The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Reviews
It's great to finally get to play as Zelda, but working out how to take an active part without being able to fight is rather hard work
Despite some ambitious ideas, beneath the surface Echoes of Wisdom is surprisingly uneven Zelda adventure. Few of its headline mechanics are utilised to their potential which means that, while enjoyable and charming, it ultimately feels less essential than other modern 2D entries.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom has a lot to recommend - a unique mechanic, classic dungeons, and a decent OST. While it’s a worthy entry into the hallowed series, for Zelda fans who love action and playing with Link’s many toys, Echoes of Wisdom will be an overpriced slog.
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.
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.
A light-hearted game for those who are tired after work for a nice adventure with innovative multiplayer gameplay
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Echoes of Wisdom does a good job setting up Zelda with fun and creative powers and a vast and adorable world to save. Echoes add fun creativity to puzzle solving, though do also have a tendency to break the game.
There’s a unique thrill to playing as Zelda: Sorcerer Supreme, but some hours into Echoes of Wisdom, especially the more that Zelda conjures bigger and badder creatures to smite her enemies, it still leaves the player wondering when, exactly, we get to play as Zelda: The Hero of Time. Nintendo remains a market leader in giving players what they didn’t know they needed rather than what they adamantly wanted, and Echoes of Wisdom is an excellent showcase for why that is, but it’s hard to shake just how many of Zelda’s problems could be solved just by letting her have a sword and an ocarina in the first place.
Overall, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom has a lot going for it. There is a lot to do and discover without being overwhelming. The visuals are vibrant and fun, and the characters are cute. Although the controls can be annoying at times, it is satisfying when you finally get past an obstacle. It will be interesting to see where Nintendo takes us for the next Zelda installment in the future.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom only feels like the beginning for what could become a great Zelda saga.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is a surprisingly substantial top-down Zelda with the slap-things together puzzle-solving spirit of Tears of the Kingdom, though its new ideas sometimes get in the way of the fun.
By marrying the expectations of a typical top-down 2D entry with the improvisational, do-it-yourself gameplay from Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, Grezzo has arrived at a winning formula that mixes old and new. That said, not everything is perfect: the echo system isn't great in combat situations and the game's dungeons demand more complexity.
This wonderfully engaging adventure combines the best features from classic Zelda games with several new mechanics from more recent entries. Developer Grezzo doesn't nail every aspect of the experience, but the neverending stream of fun puzzles and charming gameplay easily outshine the game's weaker points.
Review in Unknown | Read full review
"The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom strikes a fantastic balance between player agency and rigid game design. The Hyrulian heroine’s first proper foray into the spotlight avoids feeling like a cheap spin-off of the main title and instead feels like an evolution of it, although at times it does come across uncommitted to this new transformation."
Echoes of Wisdom brings back 2D Zelda while infusing it with the spirit of Echoes of Wisdom. The creativity to which its puzzles are both created and solved are superb, and I hope to see more of this going forward.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is a new release in which the series returns to its roots again with creative stage design and a wonderful game that satisfies the fans of the series who miss its classic atmosphere, despite some flaws, it remains a Zelda game experience that cannot be missed.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is a very successful debut outing for the titular princess. The game does still suffer the frame rate issues of Link’s Awakening and at times, felt as if the story became too centered around Link so that it became less about the character we play, but the ideas, mechanics, feel, look and style of the game are an absolute treat. Alongside Another Code, it’s my favourite Nintendo release of 2024 so far and gives an exciting glimpse into what Nintendo may be cooking for 2025 and beyond.
Playing The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom has reignited my desire to play through some of the other older Zelda games. It has been an absolute joy to play through and honestly I really hope that we get to play as Zelda more often because that Princess can slay! Sorry, couldn’t resist. Yass Queen (Princess) The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom gets the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
The latest Legend of Zelda game on the Switch puts the titular princess in the lead role for the first time for an experience that’s both refreshing and familiar.