You’ve Seen The Ultrahand, Now Prepare For Playable Zelda Who Can Conjure Anything

Coming fresh from watching the Nintendo Direct, I still can’t believe some of the stuff they displayed over there. I was expecting Metroid Prime 4’s reveal, but Mario and Luigi? Mario Party? Capcom Fighting Collection? I did not see this coming at all.

However, Nintendo Direct’s surprises didn’t stop there. After taking all these shocking blows right to the face, my guard was up for the next one, but it didn’t help at all when Nintendo pulled out a gun instead, one called The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.

A Return To 2D, And An Unprecedented Choice

It has only been a year since Tears of the Kingdom shook the world, and thus a new Legend of Zelda game was the last thing I was expecting. At best, I thought a port of A Link Between Worlds would be presented, but Nintendo was ready to shock the entire world this time around; my meager expectations couldn’t match its grand ambitions.

The Legend of Zelda Echoes Of Wisdom Gets Shocking Reveal At Nintendo Direct https://t.co/14ihRYvhEh pic.twitter.com/tTJS76NxAE

— The Outerhaven News & Updates (@TheOuterHaven) June 18, 2024

And thus, we got a brand new The Legend of Zelda instead. However, perish the thought that it’s a conventional Zelda game. First, the moment the trailer started, it announced how the series was returning once again to the 2D design akin to the Link’s Awakening remake. But that was hardly a surprise. The real shock was what came afterward.

We see Link heroically take out the bad guy, but soon the titular protagonist is sucked into a dark portal taking him to god knows where. A Zelda game without Link? Who is brave enough to take his place? Well, Nintendo says it’s finally time for the series namesake to take center stage herself.

Yes, you heard me right. After decades of the series going strong with the iconic Link representing the protagonist role, the princess Zelda is finally wearing that mantle in the series’ first ever “playable Zelda” title.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. Play as Zelda for the first time and save Link!
byu/Saratje inGirlGamers

An Equally Original Gameplay System For Zelda

Still can’t believe it, can you? I was in the same boat. After practically growing up with the series, I was as shocked by this choice as I was happy. After playing as Link all these years, I am eagerly excited to try something new for a change.

Cool to have Zelda as main character with a new battle and creation mechanic. https://t.co/vW3v61o95F

— Alex Taussig (@ataussig) June 18, 2024

The next question is, how will Zelda fare in the treacherous lands of Hyrule? Will she take up a sword and shield to mow down her foes? I’m afraid Nintendo has a slightly more pronounced plan than that. It’s Zelda’s first adventure, she’s going to be very subtle about all this. Instead of picking up a sword, she’ll make use of her surroundings. Smash a rock to the opponent’s face. They’ll never see it coming.

Jokes aside, Nintendo has come up with an excellent gameplay system to accompany Zelda on her solo journey. Using her wand, Zelda can learn the “echoes“ everything in the world leaves behind, and recreate these objects on demands. Basically, she can conjure anything she has learned. This can be used in the most creative ways possible to progress a scenario.

From rocks, beds, chairs, and trees to even the defeated foes, Zelda has endless possibilities at her disposal. That’s right, defeated enemies can also be recreated using the echoes mechanics. These recreations will mercilessly fight their brethren on your behalf.

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All in all, the “echo” system has a ton of potential. It essentially makes the gameplay loop so varied and intriguing that two different people might never have the same answer to the problem, but they can reach the solution nonetheless. Similarly, with uncountable ways to approach a particular problem, the room for experimentation is immense.

Pushing The Boundaries Of Creativity Once Again

This isn’t the first time The Legend of Zelda series has done something so creative and original that it leads to unbelievable greatness. The closest example is the Ultrahand mechanic in Tears of the Kingdom.

With the ability to let your imagination run wild, the crafting and combining mechanics in Tears of the Kingdom were the pinnacle of creative game design for me. Trust me, I spent more time making the most ridiculous of contraptions and having a laugh looking at them than I did progressing the game. Creative mechanics that throw logic aside and let you have just dumb fun with extreme freedom are always a supreme feeling.

[TOTK] Spent half an hour playing around with Ultrahand, now I cry. (it looked better in my head alright)
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Now, it looks like The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is doing the same thing. I don’t know how it’ll fare against the Ultrahand, but it looks equally creative and enjoyable to me. With the ability to create a myriad of echoes, put them together, and come up with a unique solution, the freedom of approach is truly the centerpiece of this game.

I’ve always been fascinated by The Legend of Zelda games, but this newest entry is pushing all the right buttons straight from the get-go. With a never-before protagonist choice complete with her own set of original skills and novelty, you’ll regret missing out on this one.