The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

Near-perfect marriage of old and new Zelda design. First mainline game with Zelda as playable hero successfully transforms classic 2D Zelda with the Tri Rod mechanic.

A welcome return to top-down Zelda starring Zelda herself, blending classic dungeon design with a fresh echo system for spawning objects and creatures. The fantastic dungeons, clever side quests, sublime orchestral soundtrack, and streamlined warp navigation are highlights, while the echo mechanic shines for puzzles but stumbles in combat, leaving Zelda largely defenseless. Performance is the major blemish, fluctuating between 60 and 30fps and dropping as low as 15 in the open world, but overall it is a positive step in the right direction.

A bold creative reimagining that gives Zelda center stage with inventive Echo mechanics and excellent puzzle design, though dungeons feel less inspired than the overworld.

Brilliant mainline Zelda with innovative Echo mechanic and robust content despite minor technical hiccups.

A cleverly designed dungeon-focused Zelda title with innovative Echo mechanics that lets players solve puzzles in creative ways. The game is a gorgeous, brilliant adventure that returns to traditional Zelda roots while offering a unique experience of controlling Zelda herself.