Summary
TheLegend of Zeldaseries has undergone great changes since it entered the Nintendo Switch library. The traditional Zelda formula would shift to a free-open world format withLegend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild. The opportunities in Hyrule Kingdom were so huge that it split into two games, greatly expanding its horizons inLegend of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom.
This huge change was a breath of fresh air for fans, though it comes at the cost of the classicLegend of Zeldaformula. The franchise’s structure changed entirely, leaving some fans nostalgic for the previous gameplay style. It’s important to see how the series will develop, especially for the next entry,Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.
1New Main Role
Royal Legendary Protagonist
Zelda never took themain playable rolein a traditionalLegend Of Zelda. She mainly supports Link, though her involvement wasn’t fully witnessed until the end of Link’s journey. Some Zeldas even have fully separate adventures on their own likeLegend of Zelda: Skyward SwordandLegend of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom. Zelda was only playable in crossover games likeHyrule WarriorsandCadence of Hyrule.
Legend of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdomis the first time Zelda fills the protagonist role. This offers a brand new perspective as the protagonist learns how the original main character journeys, an experienceEiji Aonumaalways wanted to include.
2Land Of Hyrule
Perfect Amount Of Expansion
Hyrule Kingdom continues the open-world format inLegend of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom. The story pacing gives players chances to accomplish available main quests in any order. The major difference is that it doesn’t let the player immediately head to the final boss after the tutorial, which is veryimportant for its storytelling.
HowLegend of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdomprogresses makes its lore much stronger thanLegend of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom. The lore can be acquired in the previous title, though they can be skipped when heading to the end game. Its story can also be mixed when exploring in different directions, acquiring lore in different orders, which can spoil or confuse some important moments.
3The Graphics
Ideal Approach In Looks
Conveniently, theLegend of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom’s graphics are inspired by theLegend of Zelda: Link’s Awakeningremake. It’s designed to look more like toys, raising its approachability to a broad audience and opportunities for merchandise.
The artistic graphics were the ideal design to make the characters more memorable in appearance and expression.Eiji Aonumayearned to use this style more after Grezzo’s ideal work withLegend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. While the game appears innocent, its story and lore don’t pull any punches. It has peaceful and uneasy moments during the main quest, especially when exploring the Still World.
4Influence
Right Amount Of Freedom
Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomfollows the influence ofLegend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s freedom, but in a more approachable manner.Tears of the Kingdomrequires creative solutions, which can be exciting and stressful. Forcing players to think up solutions like inMinecraftcan become a great burden mentally, hindering the player’s experience.
Tomomoi Sanowanted the freedom of previous titles, though she quelled them enough to avoid the overwhelming feeling.Legend of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdomincorporates freedom while simplifying its depth.Zelda’s abilities are very powerful, though not as complex as Link’s mythical abilities like Ultrahand and Fuse.
5Director
Brand-New Direction
Tomomoi Sano is the first female director for aLegend of Zeldagame. Eiji Aonuma was the original director for the main 3DLegend of Zeldatitles ever sinceLegend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. He shifted his role to producer,supporting the developing franchiseunder a new beneficial vision.
Sano built her name and experience by supporting several titles such as theMario & Luigiseries andLegend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD. She also filled the role of director support for theLegend of Zeldaremakes.Eiji Aonumawas interested in her work as he wanted her to be in a director support position duringLegend of Zeldaremake projects on 3DS and Nintendo Switch.
6Developer Studio
Upcoming Zelda Support
Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomis the first brand-newLegend of Zeldaproject for Grezzo. This Japanese third-party studio cooperated with Nintendo on different projects after their supportive role inFinal Fantasy 11. They helped release various RPGs for the Nintendo 3DS likeThe Legend of Legacy,The Alliance Alive, andEver Oasis.
Their relationship with Nintendo deepened during participation in their major first-party series, especiallyLegend of Zelda. Their support in the remakes ofOcarina of Time,Majora’s Mask,andLink’s Awakeningprepared the team to create a new experience for the series.Eiji Aonumawas very impressed with the developers’ approach toLink’s Awakening, especially with their creative dungeons.
7Authenticity
The Revival Of Nostalgic Vibes
Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdombrings back the familiar authentic Zelda feeling through its dungeon and bosses.Tears of the Kingdomstill has the authentic Zelda vibes, though not as strong as its previous entries. The essential dungeon items like small keys, compasses, and dungeon maps weren’t needed since Link’s abilities were powerful enough to bypass the dungeons’ intended routes and puzzles. Bosses weren’t too challenging since they couldn’t adapt well to the player’s diverse playstyles and arsenals of tools.
WhileEchoes of Wisdomdoes bring back the familiar formula, it doesn’t erase the creative ideas fromBreath Of The Wild.Tomomoi Sanomade the game require players to think, but also not limit the solution to one answer. It mixes traditional and modern structures to craft what fans could play over and over for generations to come.
