The Legend Of Zelda Echoes Of Wisdom Review (Nintendo Switch OLED)

Rating: 8.8
Author: Jim Smale

by Jim Smale · Published October 2, 2024 · Updated October 1, 2024

The Legend Of Zelda Echoes Of Wisdom Review, The people of Hyrule are being stolen away by strange rifts, and with a certain swordsman among the missing, it falls to Princess Zelda to save her kingdom. Make bridges out of old beds, conjure rocks to throw at enemies, or use echoes like water blocks to reach new heights. You’ll need more than just your echoes to get past all the obstacles, though. The Bind ability can drag objects out of your way or into place, while Reverse Bond connects you to moving platforms or mobile monsters to pull you where you need to go.

The Legend Of Zelda Echoes Of Wisdom Review Pros:

Beautiful cutesy graphics.
5.5GB download size.
Adventure gameplay.
Two difficulties – Normal and hero.
Amiibo support.
Save and load whenever you want within the menu.
Opening tutorial section then ongoing pop-ups.
3D game World looks a lot like that Link Awakening Remake. The game also offers side-on-set pieces.
Big bright vibrant colours.
A fantastic opening sequence.
The world looks amazing.
It’s set at a time when they don’t know Link, he is just a hero in a green tunic.
The Tri rod allows you to create an echo of an item or object, once learned you can then create multiples of these Echoes.
You can learn many Echoes (the more power the rod has the more Echoes you can have), and delete one or all Echoes.
A classic soundtrack with now classic sound effects and remixes of songs and melodies that are nostalgic yet new.
Stealth sections.
A lot of puzzles throughout the story.
Play Tips is a menu that fills in with tutorials as you see them.
The camera let’s you ever so slightly move the camera left and right and do a short overhead view.
Very atmospheric.
Health bar system with hearts replenishing your health, these can be found or dropped from enemies.
Tri is your floating-friendly sidekick who gives story and help. He has a tail that indicates how many Echoes you can have cast at one time.
Elements of humor.
Being able to build structures and make your own path is clever and very satisfying.
Physics plays a huge part, building things from a height can cause them to break.
You get a map that fills in with color and detail as you explore and find points of interest.
It’s a game that makes you feel happy playing it.
You can get Echoes of enemies and summon them to fight for you!
When near light water you can swim in and see the bottom. When swimming you can dive down.
Find four pieces of heart to get an extra heart to your health bar.
Every encounter has multiple ways of completing it.
Handy lock-on button for throwing things, blocking, and sending out your enemy Echoes.
Find ingredients that you can combine for health potions.
Sell unwanted materials at shops for rupees.
Rupees is the game’s currency and come in different colors which denotes how much they are worth.
Cut down bushes for random chances at loot, they regrow when you leave and re-enter the area/screen.
Waypoints can be found and activated. These are used for fast travel.
They have added a lot of mechanics and set pieces from many of the Zelda games.
You can choose how to sort your Echoes.
A rift has opened up and is consuming the world of Hyrule. It will take people and make areas passable. Tri has friends who will try to repair the rifts.
You can at times enter the rift in certain areas and this is called the still world.
Apart from the open world, you get dungeons and these have their own map to find, warp points, etc.
You can find items and weapons that transform you into something else.
When in a different form you have an energy bar that is constantly depleting, you need to find and collect energy to top it up.
Big boss encounters.
Stamps are a new collectible you find, as you explore you find and add stamps to a card for rewards.
Just when you think you have seen everything, a new thing shows up or a new collectible or nostalgia hit.
Find secret dungeons.
Craft smoothies and potions for things like health, fast climbing, and even hot and cold resistance.
The game takes a bit from every Zelda game and then sprinkles in some new parts.
Collecting all the echoes becomes a tad addictive.
Being able to do simple things like pick up and throw items, swim and dive does make the game feel a lot more open than before.

The Legend Of Zelda Echoes Of Wisdom Review Cons:

No voice work except for a few grunts and chirps.
Zelda doesn’t actually speak, it’s just every now and then she gestures like she speaks.
The performance of the game is not great, a lot of slowdown and juddering.
Managing all your Echoes can be a real pain.
It can be hard to hit enemies sometimes because of the camera angle.
It does feel at times like you are doing something you have done before, from the puzzle types to location and secrets.
With so much freedom does come the problem of getting lost or not knowing where to go.
The markers for missions and quests is not clear as they always point towards the quest giver more than the location.
Many puzzles or obstacles require a certain echoes and it’s painful to not know that or what echo is indeed needed.

The Legend Of Zelda Echoes Of Wisdom:

Official website.

Developer: Nintendo

Publisher: Nintendo

Store Links –

Nintendo

9/10

Graphics - 9/10
9/10

Sound - 9/10
8/10

Accessibility - 8/10
9/10

Length - 9/10
9/10

Fun Factor - 9/10

8.8/10

Summary

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom impresses with its beautiful, cutesy graphics and vibrant colors, creating a visually appealing game world reminiscent of the “Link’s Awakening” remake. The game offers a 5.5GB download size and features adventure gameplay with two difficulty levels: Normal and Hero. Amiibo support and the ability to save and load at any time within the menu add convenience. The opening tutorial section is followed by ongoing pop-ups, which can be helpful for new players. The 3D game world, combined with side-on set pieces, looks stunning, and the fantastic opening sequence sets the stage for an engaging adventure. The story is set in a time when Link is an unknown hero in a green tunic, adding a fresh twist to the narrative.

The game introduces the Tri Rod, allowing players to create echoes of items or objects, which can be multiplied and managed based on the rod’s power. The classic soundtrack, filled with nostalgic yet new remixes, enhances the atmospheric experience. Stealth sections and numerous puzzles throughout the story keep the gameplay engaging. The Play Tips menu fills in with tutorials as you progress, and the camera offers slight movement and a short overhead view for better navigation. The health bar system, replenished by hearts found or dropped by enemies, and the friendly sidekick Tri, who provides story and help, add depth to the gameplay. Building structures and making your own path is clever and satisfying, with physics playing a significant role in the game’s mechanics.

However, the game is not without its flaws. The performance suffers from slowdown and juddering, which can be frustrating. Managing all your echoes can be cumbersome, and the camera angle sometimes makes it difficult to hit enemies. The game occasionally feels repetitive, with puzzle types and locations reminiscent of previous Zelda titles. The lack of voice work, except for a few grunts and chirps, and Zelda’s silent gestures can feel underwhelming. Despite these issues, the game offers a lot of mechanics and set pieces from many Zelda games, adding variety and nostalgia.

In summary, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is a visually stunning and engaging adventure game with a mix of new and nostalgic elements. While it has some performance issues and can feel repetitive at times, the clever mechanics, atmospheric experience, and satisfying gameplay make it a worthwhile addition to the Zelda series.