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Can someone explain to me why the latest game of every single franchise stars females? This stars Princess Zelda. Witcher, Last of Us, Resident Evil, The Witcher.... it's weird. I cant find one single franchise besides Space marines 2, where the very last game is with a male protagonist.
Digital Foundry did their review. They believe the issue on the overworld is due to data loading. As in there frame rate issues aren't because the graphics are too much, but rather that the way the world exists, the loading and unloading of assets is a mess.
10:10 Video Game Story Time reports the game was designed around the copy ability, *not* around zelda as the protagonist. The copy ability was originally just another tool in Link's toolkit, but since playtesters were not engaging with the copy system, they limited access to the traditional LoZ abilities, making Zelda a coincidentally great fit as a protagonist. The perceived "lack" of exploration of Zelda's character is likely due to this major change well into development.
Disagree about the UI being as seamless as it could be and I disagree with combat being one dimensional. I found myself launching enemies as projectiles, spawning water blocks and drowning enemies in them and grabbing certain echoes to use as more effective weapons. Perhaps it's because I'm impatient and don't want to sit around while my minions have all the fun since that is a viable strategy but I found the creativity in combat very enjoyable.
Yeaaaaahhh, I haven't played this but just looking at that default menu and thinking of what you can do with a combination of various shoulder button holds and the joysticks and/or action buttons feels like you can make a LOT of custom summon menus and better UI to fit your playstyle. :/
But I feel as if this is the problem that the "do anything" design philosophy of these new Zelda games runs into. When the game is meant to allow any strategy to be viable, then the world has to be designed with that kind of flexibility in mind. That does allow players to fashion their own fun in a sense, but it's also been demonstrated time and time again that most players will simply default to the path of least resistance, which many a time isn't the most fun playstyle. It's why for so many people they immediately stopped having fun in TOTK after building the hoverbike. It trivialized incredibly large swaths of the game, and though you could say "just don't use the hoverbike then," most players are conditioned into seeking out and abusing the most efficient means of problem solving. For many, even more fun solutions wouldn't be as satisfying given they know in the back of their minds that they could've solved the problem quicker and easier through other means, which often makes them feel stupid rather than smart, the last thing you want the player to feel after solving a puzzle. I feel that TOTK and now Echoes of Wisdom have pushed the needle too far after BOTW towards absolute freedom and found that just as railroading players into singular, telegraphed solutions can be tiring and unfun, so too can giving them far too much freedom to break the game. I feel that the next game has to tone down the utility of the player's toolset back down to BOTW levels. Still incredibly versatile, but not as powerful in their ability to manipulate and break the world around you.
Agreed. I was hesitant buying the game because of how many reviews played this game like Pokemon. It looked so boring to me watching echoes have all the fun while you stand there or run away. Then I realized really quickly you can use certain echoes as immediate weapons that keep me in the middle of the fight. It’s really fun. Just depends how people want to play it, which is cool.
So this is my first "classic" Zelda game. Previously I only played BotW and TotK. And while I think Echoes is awesome, and the dungeons are very cool, I have to say I'm actually surprised that this is what all the fuss has been about. Like, they're fun, but they feel like very standard video game levels. People act like BotW and TotK are missing something absolutely amazing by not having these dungeons and it's like... we've had dungeons like this in tons of games, even outside of Zelda. It's fun but it's not THAT special. The puzzles in shrines scratch a similar itch anyway from a problem solving perspective, as do the Divine Beasts. I know people don't like them because they all have samey aesthetics and I completely get that but puzzle wise they are very solid, at least in BotW (TotK's tools are so OP that the puzzle design does become easier to side step, although for some people that's part of the fun). Anyway, my point is Echoes is a total joy and the dungeons are absolutely fun, but when I used to see people talking about how much they miss the amazing dungeons of classic Zelda and how unsatisfied they are with what we got instead in BotW and TotK, I used to think the classic Zelda dungeons must really be something special. Now that I see what, according to many people, are in-depth Zelda dungeons, I have to say I don't think there's anything mind-blowing going on to justify hating on BotW and TotK for not giving you exactly that experience. BotW and TotK go a lot further in terms of innovating on how you interact with the world, problem-solving in a sandbox, physics, traversal, and so on. Echoes has some of that as well but leans a bit more into the structured approach of traditional 2D video games, while still allowing you some freedom in traversal thanks to your echoes. All 3 games are excellent and while they strike different balances they still all feel like they belong to the same series, they have a lot of the same DNA and scratch similar itches. So I guess I'm more confused than ever on why some classic Zelda fans hate the new stuff so much. I get liking one style a bit more or less, but acting the open world games aren't Zelda is just wild. These games have a lot more in common with each other than they have differences.
