The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom – Everything We Know

Nintendo Switch fans have had a blissful journey with the long-standing franchise, The Legend of Zelda. It’s one of the best action-adventure games on the console that has consistently dropped exciting titles both on the main entry and spin-offs. Now even before fans have had enough of the last mainline game, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Nintendo is about to introduce the next game in the series. Announced as The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, the title already got fans talking over what the producer termed as gameplay that breaks conventions. Link is stepping aside for the Triforce of Wisdom, the new star of the show. Here is everything we know about The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom for now.

What is The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom?

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is an upcoming video game release from Nintendo. It’s a new installment in the original Legend of Zelda series and an addition to the franchise’s 20 main series entries and multiple spin-offs. Like most iterations in the highly acclaimed series, Echoes of Wisdom is a blend of action, puzzle, adventure, and exploration. However, the game features remarkable differences from its prequel that ultimately label it a leap forward in the series. But here’s a catch for players who’ve been keeping tabs on The Legend of Zelda series’ releases. Echoes of Wisdom’s art style reminisces the 2019 Link’s Awakening. 

Story

Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom comes directly after its 2023 installation, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. However, the game overhauls the previous title’s story, even switching Link’s role with Zelda’s. It all still happens in the land of Hyrule, where mysterious rifts constantly appear throughout the land, making the people of Hyrule disappear. By then, Link is still playing the hero and is more concerned with rescuing Hyrule and Princess Zelda. While attempting to save Zelda from the Demon King and the main antagonist in the franchise, Ganondorf, Link also gets sucked into the bizarre rifts.

His new predicaments turn the story around in Echoes of Wisdom, as Zelda plays the main protagonist who will save Link and Hyrule. Like Link’s fairy friends of Ciela, Tatl, and the ever-annoying Navi, Princess Zelda too has a mysterious fairy companion named Tri. Her fairy friend hands her the strange Tri Rod, a freakish artifact that mystically replicates objects to help Zelda in her adventures. It’s upon Zelda and her Tri Rod and wisdom to rescue Link and save Hyrule. 

Gameplay

Often cast as a lass in distress, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s gameplay is quite interesting, with Zelda as the main protagonist. It’s the first game in the series to have the elf-like princess as the protagonist. The mere picture of a savage and cold-blooded Zelda makes the gameplay pretty arousing, considering her usual cheerful demeanor. However, with her heroism that has helped defeat Ganondorf, as portrayed while she was among the Sages, she’s cut out for the role.

Playing as Zelda, you wield the Tri Rod, your most handy vessel throughout the gameplay. Your playthrough maintains the action, puzzles, and adventure elements with refinements that the Tri Rod will help you maneuver. But unlike Link, Zelda is the Triforce of Wisdom’s holder, so hers is more about solving puzzles than hack-and-slash. The Rod bears magical powers to help Zelda create or replicate any objects she wishes. The imitated objects are the ‘echoes’ that define the path of each player’s grind away. Duplicate plants to block steam, old beds to form bridges, and water blocks echoes to scale water heights. Her ability to replicate monsters to fight for her is perhaps Zelda’s most interesting ability. 

The game unfolds a different experience for every player. It all depends on the type of echoes you create. With each choice of object, the playthroughs have a high level of variance.

Development

Nintendo first announced its upcoming entry on June 18, 2024, through a presentation on Nintendo Direct. The game radically alters the usual formula in The Legend of Zelda series, eliminating Link from the center of the stage. Despite her name featuring on all the franchise’s titles, Zelda never appeared as a hero or a real playable character. On most occasions, she appears as an incarnation, which makes her rise in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom as the main protagonist rather unique. But Zelda is a playable character in specific games from outside developers. She’s playable in Omega Force Team Ninja’s  Hyrule Warriors and Animation Magic’s Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon. 

For the art and style, Nintendo throws it back to The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening times with the retro-modern art style. The graphics only awaken the memories of one of the best-selling video games on the Nintendo Switch. Just as having Zelda star keeps the game fresh and futuristic.

Trailer

While announcing their new game, which breaks The Legend of Zelda series’ conventions, Nintendo dropped a 04:46-minute announcement trailer. The trailer begins with a brief hack-and-slash action of Link and the monsters. He fights off the monsters as he approaches a caged Zelda, but he’s sucked in by the rift before he rescues her. He, however, manages to launch an arrow and crack the cage, and free Zelda before he’s completely sucked into the rift.

Zelda leaves the Hyrule Castle and is bewildered by the rifts throughout the land before Eiji Aonuma, The Legend of Zelda series producer, sets in to explain the new game.

Release Date & Platforms

Fans will not have to wait long to catch The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. Nintendo announced they plan to release the game for the Nintendo Switch on September 26, 2024.

So, what’s your take on Nintendo’s upcoming release, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom? Are you eager to star in the show as Zelda? Let us know your thoughts here on our socials or in the comments section.