The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Reviews
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom encourages creativity and freedom of choice within the more limited scope of 2D games, with Zelda taking the lead role. It's a great fusion of what works and what's new, highlighting the franchise's ability to reinvent itself without ignoring its past. Here's to praying for the future that this will be just the first of many adventures in which the princess is the titular and true owner of the legend.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Echoes of Wisdom is yet another stellar release that not only continues to redefine the series through experimenting with gameplay mechanics and creative storytelling, but we finally got Princess Zelda as a playable protagonist.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom blends puzzle-solving, platforming and combat with brilliant creativity in a game that feels both nostalgic and wholly innovative for the franchise.
Echoes of Wisdom is a top-down Zelda adventure rich in character where the player must use echoes creatively to defeat enemies and solve puzzles. While the lack of combat may be a disadvantage and handicap to some, to others it allows more creative and interesting tactics to be used, and the lack of focus on combat may have encouraged the developers to create a rich, detailed overworld with numerous side quests.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom marks the first time that Princess Zelda takes center stage, as she must flee and prove her innocence after a sinister copy of the king falsely accuses her. The adventure introduces a novel system where Zelda can summon “echoes” of objects and enemies to solve puzzles, offering players creative freedom similar to recent Zelda titles like Breath of the Wild but within a more classic gameplay structure. The visual design builds on the charming style of Link’s Awakening (2019), with a colorful 2.5D look. While the game is fun and innovative, it does suffer from a few drawbacks, such as a cumbersome menu for selecting echoes and occasional technical issues including framerate drops. Despite this, it remains a bold and fresh step for the series, appealing to newcomers and veterans alike, with a focus on strategy and puzzles over action.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Every twist and turn in the game had me excitedly working my brain for the most fun solutions I could think of, from building bridges out of beds to sending crows after any monster that walked near me. The only thing better than the creative puzzle solving and beautiful environments is the fact that this game only works so well because Zelda is the protagonist.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is nothing short of a brilliant celebration of the series. Recapturing the structure of the classic games while transcending it with the innovations of the newer open-world adventures, this adventure combines the best of both worlds. Its familiarity is used to catch us off guard with its exotic and refined exploration. Zelda's debut as a protagonist was a long time coming, and a few growing pains and missteps in her dungeons don't undermine how triumphant it is.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is the franchise's grand farewell to Switch, and perhaps it couldn't get any better than this. Overlooking a few technical issues (the console has clearly reached its limit, someone save the Switch soldier!), Echoes of Wisdom brings with it a renewed wind of opportunity and possibility to the series, winking at the evolution of BOTW and TOTK but still having its own distinct identity and fun gameplay. The perfect blend of new and classic, on which Nintendo could build the future of the series - or at least a branch of it.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is an exciting new take on the series formula that takes some big swings and largely succeeds.
The Legend of Zelda is at its best when the series genuinely commits to its new ideas. For better and for worse. Albeit rough around the edges, Echoes of Wisdom is a valiant first attempt at giving Princess Zelda her own game and steering the series back to familiar territory.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is simply delightful and is how every top-down Zelda game should feel like. It’s not huge in the scale of Tears of the Kingdom in size or depth, but it still manages to give you plenty of hours of fun, exploration, and wonder that make it an influential entry in the Legend of Zelda series.
I struggled to stop playing Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom to write this review, and with its creative puzzles and vibrant world, it's a must-play, despite the minor hassle of navigating the echo-filled menu.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
There is a lot to like about Echoes of Wisdom as its very intuitive and fresh. That said, inventive mechanics come with a cost of fluid game design, and some fans may find this one a bit tedious compared to other entries in the storied franchise.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is an ambitious change to an old formula that’s stifled by a lot of growing pains. It’s still a decent game, but they wound up pushing the formula too far in some areas, and not far enough in others. The end result is an experience that’s stuck in a rather awkward middle ground. It’s still Zelda, so expect a lot of polish (besides performance) and charm, but this time it felt as if it came at the cost of some much-needed substance. I’m happy that 2D Zelda is finally back, but it’s clear that there’s a lot more work to be done for this format to reach its full potential.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom twists the typical Zelda formula while still staying true to the franchise. It is a truly innovative experience that Nintendo will hopefully continue to explore in future entries.
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.
A new and fun installment of the classic Legend of Zelda franchise but starring the heroine that gives its name to the saga, Princess Zelda.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is a fantastic entry in the Zelda series, offering a refreshing shift in focus by putting Princess Zelda in the lead role. The game’s creative new mechanics, engaging puzzles, and the ever-expansive world of Hyrule make it a must-play for both longtime fans and newcomers alike. While it retains the magic and spirit of previous Zelda titles, Echoes of Wisdom stands out as a unique and innovative chapter in the franchise.
At last, Zelda has got its own game and it's worth looking into
Review in Greek | Read full review
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is a very good 2D Zelda with an excellent lifespan. Nintendo and Grezzo have come up with some very interesting new gameplay concepts that almost reinvent the wheel without distorting the universe. I love that Zelda has always been known as the representative of wisdom, and that the developers were able to transpose this into the game through its unique mechanics. In short, if you're looking for a new adventure on the Switch, this will probably be the must-have game for the console this holiday season.
Review in French | Read full review