zelda gains hearts. During boss fights Zelda is able to then summon different monsters to fight alongside her!
What’s even better is that these Echoes can be used in puzzles; and it’s always fun to figure out unique ways to complete them. When having to hit levers on other sides of walls you can summon a skeleton Echo for example and attach to the lever which then signals for the Skeleton to shoot it! And that’s just one of the many unique ways Echoes are used.
Each player uses each object differently which makes the gameplay that more unique. Such as instances where I have used spiders to latch onto to get up walls or using the water Echo to get across ledges. Each player can use these Echoes differently when defeating each boss and going through each rift.
As far as music in this game goes it is as beautiful as all the Zelda games. While not being the first thing everyone talks about there are still moments in the game where you have to pause and appreciate the music that goes into the game. Specifically the ending for the main Zora quest. When fixing the rifts in between the riverside and sea Zora tribes it mirrors the start of the quest where the two are playing their instruments, The river side having more brass instruments with the main tribe leader, Drad playing an almost Horn like instrument. Then the Seaside has a light tone with the main leader, Kusha playing a harp. The end of the quest mixes the two songs of each region together to show the harmony between the two areas. It’s a beautiful song, and when hearing the two regions finally work together it makes the ending of the quest all that worth it.
The game itself is amazing. Unlike Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom this game didn’t take long to play at all. Though like the other games it holds the exploration aspect and keeps the players still able to explore around the world to find small side quests and more unlockable outfits. If you enjoy other Legend of Zelda games, especially ones such as Wind Waker and the release of Link’s awakening, As well as having a game that you can play easily in a couple of days then Echoes of Wisdom will fit perfectly and it is highly recommended in my eyes.