@@MarkHogan994 I would highly recommend giving Skyward Sword HD a shot, while as a Zelda experience it isnt the best, the dungeons in that game are very good.
@@MarkHogan994I agree with you. Though other zelda games have much better dungeons. I think the ice and faron temple come closer to how most zelda dungeons are. The others were pretty lackluster in this game. In short I agree with you, but echoes of wisdom isnt really the standard.
@@MarkHogan994 I know I'll get hate for this opinion, but most of the best dungeons are in the 3D games. There are absolutely good ones in the 2D ones, but the "puzzle box" dungeons where you have to keep the 3D structure of the temple in mind are really what people are talking about. Ocarina is a classic example of this, but really through Skyward Sword all had stand out dungeons like this that were real head scratchers. I am only 3 dungeons into EoW and I've heard it gets better, but so far nothing has quite been at that level in this game.
@@tristanneal9552 I think Oracle of Seasons/Ages have some incredibly "puzzle box" dungeons! Very complex 2d games (Link's Awakening is good too). So I somewhat disagree. But yeah, 3D has most of my favs.
The kids and I are having lots of fun with it! Glad you reviewed it for what it is (a puzzle game) and not what you might want it to be, like many reviewers seem to have done. Always thoughtful reviews. Thanks mate.
This game looks terrible. Original Zelda is a puzzle game down to the core. This, while a puzzle game.. looks boring and bland. Combat by spawning enemies to help you fight? 😂 embarrassing
About combat: you can use the bind ability to help you reposition your own units or hold enemy units still to let your guys wail on them! Once you start playing like this, you start to feel more like a active leader in battle than just someone who stands on the side re-conjuring units as they die.
But then, we never would have got this same highly rated commented on almost every video of echoes of wisdom. Nintendo didn’t miss an opportunity. They gave YOU the opportunity.
The menu system is bad. It’s just bad. Radial, customisable would have been much better. Could have had both of those in sync. Yes ToTk had a similar setup except spread over 100 unique options that need accessing it’s a messy system, heck it was annoying there as well. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a very good game still but yeah could be more refined.
"You can tell this wasn’t actually made by Nintendo." Tears of the Kingdom had the same menu system and the same menu problems as Echoes of Wisdom. The menus in Echoes of Wisdom almost certainly come from Nintendo, not Grezzo. EDIT: SwitchUp edited their comment substantially after I posted this reply.
@@ericwindsor339 TOTK had either melee or ranged and even those were tied to two directions… this has 100 echoes that each could be used in a separate way tied to a single directional line. While on paper they’re the same system the implementation and use cases are entirely different. Whoever thought it was a good idea for this system (if it was indeed Nintendo themselves) - I’m not a fan
@@SwitchUpYt IMO TotK's menuing was worse. In EoW if an echo isn't in your 10 or so most recently used, you can open up the pause menu and equip it that way. Pretty fast and easy. In TotK if you wanted to fuse something to your weapon and it wasn't in your 10 or so most recently used, you had to pause the game, put the item in your hands, close the pause menu, drop the item, and then fuse it to your weapon. EoW's menuing isn't good, but it doesn't annoy me nearly as often as TotK's menus did.
Weirdly enough, the best characterization of Zelda we ever got was in a hack-and-slash spinoff (Age of Calamity). I loved that game because it felt like Zelda was really its protagonist. Even as a hack-and-slash, it told a better story than botw.
I just beat the game and overall I enjoyed it. It really opens up Nintendo for the idea of a coop mode one day where one person is zelda and the other link. Puzzles and dungeons are where this game truly shines but i definitly crafted a ton of energy potions to play in sword form. Like the reviewers are saying, a customizable Radial wheel for favorites and the ability to simply hide echoes I no longer/rarely use would have made the use of echoes less of a chore. One temple gives you four separate echoes that other than solving a puzzle, serve the exact same purpose! Come on Nintendo!
