Summary
Gears of Warcreator Cliff Bleszinski, better know to his fans as CliffyB, has expressed disappointment with his experience playingThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, the latest game in Nintendo’s action-adventure series. While he’s been a longtime fan of Link’s adventures across Hyrule, Bleszinski feels thatThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomcomes up short on delivering what he feels has made the series great.
Echoes of Wisdomwas released in late September 2024, and it’s earned positive reviews from both fans and professional critics, currently sitting at an OpenCritic score of 85. Breaking away from the norm, the main focus has been switched from Link to the titular princess, and Link’s swordplay and collection of gadgets has been replaced byZelda’s Tri Rod, which creates echoes of previously encountered enemies or objects.
Bleszinski’s complaints about the newest game set in Hyrule center around his perception of the shift in focus away from action and adventure, with the game instead relying on puzzle-solving mechanics like “stacking benches on crates and pushing trees.” WhileZelda’s abilities inEchoes of Wisdomare numerous, allowing her to call forth 127 different echoes for both combat and movement, the game’s departure from longstanding traditions and reliance on cute, less realistic graphics have caused some fans to turn away from it. Bleszinski has long been a vocal supporter ofThe Legend of Zeldafranchise and has continued that trend in recent years, praisingBreath of the Wildin the thread despite his disdain for its weapon-breaking mechanics.
Gears of War Creator Wanted a More Action-Oriented Zelda Game
WhileEchoes of Wisdomdoes play a lot differently than most previousLegend of Zeldagames, puzzle-solving elements have been present since the series' earliest days on the NES, and they didn’t stop there. Much more recently, players have been able to come up with inventive ways to defeat enemies and get around obstacles thanks toThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s Ultrahand mechanics, which provide near-countless problem-solving methods that include the creation of player-built vehicles and other contraptions. The Tri Rod’s functions have drawn comparison to Ultrahand, as both encourage players to think creativly to get past enemies and obstacles.
While Bleszinski isn’t alone in disliking the newestZeldagame, comments on the post seem pretty evenly split between fans and detractors. Some arguing against theGears of Warcreator have pointed out that the action ramps up as players get further though the game, and mechanics likedrowning enemies inEchoes of Wisdomprovide a fun way to dispatch foes.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
WHERE TO PLAY
Save Hyrule—this time with the wisdom of Princess Zelda!The people of Hyrule are being stolen away by strange rifts—and with a certain swordsman among the missing, it’s up to Princess Zelda to save her kingdom in the latest adventure in The Legend of Zelda™ series!Team up with the ethereal creature Tri and use the Tri Rod to create “echoes,” which are imitations of things you find in the environment—then recreate those echoes whenever you like to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. Use echoes like water blocks to reach new heights, make bridges out of old beds, throw rocks at foes, or find your own combination of echoes to do things your way. you may even make echoes of monsters to fight at your side in combat!
