Nintendo Direct shook things up for Zelda fans everywhere. Nintento revealed a brand new entry to the Zelda universe, “The Legend of Zelda Echoes of Wisdom.” The most notable part of the announcement is that Princess Zelda will take center stage in this edition. This marks a significant departure from the traditional gameplay of Zelda games, where players control Link. Instead, you will be stepping into the shoes of Princess Zelda herself.
What’s new in The Legend of Zelda Echoes Of Wisdom?
In The Legend of Zelda Echoes of Wisdom, there are strange rifts opening up in Hyrule that are swallowing up characters, including Link! With her hero missing and her kingdom thrown into chaos, Princess Zelda steps up. Aided by a fairy companion, she receives a magical staff called the Tri-Rod, which grants her the power to create echoes.
The gameplay trailer did a great job showcasing the versatility of the Tri-Rod. Zelda can create an echo of an object by waving the staff at it. Echoes offer several benefits to gameplay, such as overcoming obstacles, platforming, and water manipulation; resource creation; decoy and distraction; and scouting ahead.
The Legend of Zelda Echoes of Wisdom offers a fresh perspective by placing Princess Zelda at the forefront of all affairs. The Tri-Rod’s echo mechanic adds a layer of strategic depth and promises a high degree of player agency. Based on what we saw in the trailer, the visuals seem stunning and the gameplay mechanics feel smooth.
Can you play as Link in The Legend of Zelda Echoes of Wisdom?
Whether or not you can play as Link is still unclear. The game starts with Link seemingly captured by the rifts. However, there are fan theories floating on the internet that suggest that Link might be playable in early sections of the game. And after being captured by the rift, we are introduced to a playable Zelda.
The trailer hints at such a set-up, where we are shown an opening fight scene between Link and Ganon (the antagonist of the game). According to fan theories, the fight sequence is not a cut scene but an actual part of the gameplay. Even if we assume that this might be true, we still don’t know if Link will be playable in other parts of the game.
Please note that there’s no official confirmation of Link being playable at this point. We’ll have to wait for Nintendo to release more information or for the game itself to come out.
The Legend of Zelda Echoes of Wisdom will launch on the Nintendo Switch on September 26, 2024.