Fans of classic top-down action-adventure games can rest easy knowing that there’ll be more games likeThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of WisdombecauseNintendo has no intention of backing away from the genre. With the wild success of games likeBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom, fans of classics likeLink to the PastandLink Between Worldshave recently begun to question whether there’s a future for that style ofZeldagame.Echoes of Wisdomis the first top-downZeldasince2019’s remake ofLink’s Awakening, and it won’t be the last.
Speaking during the latest installment ofNintendo’s Ask the Developer,Legend of ZeldaproducerEiji Aonuma confirmed that the so-called “2D"Zeldagames will exist in tandem with bigger titles likeBreath of the Wild. Aonuma insists that he’s always wanted to make the 2D series feel distinct and separate from the 3D games, a trend that began with the reimagining ofLink’s Awakening. The diversity in the gameplay is something Aonuma wants to “cherish” in theLegend of Zeldaseries, suggesting that there’s still plenty of fuel in the tank for more top-down installments.
What To Expect From Echoes Of Wisdom
Some Major Changes To The Formula
Echoes of Wisdomrepresents a major change for theLegend of Zeldafranchiseby shiftingthe spotlight away from Linkand onto the titular Princess. After being sucked into a mysterious portal following a battle with Ganon, Zelda embarks upon a quest to rescue her companion. To save Link, she’ll need to adventure around Hyrule and solve increasingly complicated dungeons, unlocking new equipment and items to make the journey easier.
The key mechanic at play inEchoes of Wisdomis Zelda’s Tri Rod, a magical artifact that cancopy and place any itemin the world, including enemies. Using this tool, players should be able to solve complicated puzzles in much the same way they couldTears of the Kingdom. While there’ll undoubtedly be an “expected” solution, the ability to alter the environment to such an extent should allow for some creative puzzle-solving.
There’s Still Time To Beat This Iconic Legend Of Zelda Game To Get You Ready For Echoes Of Wisdom
Playing one Legend of Zelda game would provide an excellent way to both prepare for Echoes of Wisdom and pass the remaining time until its release.
How the Tri Rod will impact some of the later stages of the game remains to be seen, but one has to imagine that even the dungeons can be “broken” with such a robust system. Given howintegral Dungeons are to theZeldaexperience,Nintendo has likely gone above and beyond to design some especially elaborate puzzles.The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomis slated to drop on September 26 and will be available exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
