Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom for the Switch about a month ago, and for the most part, the reception has been positive. Reviewers have lauded the game’s inventive new mechanics, delightful art direction, and callbacks to previous Zelda games. Critics have also noted the at-times clunky combat mechanics, performance issues, and some late-game doldrums.
It should be no surprise that several of us at The Punished Backlog are big Zelda fans, and therefore wanted to share our thoughts on the titular princess’ first big solo adventure. So, without further ado, here are some thoughts (no story spoilers) from myself (Sam Martinelli), fellow editor David Silbert, and contributor Mark Bowers.
Editor’s suggestion: Listen to the Echoes of Wisdom soundtrack here while you read!
Question 1: How much of Echoes of Wisdom have you played so far? Do you intend to finish it anytime soon?
Mark Bowers (MB): I’ve played about 20 hours. I haven’t had a ton of time to marathon it, but I’m hoping to pick it up more in the coming weeks. I will finish it!
David Silbert (DS): I’ve played about five to seven hours—made it through the game’s intro dungeon, then explored the overworld for a bit before homing in on Gerudo Valley. I absolutely intend to finish the game, but I’d be lying if I said it’ll be anytime soon. Echoes of Wisdom dropped during a particularly packed time of year, competing with the likes of Metaphor: ReFantazio, Silent Hill 2, and UFO 50 (my current obsession).
I’m thrilled we got a new Zelda title this year (and a darn good one, at that), but this may be one that gets away… for now.
Sam Martinelli (SM): I’ve finished it! I beat the main story in roughly 22 hours, and have completed a large portion of the side activities. I don’t know if I’ll collect every single thing, but I’m sort of just playing around until I get bored, as I do with every other Legend of Zelda game.
Q2: So far, how would you rate this experience out of 10 so far?
MB: I’d give it an 8/10. It’s a great game, plays easily, and lets the player create. The world feels huge and I keep finding new things. I especially love the design of the Zora, the aquatic folk of Hyrule. But Echoes of Wisdom hasn’t captured my imagination like previous Zelda games have, though. It’s more of a pick up/put down game. Honestly, that’s what I need in my life right now, so I really appreciate that about it. But overall, it does enough to be great but not enough to be spectacular for me.
DS: I’d also give it an 8. I’ve enjoyed the methodical process of slowly exploring Hyrule, adding new echoes to Zelda’s arsenal. The art is fantastic, and the music—oh, the music! That overworld theme will go down as one of the series’ all-time greats.
That said, Echoes of Wisdom definitely has some rougher edges. Combat is a bit of a slog due to the reliance on enemy echoes to fight on your behalf. And though I love getting to explore Hyrule for the umpteenth time… maybe some franchise fatigue is starting to set in? Would’ve loved Zelda’s inaugural journey to have been in a completely new land (think Termina from Majora’s Mask). Still, what we’ve got here is still plenty of fun. Hoorah for traditional dungeons!
SM: Overall, I’m a bit higher, probably in the 8.5-9/10 range, but there are genuinely moments where I feel like it’s a straight-up 9/10. Much like some of the other “weirder” Zelda titles (such as Phantom Hourglass), Echoes of Wisdom has a unique clunkiness to it, particularly in crowded combat situations. That said, there’s so much heart to its world, so much creativity in its mechanics, and so much to love about the characters and dungeons. Most importantly, the game finishes super strong: without spoiling anything, the final boss fight is one of the most engaging and creative final fights in any Zelda game.
Q3: What’s your history with the Legend of Zelda franchise? How meaningful is it to you that you’re finally playing as Zelda in a mainline Zelda game?
MB: Um, I’m pretty sure, with respect, I’ve played as Zelda in every game.
… Kidding! I really like that Nintendo gave us the chance to play as Zelda instead of Link for once. I have a pretty limited history with Zelda (I’ve only played the last five major releases, including Echoes) but it’s clear that this always has been HER story. After all, it’s the Legend of ZELDA, not the Legend of Link. I think it’s important that they did not make her a warrior either—that’s Link’s job. Having Zelda tap into magic and creativity feels like the right move. She is as clever as she is smart— what some would call wise. Getting to save Hyrule as its legendary princess feels overdue. I’m glad she got a game true to her character.