One huge QOL i found to be a no brainer is only having a select number of echoes available to you rather than everything at your disposal. I think that would have made it feel more like you're strategically picking echoes and you dont have to waste so much time scrolling trying to find the echo youre looking for. And as you level up Tri you get access to more templates to swap to so you can have more options available to you.
hello goat. the blur at the edges is called "tilt shift" and is meant to emulate the shallow depth of field that occurs when a camera photographs small objects. i cannot believe this game does not run at a stable 30fps. lord help us all.
I do think this might be a fine game but i would have rather liked to see an actual magic-playstyle Zelda or Shiek experience with the direction of Twilight princess. That would be dope.
Sweet review! And thanks for talking about Zelda not really being her own character in this. We have so many games where Zelda has real, emotional stuff going on and it'd be nice to explore it. She's a straight-up princess with responsibilities - that's gotta be more interesting than a swordsman, haha. Plus, she's got weapons already - magic usually, and she's a straight-up ninja as Shiek. Like, why can't she transform into Shiek for bosses instead of Zelda? Why does her whole quest have to be about getting a guy back? (Which, btw, the CDI games were all about as well)
nothing wrong with getting the guy back, she isn't the frontline fighter and contrary to belief not the main lead, Link is and he's NEEDED to deal with things, if she can do the same thing then there's no point, the smartest thing this game did was show how Link is needed for her
I just want an old-school Zelda game. Even if it's a remake. These new ones have a lot of fans, I get it. But they're more like physics-based puzzle games mixed with crafting and survival. Which is fine, it's just not the kind of Zelda games that I fell in love with.
I'm enjoying the game, but the menus/UI have been the biggest obstacle for me. I'm really surprised they got past testing with the way it is. As a baseline I would have expected that duplicate echoes would be selectable from any of the same type (i.e. you find "bed" and can then scroll up/down to find "soft bed"). But no, all echoes present in a single row with only 5 filter options...
Honestly, I'm really missing the swordplay in this game. Giving it to me for 10 seconds every 10 minutes aint doing it and just makes me miss it even more. They should have kept the swordplay and also had the rod, the game would be top-tier if that was the case.
Been having a really wonderful time with this one. I don't disagree with your complaints, but gosh it's just so... pleasant. It's such a nice, tightly made (performance complaints notwithstanding it IS amazing how much... stuff just works in this game), lovingly designed title. Little details like how well the map lines up with Link to the Past's but expands on its edges and how things we used to take for granted with the different biomes are contextualized by wildlife you can interact with (I love those rain frogs)... I just can't be mad at it. More, please, Nintendo. More TOTK too, but keep this branch alive as well.
Thanks for your vids SkillUp :) I've been loving this game, few things I would point out that it feels Skill Up missed: - you can choose conjuration from the notebook which can be easier when trying to solve a puzzle - I often found it easier trying to drown my enemies rather than get summons to fight hahaha (summon water, drag enemies into it)
If you can wait, wait for the Switch 2. It's great, but it is one of those releases where you wish for a "remaster" right then on day one. Performance is poopoo. The framerate is unlocked though. So on the Switch 2 it will run significantly better right out of the box.
@Turnoutburndown I still find it funny how people immediately default to Sheik when arguing that Zelda is an active character, all while Sheik does pretty much nothing except teach the player some songs and get tossed around a bit. If anything, she's far more active in the most recent games, with her own (albeit off-screen) quest in Skyward Sword, fending off Ganon throughout the entirety of BOTW, and pretty much orchestrating Link's success and helping him out directly in TOTK.
Really glad you touched on the UI, cause that was my immediate impression on seeing footage "oh God what the fuck, a horizontal list?" But very glad it's not as horrible as it looks
The most bizarre thing about the performance (and this was true of Link's Awakening remake as well) is that they could have just locked it at a solid 30 fps. Instead, they target 60, but it's double buffered, so if you drop below 60 at all, you drop *all the way to 30,* which feels awful. Hopefully, the lack of a 30 fps lock will make it run at a locked 60 out of the box on Switch 2, but for now, woof.
