thealexmott The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Review

Heard a lot of mixed things about this game before I got to it, and I am happy to report that I have no idea what they were on about. No spoilers ahead, and you should NOT search this game up on Google or YouTube! Too much cool stuff will be in thumbnails to clickbait you, going in blind was a joy, you should NOT rob yourself of the bliss of discovery! 3D Zelda is my favorite thing in all media, I've always enjoyed 2D Zelda as well, but to a lesser extent. (A Link to the Past was the first real single-player console game I ever beat, and I beat Ocarina of Time the following month, so nostalgia is equal for both styles) I don't want to jump so quickly to betray my ALttP-loving origins, but... this might be my favorite 2D Zelda?? In any case, Echoes of Wisdom is right next to it in my Zelda rankings, seated immediately below all the major 3D console titles. I had a bit of a rough start, and was fairly convinced that I wouldn't be a big fan of this game for the first couple of hours. The use of echoes instead of direct combat really took some getting used to, but it turned out to be a creative and refreshing approach to a Zelda game. There's a surprising amount of BotW/TotK influence here too, with the ability to move enemies and items via Tri (akin to Magnesis or Ultrahand), and the freedom to effectively climb anything and go anywhere as early as you'd like, so long as you've got enough echoes and gumption. I had a fantastic time exploring the world in a way that felt more free than older 2D Zeldas; I was never stopped in my tracks trying to find one specific key for one specific lock before I could continue, rather I was clambering all over the place, reaching summits and yet-to-be populated towns that wouldn't have their events made available until far later in the game's story, all while acquiring echoes from brutal enemies that I didn't have enough triangles to even use. What a beautiful iteration of Hyrule to get lost in! The open-ended mechanics, while married with a linear story, meant that sometimes I would find a character who introduces a new mechanic, and I'd already have everything required to do all of their upgrades in a single visit. The world is perfectly filled out with engaging and surprising new things to do, including optional mini-dungeons with bosses, and new side quests populating during multiple return visits to each town. More than any other 2D Zelda, this world feels alive. The one thing I view as a shortcoming here is that there's not necessarily any iconic imagery. Characters and enemies have solid designs, but there's nothing that would've gotten 9-year-old Alex to draw pictures of it and pin it on the wall, and no eye-catching dungeon that I'll find myself dreaming of wandering through. That being said, from a purely mechanical standpoint, there is a strong case to be made for these being the best dungeons AND bosses of any 2D Zelda, and even beating quite a few 3D entries. Through nearly 4 decades of the franchise, puzzles and unique boss fights have never been this good! I 100%ed the game largely without the internet's help, only looking up a couple of missed Pieces of Heart at the very end of my time. I'm so glad we finally got Zelda as a protagonist, and I wouldn't mind at all if she ruled the 2D space from this time forward. What a game!