The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
The long-awaited Princess Zelda protagonist title, featuring a new 'Echo' mechanic for puzzles and combat. A smaller-scale Zelda with perfect pacing, making trade-offs while maintaining series charm - a charming kid-friendly masterpiece.
Art Appreciation
Rating Breakdown
Deductions
Boss battles rely too heavily on Link Swordsman mode for damage output. Given the game's positioning, relying more on puzzle-solving would be better.
After 20 years of fans asking, Zelda finally rescues Link! Zelda as protagonist has no combat ability, relying entirely on copying items for puzzles - this is the biggest innovation. The deduction is because after Zelda became the protagonist, some interesting worldbuilding details were reduced, like no longer needing to figure out how to cross-dress to sneak into Gerudo Town. Content was heavily compressed, making it feel more like a kid-friendly smaller title.
Too many copyable objects, some are just one-time story items. While continuing tradition with rich copy targets creating multiple puzzle solutions, selecting becomes troublesome late-game, and the favorites feature isn't a fundamental fix.
Highlights
The game is indeed simpler in combat and dungeon design, but this isn't a flaw - it's a positioning choice.
Deductions
When monsters jump on chests and are killed, dropped Rupees overlap with opened chests and become uncollectable. When copying objects that completely overlap in 2D, since magic theoretically activates at the wand tip, 'remember' can't trigger, yet sometimes on isolated platforms you need to awkwardly adjust angles.
Deductions
The smaller-scale title sacrificed many details, even removing day-night cycles, making this semi-open-world game feel very retro, like returning to early Zelda games.
Highlights
Details like gliding while holding a Cucco weren't cut even in this smaller title - that's Zelda's charm!
Deductions
A more kid-friendly smaller title that doesn't delve deep into Hyrule's worldbuilding, with relatively linear and simple story and exploration routes.
Highlights
The game officially jokes about Link being mute multiple times, hilarious. After finally rescuing him, he just keeps nodding - almost too much.
Deductions
While the game still attracts players to platinum and clear all side content, there's no motivation to collect all 'echoes'. Differences between echoes become smaller late-game, and monster-type echoes show power creep issues - you simply won't want to use old echoes anymore.
Highlights
The Zelda series is simply too charming, with perfect pacing. Even in a smaller title, you'll want to complete all side quests.