I was a huge fan of the Link's Awakening remake, especially the visual style, so I was excited for this one. Bummed to hear that it doesn't run great but that old school vibe mixed with some inventive puzzle solving mechanics is good enough for me.
I heavily disagree on Nintendo nailing the UI here. This desperately needs a quick slot dial that you can configure with your favorite echos. Think Monster hunter item wheels. Finding a specific thing that you have not recently used becomes a pain, I actually go to the Library menu instead of the summon menu because it shows more items on the same page. Either way it is not seamless, it works okay, but I really wish they had added some more customizable options here. Still a great game though, but this is a huge flaw!
I agree. It works “ok” enough to keep playing and finish the game but the UI interactions are probably going to be why this game doesn’t get a replay from me anytime soon despite enjoying my time overall.
In addition to all the sorts, you can also just open up the encyclopedia too... I think the criticism of the UI is a bad take. For what the game is trying to do and for how many options it has, the UI is fine.
@@Katie-hb8iq I don't know how else, without complicated button combinations, it could be easier. If I want to favourite something I can spam create it a bunch of times in 10 seconds. Perhaps they could organise it by species of monster/item, then press right + A, right + B etc to lilmit it to just that sub-species of options.
Literally just beat it while watching this video. Was so much fun! I loved it. I want more like this every now and then while getting the bigger zelda's on the side still of course
regarding performance: having played the links awakening remake this game didn't feel as bad. it actually never bothered me. that's for handheld mode. i played neither in docked mode. what i also noticed: the game seems to run smoother when the cam is panned to the max of any direction
have they purposely made the last 3 Zelda games have "of" in the title? Breath OF the Wild, Tears OF the Kingdom, Echoes OF Wisdom... Is it a hat tip to Ocarina OF Time? Mask OF Majora, Link OF the Past, Waker OF Wind, Princess OF Twilight... It's a lot of "OFs" considering they all already have "OF" in the title, The Legend OF Zelda. I just wrote "OF" so many times it's starting to look weird... LIke it's spelled wrong or sounds weird or something lol. It's spelled OF but we say it like it has a "V" in it... Like OVEN. What's up with that? lol
Imagine taking the monster fighting and catching mechanic from this game to a new Pokémon spinoff game that could birth innovation in the series. But I guess I’m asking for a lot.
It’s when you tie a goon bag (cask wine in a silver foil bag) to a clothes line and then spin the clothes line.A group of you and your mates stand under the rotating clothes line and who ever the goon bag lands closest to has to skol. Good times lol
@@Keithustus What? You're not comparing apples to apples. The playable protagonist in a Zelda game has had no personality in all of these top down games. The npc and story characters the protagonist talks to always has had more personality in these games, and the same is true for Echoes of Wisdom. There is no agenda against Zelda here. None. It literally follows the formula of these games since the NES. Like what do people want, for Zelda to get special treatment that Link never got?
Also, SkillUp is wrong about the sword meter in the game. It's meant to mirror the magic meter that Link had. It's the reverse. It's a call back to the previous games.
@@Katie-hb8iq Yes, that's what we want. We want Zelda to get her own special treatment that Link never got but which has been present for Zelda since at least Twilight Princess, or arguably since Ocarina of Time, or Wind Waker, or Ocarina of Time. She's been tabula rasa'ed here.
@@Keithustus Why are you comparing the 2D games, which have always been more gameplay-focused and less narrative-driven, with the 3D ones where Zelda was a key NPC in the plot? In the top-down games, the protagonist (whether it's Link or Zelda) has traditionally been a silent hero, leaving the NPCs to drive the story. Now that Zelda is the playable character, she fills the same role that Link always has in these games-a hero with minimal dialogue and lots of action. It honestly feels like you're seeing some "injustice" that doesn't exist and are asking for an "over-correction" that would take away from what makes Zelda games special. The game is exactly what it should be, and I’m glad Nintendo sticks to their vision rather than bending to activists who constantly demand more. Echoes of Wisdom stays true to the Zelda formula, and that's why fans love it.
