Zelda actually being Zelda
For decades she's been the one you rescue. Now she's the one doing the rescuing, and Echoes of Wisdom is much better for it. The core mechanic, copying objects and monsters from the world and summoning them to solve puzzles, sounds gimmicky at first. Give it an hour. You'll be stacking beds to reach ledges, deploying enemy clones to fight your battles, and feeling quietly smug about the whole thing.
My nephew sat with this for three hours straight and didn't once ask for a snack. That's a proper endorsement right there.
Who it's actually for
This is not a hard game. Combat is light, the difficulty curve is gentle, and the tone is warm and bright throughout. That's not a criticism, but if you want something punishing, look elsewhere. It suits:
- Kids who've outgrown simpler titles
- Zelda fans who want something fresh without abandoning the series feel
- Adults who fancy a relaxed evening game without stress
The art style is gorgeous in handheld mode, genuinely. Watercolour-ish, soft edges, looks lovely on the OLED screen.
The honest reservation
At full price it felt like a slight step down from Tears of the Kingdom in sheer scope. At £30 though, that reservation mostly evaporates. It's not the longest Zelda, runs maybe 15 to 20 hours if you're thorough, but it's consistently enjoyable throughout rather than padded. No filler dungeons, no tedious fetch quests dragging it out. That restraint is worth something. Spot on value at this price, honestly.
