In light ofThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of WisdomandTears of the Kingdom, one aspect of exploring Hyrule may be here to stay. The many adventures that players have experienced in the series have all had their quirks, withThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdombeing one of the quirkiest. However, it wasn’t completely removed from the playstyle of last games. There is one rather recent mechanic that managed to carry over fromTears of the Kingdomdespite the many changes, which could point towards a long-term change for the future ofThe Legend of Zelda.
Thegameplay ofEchoes of Wisdomsets it apart from the rest of the series. Rather than using a sword and a variety of tools to deal with the challenges before her, Zelda uses the Tri Rod to create echoes of objects. This gives her a steadily increasing arsenal of objects that can be used to solve all kinds of puzzles and problems. As for combat, she can throw objects, summon monsters, or use the power of the Hero’s Sword to temporarily fight enemies head-on. This dramatic shift in gameplay helps make the game more memorable, especially since the formula works very well.
Weather and Environmental Effects Could Become Mainstays of The Legend of Zelda Series
Weather Effects Have Become Prominent in Recent Zelda Titles
Dealing with theweather inTears of the Kingdomwas one aspect of the adventure in that game. Certain areas would have environmental effects, such as being too hot or cold, that would require Link to prepare in certain ways, such as eating cool or spicy foods to improve his temperature resistance or wearing gear suited for the environment. DespiteEchoes of Wisdomplaying almost entirely differently, it managed to include similar elements. For example, Zelda could warm herself up in cold areas with her fire-related echoes as well as using cold-resistant gear. The mechanic’s return is the start of a pattern that could lead to Nintendo keeping it around.
The Legend of Zeldahad similar weather-based obstacles even beforeTears of the Kingdom, such as resisting wind with the Iron Boots.
Environmental Conditions Make For Excellent Zelda Puzzles and Obstacles
Accounting for environmental conditions adds to thestrategy ofThe Legend of Zeldagames. It encourages players to prepare for multiple situations, and always have a plan ready. For instance, maybe there could be a dark cave that requires light to see, so players have to creatively use whatever light sources they have at their disposal to find their way through. Another possibility would be an area covered with mud that makes the walkways slippery, so players would need to find some way to clear away the mud for safe passage. Expanding on environmental conditions from pastZeldagames would create more exciting adventures.
The Legend of Zelda’s World is More Exciting With Environmental Challenges
Increased focus on Hyrule’s environment also carries another advantage. Theimpressive scale ofThe Legend of Zelda’s Hyrulehas been made apparent in several games, and a part of what makes it exciting to explore is its diversity of terrain. From rough mountains to vast seas, Hyrule has a lot of memorable sights worth seeing. Adding environmental mechanics to many of these areas adds another touch of originality to each of them, as well as shaking up gameplay a little more. For that reason, keeping these sorts of environmental elements afterEchoes of Wisdomwould be a great thing for Hyrule’s future.
Echoes of Wisdomdidn’t invent the series' environmental effects, but it may have secured their place.The Legend of Zeldahas a bright futurethanks to the innovative ideas that the developers at Nintendo and Grezzo have come up with. Adding weather effects and other such effect to Hyrule adds an extra element of strategy to Link and Zelda’s adventures. Expanding on the weather effects of previous games would also be useful for the same reasons.Echoes of Wisdomis likely far from the lastLegend of Zeldagame to feature environmental mechanics.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
WHERE TO PLAY
Save Hyrule—this time with the wisdom of Princess Zelda!The people of Hyrule are being stolen away by strange rifts—and with a certain swordsman among the missing, it’s up to Princess Zelda to save her kingdom in the latest adventure in The Legend of Zelda™ series!Team up with the ethereal creature Tri and use the Tri Rod to create “echoes,” which are imitations of things you find in the environment—then recreate those echoes whenever you like to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. Use echoes like water blocks to reach new heights, make bridges out of old beds, throw rocks at foes, or find your own combination of echoes to do things your way. You can even make echoes of monsters to fight at your side in combat!
