The dubious performance and repetitive combat can drag, but this is largely an excellent adventure throughout.
That might be a turn-off to some, but will undoubtedly be a huge draw for others.
I cant deny that theres something incredibly refreshing about the return to the 2D format.
Girl power
Echoes of Wisdommarks the first time that the series titular princess takes the starring role.
Its here that you meet Tri, a mysterious fairy who becomes your companion throughout the game.
This begins with the power to create echoes, copies of certain objects that can be placed at will.
You quickly learn Bond, which allows you to bind yourself to objects and carry them while you move.
Puzzles frequently require the intelligent use of echoes and Bond.
A large rock, for an abstract example, might be positioned on the opposite side of a grate.
You cant reach it normally, but you’re free to use Bond to move it around.
Its all delightfully intuitive and, importantly, remains so as the complexity ramps up.
This openness can be a bit of a double-edged sword at times, though.
Many dungeons contain platforming challenges that, although tricky, are very enjoyable to finally crack.
Its a delightful diversion and comfortably the best optional encounter that Ive found in the game so far.
Hidden chests are littered throughout the world, filled with rupees and the occasional smoothie ingredient.
On top of those found in dungeons, Hyrule is also packed with enemy creatures to fight.
This is a blast at first but unfortunately wears out its welcome quickly.
Even with a button to direct your minions toward a specific enemy, theyre just too slow and unresponsive.
In this form, Zelda dons Links trademark attire and effectively gains all of his abilities.
you could slash with a sword, get shots off with a bow, and eventually toss explosive bombs.
Frame rates are a little higher overall, especially within dungeons, but are still prone to significant drops.
Hopefully, there will be patches to address at least some of these problems down the line.
Otherwise, theres an awful lot to like inEchoes of Wisdom.
Accessibility
There are no dedicated accessibility parameters onThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.
This is very disappointing, especially given the reliance on holding button inputs to use abilities.
Should I play The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom?
Dont play it if…
Performance is your top priorityAs good as it looks,Echoes of WIsdomhas its fair share of performance issues.
During that time I completed the main story and played in a combination of both handheld and docked mode.
In docked mode, I played on a 1080p monitor and used aNintendo Switch Pro Controller.
In handheld mode, I played using the standardPastel Pink Joy-Concontrollers and used a pair ofFinal VR500earbuds.
First reviewed August 2024.