Love the game but it did feel a bit short. I think part of that is decades of mastering playing Zelda games. This game model is fun but we are also really used to it. Well some of us are. The game isn’t short. I think some of us are just so good at playing classic Zelda that it goes much faster than it would have. With that said the game is amazing. One of my favorites and will play again. I found the ending a bit lacking if not anymore so than any other Zelda game of this game style that came before it. Part of it may now be spoiled by the BotW new style of games and their massive depth. It’s an interesting topic for discussion of can we really go back to classic Zelda. Part of that is yes but it’s all clearly not the same depth as the newer Zelda open world games. It’s nice to see Zelda cater to both sides of the argument.
ive been having a great time so far. its not the perfect game but the zelda series has a special place in my heart. i am pretty blown away at the amount of frame studder with how minimal the game is visually
Wow this comment section is full of awful takes. It's a solid, novel game. Not as flashy or frantic as the seventeenth AAA-Soulslike this year, but solid. I'm a grown man and I welcome the chance to play as Zelda in a mainline first-party title. I'm having fun with it.
I find this game so charming! But I've been mostly trying to avoid spoilers. O . O ONE SPOILER: So are the Tris Spirits of the Land? How much of Hyrule in this game is just Echoes of Echoes of Echoes of the original Hyrule, due to all of the Rifts? It does seem like those saved from Rifts by Zelda ARE NOT Echoes, because the Stilled Scrub NPC in Stilled Heart Lake disappears from the Still World after the Tris mend the Rift; either that, or the Tris are trying their best to avoid making the game seem too dark to Zelda. OKAY, ANOTHER SPOILER: The way Zelda is scared of the Sword is very cute. It certainly makes the game a lot easier, but I found myself running out of Energy a bunch while fighting Ganon, and I had everything maxed out! The Bow is also neat, but certain enemies are masters of dodging when they're not distracted! A THIRD SPOILER: Oh yeah, and Tough Mangoes seem to destroy the economy.
I agree, little disappointed that we transform into link. Wanted Zelda to be the main and only protagonist. It still feels like link is saving Zelda to some extent.
We got a new open world way to play and experience the Zelda franchise and you’re over here complaining about the subjective choices in pixels in an alt sword uniform that’s used less than 5% of the time instead praising the 95% of the game that’s great.
@@L4COMBE A 100% great game would be better than a 95% great game. Just make her do non-Link stuff...hell be Sheik or something. And stabilize the framerate, even lock to 30.
You literally don't turn into linkll and Link is the main protagonist of the series and always will be this was only ever a side game not even developed by Nintendo so maybe reign in your expectations
Im so happy. It may be an unpopular opinion, but i much prefer this style of zelda over the botw and totk style. I like a slightly more linear zelda with really well done dungeon design and that doesnt overstay its welcome. Botw and most open world games for me just feel to overwhelming and feels like alot of the content is just filler stuff
@@Big_Dai visuals are as much of a game as anything else. They tell you something about the world and provide an aesthetic that you can get lost in. When visuals don’t contribute to the world building or gameplay then they don’t matter. But they are important. But for my reasons it would feel like a halfway between a modern Pokémon game and one of the original gameboy games. Which is nostalgic for me. I’m not into the look of the new ones.
As enjoyable as i find this game im still a bit sad that they chose to make Zelda also a silent protagonist. Like i get with Link cause its a bit of tradition at this point, but Zelda has never really been silent, most games she can talk and is her own character, so why did they feel the need to make her silent here just cause she is the protag? There is no taboo with her speaking and literally the last 3 games she has very much talked and very much had a personality, so why not experiment with having an Nintendo protag who can talk/have a personality for once? Missed opportunity if ya ask me.
My only gripe was Zelda being a silent protagonist. I know why Link is. Hes meant to be a blank slate to facilitate the player connecting with the world, thats literally why he is called Link. But not only is Zelda not Link but this game even mentions near the start that this Link is an actual mute because he was injured saving some kids from a Rift as a child. If you are doubling down on Link never ever speaking even as an npc then that just makes Zelda being silent after characters like Tetra in WW or the Zelda of Phantom Hourglass even more of a strange choice. Not a massive dealbreaker since its probably just because its a puzzle game first and foremost ala Oracle of Ages but still its werid in the most dialogue heavy 2d zelda.
