The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

One of the reasons the original Zelda game was great is that it allowed kids to develop their problem-solving skills. This is a great game to give to your kids to develop those skills kills with fun characters and a great storyline.

I believe that developing these problems solving skills encourage people to think outside the box and use critical thinking.

Some of the bosses seem invincible once you solve the puzzle then defeating them seems fairly easy.

One thing that I find different from the original game is that if you die, you may start at the same spot as where you died, which is understandable as I guess people nowadays don't wanna spend too much time starting over again.

It's just generally frustrating. The characters have this long dialogue to tell you something that you just saw with your own eyes. They then tell you about a thing that you just did. Then when the characters tell you how to do a thing and a tutorial appears right after telling you the same thing again. EVEN THOUGH it tells you what button to press every single time you stand in front of an object. There's just too much dialogue and slow unnecessary animations for stuff, the game simply does not respect the players time. Especially since this whole mechanic of creating objects just serves to get in the way of traditional zelda gameplay, where i have to figure out how to kill the urchin CREATIVELY rather than just push it with a shield or poke it with a blade. Zelda has arms, she is capable of holding a shield and is capable of holding a blade, but no, she is a girl so she is only allowed to use magic and stay at a distance.

Zelda Finally Gets the Spotlight

For the first time in the history of the franchise, Princess Zelda takes the lead as the main playable hero-and not just in name. When rifts begin tearing through Hyrule, swallowing people and places into mysterious voids-including Link himself-Zelda is forced to rise not as a damsel, but as a force of wisdom, power, and unshakable resolve.

Armed with the magical Tri Rod and guided by her mysterious companion Tri, Zelda doesn't swing a sword-she outsmarts her enemies and reshapes the world around her.

A New Kind of Power: The Echoes

Instead of traditional weapons or spells, Zelda's strength lies in her ability to create Echoes-magical replicas of objects and even creatures she encounters. She can summon water blocks to float, create makeshift bridges from beds, or even replicate enemies to fight alongside her. The result is a fresh, puzzle-rich take on the Zelda formula that puts creativity and strategy at the forefront.

The Echo system is a total game-changer. It rewards experimentation, encourages clever problem-solving, and feels uniquely Zelda while breaking new ground.

Gameplay that Feels Like a Revelation

The gameplay loop combines top-down dungeon exploration with physics-based puzzles and environmental manipulation. New mechanics like Bind (to attach objects to Zelda and move them around) and Reverse Bond (to pull Zelda toward an object or enemy) create dynamic movement options and layered challenges that evolve over time.

Combat is smart, not brutal. You're rewarded for using the environment and the Echoes creatively rather than brute-forcing your way through.

An Artistic Triumph

The art style builds on the charming, toy-like visuals of Link's Awakening for the Switch. It's bright, clean, and filled with personality-like playing through a living storybook. The world of Hyrule has never felt more whimsical and alive, with stunning animations, detailed environments, and a soundtrack that's both nostalgic and new.

From the desert sands to the frosty peaks, every region is beautifully designed and distinct.

Zelda the Hero, Not the Princess

What truly sets Echoes of Wisdom apart is its emotional core: Zelda as a leader, thinker, and fighter. This isn't about rescue-it's about resilience. Zelda's journey is filled with moments of doubt, hope, and breakthrough, and watching her evolve into the hero Hyrule needs is nothing short of powerful.

It's one of the richest character arcs the franchise has ever delivered.

Verdict: Legendary

Echoes of Wisdom is a masterpiece. It honors the traditions of The Legend of Zelda while flipping the script in all the right ways. With its innovative mechanics, rich world design, and a Zelda who finally gets to shine in her own right, this game feels like a long-overdue celebration of what the franchise can become.

10 out of 10 - Not just a bold new chapter, but a reminder that wisdom can be just as heroic as courage.

I love playing as Link, but this time Nintendo went all out and finally decided for us to play as the character whose name is the title! I love all the mechanics and the humor, and I think it's good to have a female protagonist, especially when the game is named Zelda. Nintendo really hit the mark on this one.

The story is very mysterious and fun and I just really enjoyed playing this game, it sets a good message in my opinion that even women can have major influence and save the world. Yes it's a game, but the message is still there and I would be more than happy to play more Zelda games where she is the protagonist.