Platform: Nintendo Switch
The Legend of Zelda series has rarely focused on the eponymous princess herself, usually reduced to a damsel in distress for elfin swordsman Link to rescue. So when Echoes Of Wisdom was announced, offering Zelda a chance to headline a game (a pair of infamously awful ones for the long-forgotten CD-i don't count), it was a notable moment.
Thankfully, Echoes of Wisdom rises to the occasion, at once feeling like a timeless entry while also introducing new mechanics and ideas. It starts out familiarly, with Link out to rescue Zelda, but a twist of fate sees Link pulled into one of a series of rifts appearing across Hyrule, and Zelda having to save the day instead. However, rather than brandishing a sword and shield, Zelda is gifted the "Tri Rod" by a fairy, able to store the "memory" of items and then create "echoes" of them at will.
Puzzles, even boss fights, rarely have one solution, and half the thrill is in finding innovative ways of using Zelda's echoes to overcome them.
This is the hook, the gadget du jour for this particular Zelda game, and it's fantastic. Zelda can recreate almost everything she encounters, using those objects to overcome obstacles (need to climb a ridge? Create a staircase out of beds!) or solve puzzles in dungeons as she seeks to close the rifts for good. It completely changes the series' approach to combat too – while Zelda could echo a rock to throw at an enemy, better still to copy that enemy and then send echoes of it out to battle on your behalf. While a clever twist does eventually allow Zelda to take a more direct fighting role herself, it's always more fun to have your enemies do your dirty work for you.
Despite the game's classic top-down visuals – the same joyful toybox aesthetic as used in the Link's Awakening remake – the versatility of the Tri Rod is more evocative of the "try anything" freedom of Tears Of The Kingdom. Puzzles, even boss fights, rarely have one solution, and half the thrill is in finding innovative ways of using Zelda's echoes to overcome them. Even the world itself almost begs to be broken, challenging you to find ways to get over a barrier you're not meant to.
There's some repetition though – there's no need for multiple pots to echo – which can feel like misdirection at best, clutter at worst. Similarly, figuring out which echoed enemy is best to pit against others can drag. As a result, Echoes Of Wisdom won't have quite the universal appeal Tears Of The Kingdom did, but it's a splendid addition to the Zelda canon, and a grand solo debut for Zelda herself.