New Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Details Revealed

Ahead of the launch later this month, Nintendo has revealed more information regarding the upcoming entry within the Legend of Zelda series. This latest trailer revealed more about the game’s environments and mechanics.

Echoes of Wisdom will see Princess Zelda traveling through various rifts into the mysterious “Still World.” This area reminds me a lot of the “Twilight Realm” from Twilight Princess mixed with the “Distortion World” from Pokémon Platinum. Environments float in the void, defying the laws of physics; and to traverse safely, Zelda must employ her magic to create copies of various objects found throughout the environment. Zelda will be joined on this adventure by the ethereal companion spirit known as Tri, who acts as a guide and will no doubt play a pivotal role in the story.

The gameplay looks heavily platforming-focused, although there will of course be a variety of dungeons to explore and enemies to defeat. In addition to employing her echo magic to summon copies of various monsters, Zelda can transform to dish out direct damage in combat. The Swordfighter form allows her to take on Link’s combat prowess. However, this form can only be employed for a short time as each strike will burn through an energy meter. This is an interesting decision, as it will force you to employ different solutions in combat rather than the usual hack-and-slash game plan.

Another new tool in Zelda’s arsenal is the ability to purchase automaton creatures from Dampe, a character I’m happy to see return. These wind-up creatures can perform various functions such as acting as simple explosives or serving as a protective ward.

This is certainly shaping up to be one of the series most creative entries to date – mixing in new ideas with the traditional elements that have defined the series for decades. Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom will be releasing on September 26th for Nintendo Switch