In the nearly 40 years of the Zelda series, Echoes of Wisdom is the first mainline game to feature the titular princess as the main protagonist. It was a welcome change of pace that I genuinely want to see Nintendo continue to explore in future entries. But as I fought the final boss and watched the credits roll, I found myself somewhat disappointed and wanting more from the overall experience.
Echoes of Wisdom‘s opening sequence where the player controls Link before taking over as Zelda is brilliant. It organically sets her up as the protagonist by switching the roles between her and Link, with Link being captured after rescuing her. But from there, unfortunately, Zelda has very little to do as a character. With Tri speaking for her, she becomes a blank slate, arguably even more so than many of Link’s incarnations in previous Zelda games. Zelda has the Triforce of Wisdom and yet she’s never given the chance to be witty, resourceful, or wise within the context of the story.
Then there’s the final battle. There are aspects of this conflict that I think are genuinely fantastic. Pairing up with Link to solve puzzles and fight alongside each other is wonderful, and I actually wouldn’t have minded an entire dungeon dedicated to this collaboration. But the problem is the execution.
For most of the game, the echoes are the primary gameplay mechanic, with a gimmick to “transform” into Link using the Sword of Might. In this form, you can use his sword, arrows, and bombs, and can upgrade all of these along with your magic meter to become stronger. I made a point of limiting how often I used this form because, even from the very beginning, I wanted Zelda and her gameplay mechanics to shine. I didn’t want to overshadow it by making her some other version of Link.
And yet, the final battle cements Zelda’s status as a secondary character in her own game, because it establishes the following:
- Zelda is weaker than Link. Zelda doesn’t have any other weapons, or shields, or magic that she can use in combat outside of the echoes and transforming into Link. Why can’t she use the Tri Rod to do more than simply summon echoes or move objects?
- Zelda is less mobile than Link. While I wouldn’t expect Zelda to control and move the same way Link can, I would prefer it if Nintendo found more creative and interesting ways to make her mobility different, yet purposeful. Why is it when she spins, she can’t do any legitimate damage? Why can’t she increase her movement speed?
- Zelda has to transform into Link to make any headway in boss fights. While players can get through most battles in the game without the Swordfighter form, boss fights are nearly impossible to beat without transforming. You need Link’s arrows or bombs, his speed and jump, and sword to do real damage.
- Before the final battle, Zelda returns all of Link’s equipment back to him. This means you lose the magic meter, sword, arrows, and bombs that you’ve likely upgraded and strengthened over the course of the game. You lose half of your arsenal going into the boss fight, and are resigned to simply summoning AI controlled monsters to support Link. Link carries the bulk of the fight, while Zelda stands on the sidelines to summon creatures.
It makes the boss fight ring hollow. Nintendo created a perfect opportunity for Link and Zelda to team up as true equals, not unlike The Wind Waker, but dropped it at the final moment. An interview with Nintendo helps to illuminate how this game was developed and why certain decisions were made.
Terada: “Echoes plus a sword and shield… They just didn’t work well together. There is a wide variety of echoes, so to get the most out of the gameplay, we decided to stick with echoes only.”
Aonuma: “If that’s the case, it must be someone who doesn’t fight with a sword and shield, right? Who in the series would be a good fit for these powers and bring their insight to them? Well, that would have to be Princess Zelda.”
I can understand wanting players to engage with the echoes mechanics and balancing that with Link’s usual kit. But I question if changing the protagonist to Zelda without giving her a playable character experience uniquely all her own was the right call. Giving her a version of his kit that can be taken away ironically takes away her agency as a character in what is supposed to be her story.
Instead of turning her into a Link clone, why not give her the Light Arrows, or magic spells that she is already known to use in the series? Better yet, lean into the fact that Impa is her guardian! Allow Zelda to have a unique skillset inspired by her magic and Sheikah abilities that would be specific to her. It would further distinguish her playstyle from Link. They could at least try to eliminate any doubt that she was meant to be the protagonist all along.
But instead, it’s the reverse. Half of the gameplay mechanics revolve around transforming into Link. On top of that, the reward for completing the Dream Dojo challenges is Link’s Tunic. It’s all too clear that Zelda was swapped in for Link’s role in the story, and is consistently overshadowed by it.
Zelda should be the genuine hero of her own adventure, with thoughtful and intuitive gameplay mechanics that are truly designed for her. She shouldn’t be the protagonist because the developers needed an excuse to force players to engage with the echoes as opposed to more traditional gameplay methods.
As it is, Echoes of Wisdom is just a good, and not great, effort to make Zelda the protagonist. It’s missing core components and design choices that would take it from being a simply good game to being an excellent first outing with Zelda in the shoes of the hero. I hope Nintendo is willing to give Zelda another adventure in the future, because she deserves it.
Featured image: Nintendo
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