Summary

  • CliffyB is disappointed with Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, missing focus on action and adventure.
  • Echoes of Wisdom shifts focus to Zelda and is more focused on puzzle-solving.
  • Some fans are split on the new Zelda game.

Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski, better know to his fans as CliffyB, has expressed disappointment with his experience playing The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, the latest game in Nintendo's action-adventure series. While he's been a longtime fan of Link's adventures across Hyrule, Bleszinski feels that The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom comes up short on delivering what he feels has made the series great.

Echoes of Wisdom was released in late September 2024, and it's earned positive reviews from both fans and professional critics, currently sitting at an OpenCritic score of 85. Breaking away from the norm, the main focus has been switched from Link to the titular princess, and Link's swordplay and collection of gadgets has been replaced by Zelda's Tri Rod, which creates echoes of previously encountered enemies or objects.

Ancient Charm accessory and Fighting Cuccos in The Legend of Zelda Echoes of Wisdom
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom – Easter Eggs You Might Have Missed

Echoes of Wisdom is filled with references to past Legend of Zelda games, some of which can be hard to spot.

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Bleszinski's complaints about the newest game set in Hyrule center around his perception of the shift in focus away from action and adventure, with the game instead relying on puzzle-solving mechanics like "stacking benches on crates and pushing trees." While Zelda's abilities in Echoes of Wisdom are numerous, allowing her to call forth 127 different echoes for both combat and movement, the game's departure from longstanding traditions and reliance on cute, less realistic graphics have caused some fans to turn away from it. Bleszinski has long been a vocal supporter of The Legend of Zelda franchise and has continued that trend in recent years, praising Breath of the Wild in the thread despite his disdain for its weapon-breaking mechanics.

Gears of War Creator Wanted a More Action-Oriented Zelda Game

While Echoes of Wisdom does play a lot differently than most previous Legend of Zelda games, puzzle-solving elements have been present since the series' earliest days on the NES, and they didn't stop there. Much more recently, players have been able to come up with inventive ways to defeat enemies and get around obstacles thanks to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's Ultrahand mechanics, which provide near-countless problem-solving methods that include the creation of player-built vehicles and other contraptions. The Tri Rod's functions have drawn comparison to Ultrahand, as both encourage players to think creativly to get past enemies and obstacles.

While Bleszinski isn't alone in disliking the newest Zelda game, comments on the post seem pretty evenly split between fans and detractors. Some arguing against the Gears of War creator have pointed out that the action ramps up as players get further though the game, and mechanics like drowning enemies in Echoes of Wisdom provide a fun way to dispatch foes.

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The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Tag Page Cover Art

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
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Adventure
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Systems
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Top Critic Avg: 85 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
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Released
September 26, 2024
ESRB
E10+ For Everyone 10+
Developer(s)
Nintendo, Grezzo
Publisher(s)
Nintendo
Engine
Havok
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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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!
 

Platform(s)
Nintendo Switch
Genre(s)
Adventure
How Long To Beat
20 Hours
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty