Summary

  • Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom features Zelda as the main playable character, with Link still making appearances throughout the game.
  • Link may be playable in the prologue, but the focus remains on Zelda as the heroine of the story in this long-awaited game.
  • To give Zelda her time to shine, any moments where Link is playable in Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom should be minor and brief.

The wait is almost over for The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, the very first mainline Zelda title to feature the titular princess herself as the primary playable protagonist. Countless rumors and discussions have surrounded Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom's arrival and whether Nintendo would be able to pull off a Legend of Zelda title that features Zelda as the main playable character, as the iconic tunic-wearing hero, Link, has taken the helm since the series began in 1986. Nevertheless, those rumors have proven true and Zelda is on her way as the main playable character in Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. However, it appears Link may still play a significant role in the game, based on its ESRB rating summary.

According to the ESRB rating summary, Link will still be playable in Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, despite Zelda taking the lead as its protagonist. This may boil down to nothing more than the game's prologue, which is likely what is shown in its announcement trailer. If not, and players do periodically play as Link throughout Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom's story, modesty will be key in these moments. After all, fans have not waited this long for a Zelda-led Legend of Zelda title only for the moments where Link is the playable character to compromise a substantial portion of their playtime.

Zelda Echoes of Wisdom Is a Sign of Life for One Ailing Series Tradition Thumbnail Article
Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Is a Sign of Life for One Ailing Series Tradition

Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom may be continuing to innovate in some ways, but there is one series tradition it is reviving that is hopefully here to stay.

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Assuming that what is shown in the announcement trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is its prologue, it would make sense to feature Link as the main playable character for that sequence of events. This would especially help with the series' overarching narrative, as Link has been the main playable character up to this point in the franchise.

During Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom's presumed prologue, Link is seen sneaking through what appears to be a dungeon until he finds Zelda trapped in a crystal on the other side of a guarded door. Link also finds Ganondorf in the room with Zelda, and a fight between the hero and his archnemesis ensues. Once Ganon is defeated, Link is sucked into a purple rift, but not before firing an arrow at the crystal entrapping Zelda, weakening it enough for Zelda to break free. Perhaps the ESRB rating summary for Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is simply referring to this series of events, in which players may begin the game as Link and make their way through a dungeon to rescue the princess. Even a prologue like this would be brief, however, granting players control of Zelda as soon as possible.

There is one thing that needs to be said about The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom by the time its credits roll: Zelda is clearly the heroine of the story. For an entire Legend of Zelda game to feature Zelda as its main playable character and then to once again make Link its shining star might result in a rather anticlimactic conclusion. As such, any Link-led events in Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, aside from perhaps the prologue, need to be minor and brief to make every moment where Zelda is playable all the more valuable.

Fans have been requesting a Legend of Zelda game where the princess takes the lead as a playable protagonist, so Link needs to be kept out of the spotlight as much as possible in Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom isn't the first time Zelda has been a playable character, but it is her first time running the show. In light of that, Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom needs to keep its Link-centric moments to a minimum to give the titular princess her time to shine.

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The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
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Adventure
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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