No, it does not. Making things last longer doesn't not equate to challenge. IF the enemies acted differently, that would be a different story. But the combat in these sort of games were good for the 80s, and are not engaging at all.
The only thing I will say is the game is actually quite easy thus far which isn’t necessarily a complaint. I’m more than half way through now, beat Faron Temple, the echo menu isn’t great but hasn’t really bothered me too much personally, outside of this the game is great, I love it!
10:55 the Link's Awakening remake in the same art style also runs very badly and that came out 5 years ago, so I'm kinda feeling like Grezzo just isn't great at optimizing their games. Also I looked up the developer and learned that "Grezzo" is Italian for "rough" so not sure what we were all expecting 😂
I think it would've been good for Zelda to speak during the game (not voiced, just as text). We all know Link is a mute protagonist, but Zelda isn’t. It would've helped this game stand out and would personalise Zelda a bit more.
No the cdi games are not forgotten....just would be like if fntastic did a mario game....they have no link pun intended to even being mentioned in the same universe of the main games
I enjoy this so much more than totk. Ive only finished the 3rd dungeon but i am loving this. This is exactly what i wanted and needed after the lack of traditional elements in the open world games. I know people want massive octuple a games with oPeN wOrLd nonsense but this is exactly what i want right here.
This product feels like a fan-made game using A Link to the Past's engine.. in every aspect! From the bad story, the awful/slow/unengaging combat, childish puzzles and many more.
"Echoes of Wisdom is the first game to have Zelda as the lead character" Thats.... Not entirely true, their are a few old games on consoles from the 90s (we talking Sega CD/Sega Satern type stuff). but as far as recent "modern" LoZ games go, Yes is the first game to have her leading the charge in like 20 years. Edit: Anyone Remember Zeldas Transformation in Smash Bros? Ya think we ever gonna get a GAME with THAT?
Amazing how poorly this runs despite how it looks. They got Xenoblade 1-3 running smoothly but this is the second plasticy Zelda game whth frame rate issues.
I have no idea what you're smoking to say that Xenoblade 1-3 run smoothly. I've played all 3 emulated & on the original switch, the graphics drop to 480p, the frame rate chugs in most areas, & stuff gets very pixelated & soon as a lot is happening. Plus all the pop in for textures & backdrops. They ran "good enough" for as old & outdated as the switch is, not smoothly. Agreed on Echoes performance though
I think the game's kinda lacking 2 things: - fast summons that basically work the same as casting a spell - binding summons to quick buttons. (Not just being able to summon the same thing you already got out) Both of those things would make combat feel that much smoother and more like a wizard battle than setting down a couple guys and hoping they fight the guy you want them to fight anytime soon. That way you could almost create certain builds for combat or exploration etc.
Man if only they had took the money that they spent on petty patent trolling, frivolous legal nonsense over open source emulation, and crying about cover art databases, and instead put it on better optimizing their games for the only platform they’re releasing games on, eh?
I really don't know. I managed to get a 100% completion (except some amiibo clothing) and with some time passing I'm not sure it was a very good game. The puzzle are too easy even in the beginning and in the last 25% or so of the game you can literately solve ever traversal with one or two blocks and every combat with a precious few echoes. Looking back what I liked the most was probably the minigames (like the slumber dojo). Overall I found the controls awkward and bloated, most of rifs stages mostly felt like a chore, some dungeons where nice though. Also the economy of the game is really wack, I made every smoothie recipe available, and bought all gear and and items available, and I stilled finished the game with like 3600 rupees. Most of the time, you do a puzzle and where in any other Zelda game you would get some sweet gear, in this game its like: "great work lady, here's two apples" or "I bet you really need these 20 rupees". Literally the only time those smoothies will really make a difference is when you speedrun the boss levels in the dojo (for energy). Some mechanics where poorly onboarded, I collected all the automatons (or whatever they where called) but never once used one for the entire game. At the risk of repeating myself, looking back, though perhaps a bit familiar, the boss fights, some late dungeons (ofc as long as you don't go around expecting any Link's Awakening level puzzle dungeons), and the minigames where my biggest takeaways. Condé was by far my favorite in the whole game though, I still smile when I think of him.
