Swords, dungeons, and Dampé, oh my!
The new trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom had a lot to offer. It showcased plenty of new features such as the Still Dimension and Princess Zelda’s Swordfighter Form, but perhaps the greatest byproduct of the trailer is the sigh of relief breathed by a number of Zelda fans.
A certain contingent of fans have been apprehensive towards Echoes of Wisdom, worried it might follow the Breath of the Wild philosophy of freedom to a fault. However the new trailer seems to be serving as a panacea to these worries.
Dungeons are Back!
Chief among their concerns is that Echoes of Wisdom would be another Zelda game without proper dungeons, at least not in the traditional format. Not only did the trailer explicitly confirm the existence of dungeons, but the narration described them as being “massive,” which is sure to be a breath of fresh air after the truncated dungeons the series has had since Breath of the Wild.
What a relief!
The appearance of a chest which likely holds a boss key brings hope we may be returning to the “keys and locked doors” style of dungeons from the games of yore. This is making many slighted Zelda fans very happy.
Sword Combat, Baby!
The Legend of Zelda has always had a consistent approach to combat, with Link heroically facing his enemies down with a sword and shield like a medieval knight. In Echoes of Wisdom, Princess Zelda switches things up with the echo system!
While to me personally this is a fantastic exploration of some new mechanics, I’ve noticed a lot of negative sentiment towards the abandonment of traditional sword-based combat. Worry not!
While I am excited to embrace my inner Moblin-wrangler, players who felt isolated without traditional combat will have limited use of Princess Zelda’s Swordfighter Form, which seems tailored to counter this criticism. Though they will have to pick and choose when to use it, Zelda will be able to get into the fray herself with the Mysterious Sword, and players will be able to enjoy the sword combat the 2D series has always relied upon.
An Expansive New Domain
Now this is the feature that has me breathing a sigh of relief. I’ll be honest, I am sick of the overworld from A Link to the Past. This will be the 3rd time the overworld is being used, and that feels like one time too many to me. I felt its peak was in A Link Between Worlds, and reusing it a third time felt somewhat lazy. It is a fine overworld, but especially after the reused map of Tears of the Kingdom, I just want something new.
However with every new trailer, this worry was calmed. The changes to the overworld seem to be extensive, with races like the Gerudo and even Deku finding a new home in the map. The newest trailer, and the reveal of the Still World, has completely silenced my worries.
Don’t get me wrong, I would still have rather had an entirely new map, but it really does seem as though the map from A Link to the Past is being used as a framework to build out from, instead of serving as the primary experience.
There are still lingering concerns by some, about Echoes of Wisdom. For example, some worry that even with the return of traditional dungeons, the puzzles will still be so open-ended as to be trivial.
But the newest trailer has done a lot of work towards convincing The Legend of Zelda fans of many different stripes alike to come together, as Echoes of Wisdom is almost certainly going to have a little something for everyone. From the sounds of the PAX West showroom floor, the game is going to be phenomenal. What do you think, are your worries eased or do you still have some qualms? Let us know in the comments below!
Featured Image: Nintendo
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