The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (2024): The Review

Overview

Echoes of Wisdom feels like a genuine shot of fresh air for the Zelda series, finally putting Princess Zelda front and center in a way that actually pays off. This isn’t just a long-overdue spotlight moment for the princess, it’s a legitimate challenger for the title of best Zelda game. Between its gorgeous visuals, clever mechanics, and a soundtrack that refuses to leave your head, it’s easy to imagine this one popping up in Game of the Year conversations without anyone batting an eye.

Score: 9 out of 10

The Positives ✅

At its core, Echoes of Wisdom still tells the familiar tale of saving Hyrule from mysterious forces, but putting Zelda front and center instantly changes the energy. Her perspective adds a genuinely fresh spark to a story we thought we knew inside out. The journey builds steadily, layering twists and emotional beats until it lands a finale that feels earned and surprisingly touching. It’s classic Zelda storytelling, but with a new heartbeat.

Gameplay-wise, this is a brilliant fusion of old and new. It captures the charm of classic 2D Zelda while seamlessly integrating modern 3D-era ideas, resulting in something that feels nostalgic without being dusty. The Echoes mechanic is the standout here, opening the door to creative, sometimes ridiculous solutions that constantly reward experimentation. More importantly, Zelda isn’t just “Link but different.” She plays in her own lane, and that alone makes the experience feel special.

Visually, the game is gorgeous. It shares DNA with the Link’s Awakening remake, but everything here feels more refined, more vibrant, and more confident. The world design is imaginative, the dungeons are cleverly constructed, and areas like the Still World, with its floating chunks of Hyrule ripped apart by strange rifts, ooze personality. It’s one of those games that just looks right whether you’re playing handheld or docked.

Sound design pulls its weight too. While we’re sadly back to classic grunts and gasps instead of voice acting (yes, I also wanted at least one “Excuse me, Princess!”), the soundtrack more than compensates. That iconic chest-opening jingle still hits like dopamine, and the new music feels livelier and more memorable than the subdued tones of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. It’s a strong audio package that perfectly supports the adventure.

The Negatives ⚠️

Let’s address the elephant in the room: performance. The game suffers from noticeable frame rate drops in certain areas, especially around Hyrule Kingdom. It’s not constant, and it’s not game-breaking, but it is distracting, and honestly, a bit surprising for a Nintendo first-party title. Things do improve as you progress, but those hiccups never fully disappear.

Difficulty is another potential sticking point. Echoes of Wisdom leans heavily toward the easier side of the Zelda spectrum. Bosses rarely pose a serious threat, and while some puzzles demand clever thinking, players looking for intense combat or punishing challenges might feel underwhelmed. This game prioritizes creativity over raw difficulty, and that won’t click with everyone.

The lack of voice acting also feels more noticeable here than in past entries. With such a narrative focus and expressive characters, having everything conveyed through text and sound effects feels like a missed opportunity. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it does slightly limit how emotionally impactful some scenes could’ve been.

Finally, while the Echo and Bind mechanics are fantastic, they can sometimes make encounters feel a little too safe. Zelda’s summoner-style gameplay often allows you to avoid combat entirely, which is fun, but occasionally removes tension where it might’ve been welcome. Again, not a flaw so much as a design choice, but one worth noting.

The Experience 🎮

As a longtime Zelda fan, this game felt like something I’d been waiting for forever. Playing as Zelda, properly, not counting those… other attempts, is deeply satisfying. And while this isn’t the Zelda game I imagined in my head, it somehow ended up being even better. Nintendo didn’t just swap models and call it a day; they built an experience that actually justifies her being the protagonist.

The opening hooked me immediately. Starting as an experienced Link mid-dungeon before everything spirals into chaos was a great setup, and once control shifted to Zelda, the game never let go. Escaping a collapsing dungeon, meeting Tri, receiving the Tri Rod, it all flowed naturally and made the Echoes mechanic feel essential rather than gimmicky.

What really sold me was how differently Zelda plays. She’s not a frontline fighter, she’s a strategist. I vividly remember my first moblin camp, where charging in clearly wasn’t an option. Instead, I summoned a meat echo to distract them, hid behind a pot, and let my echoes do the dirty work. It felt clever, rewarding, and completely un-Link-like. I lost count of how many times I built stairs out of beds or solved problems in ways that made me laugh at myself.

By the end, I was fully sold on this direction for the series. Echoes of Wisdom blends the creativity of Breath of the Wild with the structure of classic Zelda in a way that feels natural, playful, and surprisingly bold. Despite the performance hiccups, this is a must-buy, especially at a cheaper price than Tears of the Kingdom. Zelda finally gets her moment, and she absolutely earns it. Now please, Nintendo… don’t make us wait another decade for the sequel.