About the only thing your review really needed to do is highlight the fact the UI is bad enough to diminish the experience and instead of doing that you talked about how Zelda's first game should have done more to show her personality. Pretty hilarious that people think this style of review is nuanced when it can't even deliver the very most basic of information like how it feels to play a game. "The UI is as seamless as it could be." Time to stop taking Ralph seriously.
I just had an idea, you know what one small tiny change would have made this game so much better? Give Zelda a magic-based main attack. It doesn't have to be strong, it just has to exist. That's what the swordfighter deal is, but, well, your point about that just being Link is apt. Going back to the start of the game, what's the first 'weapon' you get? A rock! So why not something like, you can conjure a rock but instead of it dropping at your feet, it flies towards the enemy. Simple basic ranged attack, unique to Zelda, thematically appropriate to the game. This would help give her more of her own unique role, and it would help paper over the combat moments that are obnoxious to deal with by summoning monsters
Uh!? They made an unnecessary long-list of things to capture and use. Why would the game give you an alternative? Just look at BotW and TotK, where all weapons break.. and the player as no basic option to defend themselves (not even the Master Sword).
I wonder what’s next. Tears of the Kingdom was mega Breath of the Wild and now Echoes is mini. I’m enjoying it so far except for the tedious dungeon lead up quests.
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No thank you.
Hell no.
Can someone explain to me why the latest game of every single franchise stars females? This stars Princess Zelda. Witcher, Last of Us, Resident Evil, The Witcher.... it's weird. I cant find one single franchise besides Space marines 2, where the very last game is with a male protagonist.
Digital Foundry did their review. They believe the issue on the overworld is due to data loading. As in there frame rate issues aren't because the graphics are too much, but rather that the way the world exists, the loading and unloading of assets is a mess.
She did it, my Mum walked in said oh is that Zelda?! And for once she was right!
Congrats mommy Lancy 🥰
Your mom, lolol. Yikes
Finnally
And everyone clapped
Legends of link a zelda to the past
The "blur at the edges" is the tilt-shift effect. They're trying to make everything look tiny, or toy-like.
It doesn’t really work. They would need to cover the screen with it more which would make the game unplayable. It just makes me think I have cataracts
more like the dumb-shit effect. Its stupid.
yeah and it's way better than it was in Link's Awakening. Back then I got headache from the blur.
It's awful, thankfully easily removable with a mod on emulator.
@@nacostaart fucking got its ass
10:10 Video Game Story Time reports the game was designed around the copy ability, *not* around zelda as the protagonist. The copy ability was originally just another tool in Link's toolkit, but since playtesters were not engaging with the copy system, they limited access to the traditional LoZ abilities, making Zelda a coincidentally great fit as a protagonist. The perceived "lack" of exploration of Zelda's character is likely due to this major change well into development.
Disagree about the UI being as seamless as it could be and I disagree with combat being one dimensional. I found myself launching enemies as projectiles, spawning water blocks and drowning enemies in them and grabbing certain echoes to use as more effective weapons. Perhaps it's because I'm impatient and don't want to sit around while my minions have all the fun since that is a viable strategy but I found the creativity in combat very enjoyable.
I absolutely love the waterblocks. I love pushing moblins into them to drown them 😂
Yeaaaaahhh, I haven't played this but just looking at that default menu and thinking of what you can do with a combination of various shoulder button holds and the joysticks and/or action buttons feels like you can make a LOT of custom summon menus and better UI to fit your playstyle. :/
Definitely something enjoyable 👌🏻
But I feel as if this is the problem that the "do anything" design philosophy of these new Zelda games runs into. When the game is meant to allow any strategy to be viable, then the world has to be designed with that kind of flexibility in mind. That does allow players to fashion their own fun in a sense, but it's also been demonstrated time and time again that most players will simply default to the path of least resistance, which many a time isn't the most fun playstyle. It's why for so many people they immediately stopped having fun in TOTK after building the hoverbike. It trivialized incredibly large swaths of the game, and though you could say "just don't use the hoverbike then," most players are conditioned into seeking out and abusing the most efficient means of problem solving. For many, even more fun solutions wouldn't be as satisfying given they know in the back of their minds that they could've solved the problem quicker and easier through other means, which often makes them feel stupid rather than smart, the last thing you want the player to feel after solving a puzzle.
