As the Switch coasts into its final years, I think it’s worth stepping back and considering just how many Legend of Zelda games the console has received since its launch in 2017. Despite the deluxe, each and every title manages to feel fresh – and that is doubly true with The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. For the first time since the early 90s, players assume the role of Princess Zelda rather than Link, but this isn’t just the usual character swap. Instead, this change results in a dramatically different kind of experience that demands creativity and experimentation from the player.
One look at the game, though, and it’s easy to draw comparisons to the 2019 remake of Link’s Awakening. That’s because this new game seems to have been constructed using technology and techniques that powered that adventure, meaning developer Grezzo is back at the helm. That game, however – as good as it was – was plagued by performance problems and the unfortunate reality is that nothing’s changed here. Indeed, the fluctuating frame-rate problems may be even more pronounced.
Looking at the many positives though, one of the first things I love about Echoes of Wisdom is found in its introduction. A lively sequence effectively sees Link pass the gameplay baton over to Princess Zelda itself, with events culminating in our heroine emerging into the outside world, where it becomes evident that you’re standing atop a version of Hyrule derived from the Super NES game, A Link to the Past.
Despite the similarities between the map layout, the actual placement of everything and size feels very different. While certain landmarks do line up, the overall lie of the land is quite different and the map itself is massively expanded. I think the developer has found an excellent balance here in that you get those winks and nods referencing the Super NES game yet it all still feels decidedly new and different.