3/5 ★ – bokonon764's review of The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.

There was a really special feeling booting this game up for the first time. I knew it was a Zelda game that returned to the old formula, and that it was the first time Zelda was playable. Beyond that, I knew absolutely nothing about it. To say this game is a treat might not be accurate. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but this game is kind of a big pot of “meh”. It’s Zelda, so of course it’s good. But it’s just kinda whatever. I really wasn’t a fan of the design of this game; it’s the same sort of style from the Links Awakening remake, I don’t know, I just don’t fuckin like it. I kinda wish for the first Zelda game where you get to play as Zelda, they used a more realistic style. Although, it’s a 3D art style that works very well for the isometric camera angle, and I’m not sure what else would work if you want 3D and isometric. But the art direction simply isn’t for me. So you play as Zelda, and Link has been captured, bout damn time this was a concept for a Zelda game. Black voids, or rifts or whatever, I forget what they’re called, have swallowed up Hyrule *cough* Twilight Princess *cough* and Zelda has to clear them up using her echo staff(?). The echo staff gives her the ability to copy inanimate objects and enemies. The “echoes”, as they’re called, of enemies are used for combat, while inanimate objects are used as platforming puzzles. You’re also given this ability to transform into Link to fight with a sword, which is fuckin bullshit, just give Zelda a fuckin sword. Like she’s a bad motherfucker in Breath of the Wild, why give her this dinky little staff and make her transform to use a sword? Is it so hard for gamers to believe that a version of Zelda exists that is an adept swordsperson? Hyrule Warriors would like a word! Honestly, it’s shit like this that make me dislike an otherwise pretty solid game. The deeper into this game I got, it feels like a fusion of the old Zelda formula with some of the bells and whistles of Breath of the Wild, with plenty of fast travel points and a cooking/crafting equivalent. I was pretty disappointed when I found the crafting store, which comes in the form of mixing smoothies for some reason. It’s one of the things about Breath of the Wild that game me headaches, it’s too vast; too many options. I get that some people love crafting, but for me, it just shows up in too many games, I’m fuckin over it. It’s also a huge bummer when almost every chest you open is a some stupid shit called like “five spiky apples”, and it’s for an entire chunk of the game that I don’t give a fuck about. Look, I think the real reason I stopped playing this game is because I picked Hades back up and got way too obsessed again. That being said, Echoes of Wisdom is an okay game. Although, it is pretty disappointing, especially considering the pedigree of the series it’s from, and that it’s the first time Zelda has been playable in her own adventure. For what it’s worth, a friend of mine has been playing the fuck out of this with his kid, and that seems to elevate the game quite a bit, figuring out puzzles together, that sort of thing. But yeah, I’m done with it. Perhaps I’ll come back one day, but I doubt it.