The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (Nintendo Switch) Review

The very traditional core of the series is squished into a brief opening segment, with Link venturing through a little dungeon and confronting Ganon in an attempt to rescue the captured Princess Zelda. The trajectory of what fans are used to seeing changes quickly, however, when, in the boar-like monster's last breath, he drags the young hero down into the depths of the land with him. Link's final act is to fire an arrow that breaks Zelda free from her confines, and the princess can do nothing but watch her saviour get swallowed up before making her escape.

Rifts just like the one that swept Link away are appearing all over Hyrule, and, following the King of Hyrule being sucked in and a corrupted version of him spat back out, it is clear that this is going to be a far different type of Legend of Zelda game. Zelda's "father" instructs his soldiers to execute the princess after accusing her as the one creating the chasms that are stealing Hyrulean citizens away. Before her demise can occur, however, an encounter with a mysterious being allows Zelda to make her escape and take matters into her own hands.

The floating sprite known as Tri teaches Zelda the ability to "echo" - that is to create a copy of certain objects that she can conjure up on a whim using the handy staff the otherworldly creature gifts the princess. Players learn the ropes of the main mechanic of Echoes of Wisdom here, using copies of tables to reach higher platforms and boxes to obstruct the paths of the guards, breaking out of the castle prison, and proceeding to begin the quest proper after stepping out into the land of Hyrule.

Despite the familiar top-down viewpoint and the visual similarity to the Link's Awakening remake, Echoes of Wisdom has more in common with the most recent 3D entry, Tears of the Kingdom, mostly due in part to the focus on expanding the core gameplay to incorporate something new entirely that breaks free from the confines of what the series has been doing for decades.

Zelda isn't simply a gender swap of Link here; she doesn't wield a sword and shield in most circumstances. Instead, her echo ability ensures a freshness compared to other top-down entries, but isn't so far removed from the traditions of what makes a Zelda game a Zelda game.

It may seem a bit disappointing initially that the princess doesn't get to be the swordswoman many fans have wanted to see at some point in the franchise, but this spin on the formula delivers a lot of fun deviations that allows players to tackle exploration and combat in a variety of ways.

Aside from copying all manner of objects that can be stacked on top of each other to reach new heights and distances, Zelda can use them to throw at enemies, too. Defeating them will then allow her to learn the echo of that particular foe, allowing her to magic up a copy of her own to send into battle. It is a bit like Pokémon in that sense - capture creatures and send your little pet monsters to do the dirty work for you!

The range of monster types is large, spanning mostly familiar fiends seen across the Legend of Zelda series, and their unique capabilities allow the princess to utilise them not just for defeating other baddies, but for other purposes, too. For example, holding a Keese above her head and jumping off a ledge will let Zelda glide to the other side, while the Holmill echo will burrow into the ground to dig up rupees or create a hole that can be hopped in to drop into a new room.

It is likely that players will find their go-to echoes when it comes to not just battling enemies, but also in the creation process for getting across Hyrule. The bed will be an extremely common object that can be stacked in a stair-like fashion, easily letting Zelda climb up to higher platforms. As progress is made, a couple more preferred echoes are learned that may replace the bed, much more easily allowing her to climb directly up.

Much like with Tears of the Kingdom's Ultrahand ability, which allowed Link to craft all sorts of contraptions that let him explore and battle in original ways, creative imagination is brought out when players use Zelda's echo ability. Despite the limitations of the top-down formula, there is just enough done with level design that lets players express themselves in a multitude of ways, and it can be interesting to hear how other people tackled certain areas and even bosses, which also can be defeated with alternatives to the norm.

The overworld is pretty large for a top-down Legend of Zelda entry, and longtime fans will be pleased to see staple races of the series return, like Zora and Gerudo, as well as some brilliant soundtracks that contain little nods to past games. There is a structure in place that must be followed for story purposes, but there is still plenty of freedom in terms of which areas to tackle first, even to the point that Zelda can just venture off to the furthest reaches of Hyrule right from the get-go if she desires - again similar to the most recent 3D entries, Breath of the Wild and its sequel. Side-quests, although sometimes disappointingly simple and with lacking rewards, are encouraged and common across the land.

Outside of the optional Hero mode, Echoes of Wisdom doesn’t run particularly difficult, with the bed echo able to be conjured up to rest in and recover hearts anywhere on a screen, but there are some puzzles that do require a little thought and experimentation in the dungeons, which is pleasing to see. The oxygen meter that is now present feels a bit unnecessary in a game of this type, though, and causes a little frustration in swimming segments at times. A method to introduce some of that absent challenge, perhaps, but one that doesn't feel like it fits for a top-down Zelda game.

More than anything, Zelda’s solo adventure is just a joy to play. While it could have done with an additional dungeon or two, and may not excel in the combat stakes – especially when there can be seconds of waiting around for her echo monsters to attack, and the desire to run in and smash foes with your staff grows – there is a great deal of fun to be had from the creation side of things, utilising the variety of objects to reach new areas and solve puzzles. It can be awkward at times, feeling like trying to squeeze the Tears of the Kingdom gameplay into bite-sized format is a touch forced, but more often than not, playing around with the mechanics is an entertaining endeavour.

While there is definitely an appeal to simply having Zelda be in Link's shoes, slashing around with a blade, a straight-up traditional Legend of Zelda game may not have been all that exciting as a result. By making the heroine here have a much more original play style, Nintendo has crafted a far more appealing entry in the series than what could have been if they had just given her a sword and shield. Although there are still limitations, Echoes of Wisdom has delivered one of the most enjoyable top-down games in the franchise for many a year.