Summary
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomseems to be upholding the tradition of innovation for a series that has been going strong for well over three decades.Announced at the recent Nintendo Direct, the game will see Princess Zelda take center stage in a title that bears resemblance to previous Nintendo Switch titles and has all the potential to shake up the aging franchise once again.
Not much is known aboutZelda: Echoes of Wisdompast the trailer and its September 26 release date, which means that fans will likely be surprised by its twists and turns, and just how it will adhere to the franchise’s lofty reputation. One way it could achieve this is by taking cues from one aspect of a largely underappreciatedZeldagem.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Looks to be Doing Something Different
Although there is more that needs revealing about the recently announced title, what players do know is that they will betaking control of Princess Zeldafor the first time in the mainline series, and using the Tri Rod to conjure creative ways to get around and solve puzzles. It’s a game that borrows the art style of 2019’s remake of Game Boy classicLink’s Awakening, and draws some similarities withTears of the Kingdomby allowing players more freedom over how they tackle the game’s systems. Being a project that is taking cues from the past, it’s not a stretch to think that it could do the same for the less well-loved handheld entries.
Implementing a dungeon design similar to the Temple of the Ocean King fromPhantom Hourglasswould makeZelda’s journey inEchoes of Wisdomfeel fundamentally different from the traditional format of Link’s adventures, which could in turn kick-start something new moving forward. Having two protagonists inThe Legend of Zeldameans that there is more room for different ideas, environments, and core mechanics, and the format ofPhantom Hourglass’biggest dungeon could be the catalyst for something unique, further justifying Zelda’s place as the protagonist instead of having her at the forefront simply because it’s a novel idea.
Zelda: Phantom Hourglass' Unique Dungeon Concept is Worth Revisiting
Phantom Hourglass' Temple of the Ocean Kingbeing a place that Link revisits periodically made it different from every other dungeon in the series to date. Instead of having players enter an area, solve the puzzles, and never return,Phantom Hourglassmade it so that the Temple of the Ocean King was designed to be chipped away at, with at least five visits during a single playthrough as Link searches for Sea Charts. To some, it made the progression inPhantom Hourglassfeel stale and unrewarding, but since the idea hasn’t been returned to, its potential positives seem to have been completely forgotten by fans and Nintendo alike.
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglassis a direct sequel to 2003’sWind Waker.
Having one central dungeon which is to be explored and re-explored not only helps shorten development time as there are fewer environments to create, but it also gives a sense of improvement across a game’s story. Ticking separate dungeons off the list is great, but it often feels like there’s another just around the corner, and it’s easier to notice the progression when it’s all happening in one place.Phantom Hourglassunderstood this but perhaps didn’t implement it well enough. Since the release ofPhantom Hourglasson the DS, the genre has evolved and the rise of rogue-likes could warrant revisiting this dungeon concept with a modern twist.
