This time around, Link isn’t the sole defender of Hyrule.

In the new game, Echoes of Wisdom, part of Nintendo’s long-standing Legend of Zelda franchise for Switch, Princess Zelda steps out from the shadows and takes center stage. She’s no longer just the princess to be saved; players can now take control of her.

Nintendo announced this game as a main entry in the beloved series during their June Direct showcase, and it also coincides with the release of a Hyrule-themed version of the Nintendo Switch Lite this week.

What is Echoes of Wisdom About?

Another chaotic day in Hyrule with monsters causing trouble and pandemonium.

Open rifts are appearing throughout the kingdom, with people mysteriously “vanishing” into them. With Link missing after confronting the notorious Ganon, Princess Zelda takes on the role of hero – even wearing Link’s hood – and embarks on a mission to rescue her realm.

This quest won’t be easy. Zelda must navigate challenges like escaping imprisonment, mastering combat against various enemies, and solving puzzles. Additionally, she’ll journey into the “still world” of the rifts to rescue those who have been taken and restore the villages.

With her Tri Rod and a fairy-like companion named Tri, Zelda delves into the unusual occurrences. The Tri Rod enables the princess to create “echoes,” which are duplicates of items like tables or beds, and even enemies she encounters can be copied to assist in battles or navigational challenges.

Legends and Lore

The return to Hyrule in Echoes, launching just over a year after the immensely popular Tears of the Kingdom, might have taken some by surprise, but it’s undoubtedly a welcome addition. The focus on Zelda marks a long-awaited evolution in gameplay.

Interestingly, while utilizing the Tri Rod, Zelda does get to wield a sword and other weapons in her “Swordfighter form,” as revealed in a trailer released shortly before the game’s launch. The combination of Swordfighter skills and the echoes provides a fantastic gameplay experience, as the Tri Rod is quite powerful and offers various fun interactions.

If you found Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom to be overly complex, you might enjoy Echoes instead. It’s a more straightforward game that is delightful to play.

Echoes features a charming cartoonish art style, similar to the 2019 remake of Link’s Awakening, and incorporates mechanics reminiscent of the prior titles, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

Players will come across familiar characters, locations, and even music, which is typical of many Legend of Zelda games, but Echoes introduces plenty of new elements in Hyrule for Zelda’s journey.

The game has a more linear progression than Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, which may occasionally feel limiting for long-time fans, but those well-versed in the Zelda franchise should find it within their expectations. Between collecting items, chatting with villagers, undertaking optional side quests, and exploring dungeons, there is much to enjoy, although additional content would certainly enhance the experience.

The dungeons in Echoes begin simply but become longer without increasing in complexity as players progress. This shift back to a format more akin to older Legend of Zelda games suggests that developers took some feedback about the earlier titles’ limited dungeons into account.

Puzzles vary in specificity, with some testing stealth skills, but generally, many solutions are open to creative thinking. If you don’t succeed at first, give the Tri Rod another shot.

Echoes does share some issues seen in Tears: rewards sometimes don’t feel proportional to the effort required and certain tasks can feel repetitive, leading to a less intentional game design.

It would be fantastic to see more tasks and challenges tailored specifically for the title character, Princess Zelda, in this unique installment.

She has demonstrated her strength, bravery, and intelligence, and she is worthy of an epic tale to accompany her journey. “Echoes” serves as a great initial step in that direction.

Indeed, “Echoes of Wisdom” brings to mind some of the most enjoyable aspects of The Legend of Zelda series: engaging puzzles, touching music, rich lore, and an overall delightful storyline. Let’s hope this marks the beginning of many adventures for the princess.