Finally, Zelda Gets to Be the Hero
Look, I'll be upfront: I was sceptical. Spin-offs with a fresh lead character can go either way, and slapping the Zelda name on something doesn't automatically make it good. But Echoes of Wisdom surprised me. You play as Princess Zelda herself this time, using a mechanic where you copy objects and creatures from the world and summon them back as "echoes". It sounds fiddly on paper, genuinely clicks once you're in it.
I sat down for what I thought would be a quick half hour before dinner. Two hours later, I was still messing about trying to stack beds to reach a ledge nobody asked me to reach. That sort of game.
Who This Is Actually For
If you loved the top-down Zelda games, Link's Awakening especially, this feels like a proper spiritual follow-up. The art style is soft and lovely, the world is dense without being overwhelming, and the puzzle design has that satisfying "oh, obviously" moment most modern games have forgotten how to do.
Not for everyone, mind. If you want combat-heavy action, Link is barely in this one. Zelda's playstyle is more lateral thinking than button-mashing.
The Price Point
At £30, this is where the deal angle actually holds up. New Switch titles at full whack are £45-50 regularly. This sits at a price where the risk feels low and the reward is decent. It's not a long game by any stretch, maybe 15-20 hours if you're thorough, so if you need 60-hour epics for your money this might sting a bit. But for a weekend or two of proper cosy gaming, spot on.
