It's hard to believe that a new Zelda game is about to be released on Switch in the coming weeks. Over the past ten years, fans of the franchise have learned to be more patient with the delays. Whether it's Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom, the ambition infused into these titles has lengthened development times, much to the chagrin of players in a hurry, who were still rewarded with two of the best games in the franchise in the end. The Legend of Zelda now plays in the open world league, but Nintendo always ends up going back to its roots.
After an excellent remake of the episode Link's Awakening published in 2019, the Kyoto firm seems determined to evolve its franchise in all directions. Last June, viewers of the memorable summer Nintendo Direct had the pleasant surprise of discovering The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, a new title that will place Zelda in the role of the heroine for the very first time (with the exception of the video game abomination released on Philips-CDI). To mark the occasion, the developers have imagined a new way of approaching the world of Hyrule. Echoes of Wisdom takes up the aesthetic of Link’s Awakening but offers its own gameplay.
Zelda will not have a weapon, but a magic staff capable of duplicating objects in the environment, as well as certain enemies. Following its revelation, this strange power left players as surprised as it was confused. How can we respect the dynamism of the franchise by articulating exploration, combat and puzzles around simple invocations? If you’re one of the gamers asking yourself this kind of question, Nintendo has prepared a five-minute trailer that attempts to dispel any doubts ahead of the launch scheduled for next month.
A game more innovative than you might think
Until now, it was difficult to see Echoes of Wisdom as anything other than a transitional title and simple to develop, designed to complement the last moments of life of the Switch. With the few extracts shared initially, some clues led to believe that the map of Hyrule had been taken from the opus A Link Between Worlds on 3DS. But this is not the case. Nintendo puts an end to the theories with its new trailer. In just five minutes of presentation, this Zelda has played all the right cards to rise in our esteem.
By introducing us to the different regions of Hyrule and its inhabitants, the trailer already begins by proving that this is indeed a new world and not a simple copy-paste. The rest of the trailer focuses on new mechanics essential to the princess's epic. For more mobility, a beacon system will allow players to place teleportation zones wherever they want, while a mount will allow them to move more quickly.
The title will also amplify its role-playing dimension with the help of equipment capable of improving Zelda's abilities. Crafting aficionados will be delighted to learn that the cooking functionality of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom has been taken up in the form of smoothies to be squeezed to unlock different buffs. Echoes of Wisdom also takes the opportunity to draw inspiration from the previous game's Grip power. Here, Zelda will be able to "stick" objects to herself in order to transport them more easily using a spell called Synchronization.
Zelda Echoes of Wisdom therefore seems to be a real sandbox with almost infinite possibilities. It's a safe bet that players will enjoy exploring Hyrule and its dungeons like never before. After the videos of wacky machines in Tears of the Kingdom, we will certainly discover improbable strategies to successfully complete Zelda's adventure. The appointment is set for September 26.
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