DS: I’ve played pretty much all mainline Zelda games (Tri Force Heroes might be the only one I actually skipped.) So, it’s definitely a Big Deal to play as Zelda this time around! As I said before, I would have much preferred a grander adventure for Zelda. In the future, I’d love to see her star in her own 3D game.
SM: I’m a HUGE Legend of Zelda fan (my writing clearly proves this), and I have played at least some portion of every single mainline release except for Four Swords Adventures. There was never going to be a scenario in which I did not at least somewhat enjoy Echoes of Wisdom, and I can fully admit to my bias there.
In terms of playing as Zelda: I’ve always been intrigued at the idea of centering her, and I think the game does a good job subverting longtime fans’ expectations while also maintaining enough classic Zelda structure so the whole thing doesn’t feel completely foreign. I’m glad that Nintendo took this route for its first Zelda-focused game instead of just replacing Link and having everything else remain exactly the same.
Q4: So far, what’s been the highlight of your play experience?
MB: The echoes, of course! You can really see how the developers were inspired by Tears of the Kingdom to let players create something new to explore the world. Sure, it’s not as limitless as Tears was, but there are still fun trial-and-error ways to find new paths or beat enemies. To make things better, I haven’t found a one-size-fits-all echo either. The game forces you to be creative, and it pays off.
DS: Stacking beds like there’s no tomorrow. Who needs other echoes?!
There’s so much heart to Echoes of Wisdom‘s world, so much creativity in its mechanics, and so much to love about the characters and dungeons. Most importantly, the game finishes super strong: without spoiling anything, the final boss fight is one of the most engaging and creative final fights in any Zelda game.
Sam Martinelli
SM: As I mentioned before, the final battle is quite good. I could also point out how much I enjoy the traditional dungeons and mountains of overworld activities, but the final showdown challenged my understanding of the title’s gameplay philosophies in ways that dazzled me. Also, summoning a horse with a giant carrot is pretty darn cute.
Q5: What’s been a lowlight?
MB: I almost complained about the menu browsing here—it is TEDIOUS—but I decided to go with something different: The combat can be painstakingly slow. I mentioned above that Zelda can’t fight, and that’s a good thing. It still is. But the challenge arises when you’re trying to mow through some enemies, all you can really do is cast an echo or two, then stand back and wait. I feel like I’m standing around while my echoes slowly chip away at enemies, and once I’m through one, I just have to do it all again. I understand the reason it’s included, but wish it could have been a little speedier in the actual execution.
DS: Same—the combat. I can only summon so many Rolling Caromadillos and wait before I start to mentally disengage.
SM: There are a couple of what I’d call “pre-dungeon sections” that are painfully slow and really tested my patience. Much like in any Zelda game, Echoes of Wisdom tells the player to go to certain villages/regions, talk to the inhabitants, and task them with assisting such inhabitants on their own quests. Normally, this is fine (and sometimes can be a highlight of the whole experience), but a couple of instances in this game just take a little too long to get interesting.
Q6: What echoes/objects/creatures have you ended up using most frequently?
MB: This is a lame answer, but tables and boxes. I used them all the time in Echoes to get to places that I couldn’t reach normally. This reflects real life too—I love finding a way up to spots that aren’t initially easy to access. It just opens up what should be a flat world into somewhere deep and real.
DS: Beds and trampolines are my bread and butter. The former helps with bridging distances, while the latter helps Zelda reach areas that may be just out of reach. The aforementioned Caromadillo is great in combat… and, of course, I like to summon a Darknut just for the thrill of it.
SM: In terms of useful objects? Water block, Queen bed, trampoline. In terms of monsters? Bomb Fish, Darknut level 3, Keese, and Fire Wizzrobe.
Q7: If you had to answer right this second, where would you rank Echoes of Wisdom relative to the other Zelda games you’ve played?
MB: I’d say 3/5. Both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are better to me given their scale and ability to explore. As for Skyward Sword, well… they say you never forget your first, but I can’t say I remember much of it, so it’s last for me. I’m giving Echoes of Wisdom a slight edge over Link’s Awakening Remake since this game feels like it’s improved on a lot of the ideas that were brought to the Switch in that game, but with a larger scope and more creativity. It’s a really fun idea for a game.
It’s clear that these games have always has been HER story. After all, it’s the Legend of ZELDA, not the Legend of Link. I think it’s important that they did not make her a warrior either—that’s Link’s job. Having Zelda tap into magic and creativity feels like the right move. She is as clever as she is smart—what some would call wise. Getting to save Hyrule as its legendary princess feels overdue.
Mark Bowers
DS: Middle of the pack. It’s not as good as any of the 3D Zelda games (even Skyward Sword). In terms of the 2D games, it’s hard to beat A Link to the Past, A Link Between Worlds, or either of the Oracle games. That’d put Echoes of Wisdom somewhere around #11 or #12 on my all-time list.
SM: I feel similarly, David. I would say Echoes misses my personal top 10, though I think that’s more of a testament to the greatness of the series before it. It can’t really compete with the all-time classics (Ocarina of Time, A Link to the Past, Wind Waker, Tears of the Kingdom) and I wouldn’t even put it against some of the quirkier delights (The Minish Cap, Skyward Sword, A Link Between Worlds). I would, however, confidently say that I like Echoes of Wisdom more than Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, both Oracle games, Zelda II: Adventure of Link, and any of the multiplayer games.
Q8: Is Echoes of Wisdom a serious Game of the Year candidate in your mind? Why or why not?
MB: Yes, but this has been a pretty thin year for me in gaming. I still put it behind Astro Bot, which was an absolute blast from start to finish. If Echoes had come out last year, I’m not sure it would have made my top five games, let alone would it be Nintendo’s best following the releases of Tears of the Kingdom, Pikmin 4, or Super Mario Bros. Wonder. This isn’t a slight at Echoes, but the field simply isn’t what it was at this time last year.
DS: I was really excited about Echoes in our last podcast episode so, I hate to say it, but nah. There are so many truly stellar games this year (Astro Bot, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Balatro) that have made my shortlist for GOTY. And even those might lose out to some dark horses (*cough UFO 50 cough*).
Although Echoes of Wisdom impresses, Nintendo needed to have a moonshot homerun in order to compete for Game of the Year. What we got was a very competent triple.
David Silbert
SM: As of the time of writing, it’s in my top five games of 2024, but closer to the bottom of that list than the top. It’s a great game and a very good Zelda game, I can’t in good faith say it’s a better overall experience than Astro Bot or Balatro, and I’m still unsure if it’s even the best Zelda-like game of the year (Dungeons of Hinterberg gives it a run for its money there). Given the many well-regarded games I still have yet to try from 2024, I doubt Echoes of Wisdom remains in the top five for long.
Last question: What’s something from Echoes of Wisdom that you hope Nintendo keeps or does again for future Zelda installments?
MB: I feel like a lot of the ideas, especially creating and exploring a secondary world, have been pulled from TOTK, so I’m going to go in a different direction from those ideas. This is low-hanging fruit, but here goes: Let me play as Zelda again!
There are all kinds of stories waiting to be told, and I’d love to see the ideas Nintendo has up their sleeve for how they can reinvent Zelda as a playable character in new games moving forward. They did a great job of making her not just New Link here. Let’s see what else awaits Zelda as her legend grows!
DS: Zelda! Let’s get that 3D adventure of hers going, Nintendo.
SM: Obviously, I’d love another crack at Zelda being the protagonist. I also really appreciate the idea of echoes, even if I think the idea could use some extra tinkering.
More importantly, however, Nintendo needs to make sure Stamp Guy appears in every future Zelda game. If not, they’re all COWARDS.
What Did You Think of Echoes of Wisdom?
Agree or disagree with what we shared? How do YOU feel about The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom? Let us know in the comments!