I feel that TOTK and now Echoes of Wisdom have pushed the needle too far after BOTW towards absolute freedom and found that just as railroading players into singular, telegraphed solutions can be tiring and unfun, so too can giving them far too much freedom to break the game. I feel that the next game has to tone down the utility of the player's toolset back down to BOTW levels. Still incredibly versatile, but not as powerful in their ability to manipulate and break the world around you.
Agreed. I was hesitant buying the game because of how many reviews played this game like Pokemon. It looked so boring to me watching echoes have all the fun while you stand there or run away. Then I realized really quickly you can use certain echoes as immediate weapons that keep me in the middle of the fight. It’s really fun. Just depends how people want to play it, which is cool.
The thing that blows me away the most: The dungeons! So many and so indepth bringing me back to the OG zelda format. I appreciate that.
So this is my first "classic" Zelda game. Previously I only played BotW and TotK. And while I think Echoes is awesome, and the dungeons are very cool, I have to say I'm actually surprised that this is what all the fuss has been about. Like, they're fun, but they feel like very standard video game levels. People act like BotW and TotK are missing something absolutely amazing by not having these dungeons and it's like... we've had dungeons like this in tons of games, even outside of Zelda. It's fun but it's not THAT special.
The puzzles in shrines scratch a similar itch anyway from a problem solving perspective, as do the Divine Beasts. I know people don't like them because they all have samey aesthetics and I completely get that but puzzle wise they are very solid, at least in BotW (TotK's tools are so OP that the puzzle design does become easier to side step, although for some people that's part of the fun).
Anyway, my point is Echoes is a total joy and the dungeons are absolutely fun, but when I used to see people talking about how much they miss the amazing dungeons of classic Zelda and how unsatisfied they are with what we got instead in BotW and TotK, I used to think the classic Zelda dungeons must really be something special. Now that I see what, according to many people, are in-depth Zelda dungeons, I have to say I don't think there's anything mind-blowing going on to justify hating on BotW and TotK for not giving you exactly that experience.
BotW and TotK go a lot further in terms of innovating on how you interact with the world, problem-solving in a sandbox, physics, traversal, and so on. Echoes has some of that as well but leans a bit more into the structured approach of traditional 2D video games, while still allowing you some freedom in traversal thanks to your echoes.
All 3 games are excellent and while they strike different balances they still all feel like they belong to the same series, they have a lot of the same DNA and scratch similar itches. So I guess I'm more confused than ever on why some classic Zelda fans hate the new stuff so much. I get liking one style a bit more or less, but acting the open world games aren't Zelda is just wild.
These games have a lot more in common with each other than they have differences.
@@MarkHogan994 I would highly recommend giving Skyward Sword HD a shot, while as a Zelda experience it isnt the best, the dungeons in that game are very good.
@@MarkHogan994I agree with you. Though other zelda games have much better dungeons. I think the ice and faron temple come closer to how most zelda dungeons are. The others were pretty lackluster in this game. In short I agree with you, but echoes of wisdom isnt really the standard.
@@MarkHogan994 I know I'll get hate for this opinion, but most of the best dungeons are in the 3D games. There are absolutely good ones in the 2D ones, but the "puzzle box" dungeons where you have to keep the 3D structure of the temple in mind are really what people are talking about. Ocarina is a classic example of this, but really through Skyward Sword all had stand out dungeons like this that were real head scratchers.
I am only 3 dungeons into EoW and I've heard it gets better, but so far nothing has quite been at that level in this game.
@@tristanneal9552 I think Oracle of Seasons/Ages have some incredibly "puzzle box" dungeons! Very complex 2d games (Link's Awakening is good too). So I somewhat disagree.
But yeah, 3D has most of my favs.
Cheers for this, Ralph. I enjoyed the destruction/creation dichotomy you used in your introduction. Good writing.
The blur effect is there to enhance the minuate aesthetic. When you look at something close to your face, it'll be in focus, but everything else isn't
I had to turn it off. Gave me eye strain.
I feel like that tilt shift blur effect is overused. I see it in news reports sometimes for no reason.
@@pickettfury yooo you can turn it off? thank you
@@cocosdadsomeone made a mod for it almost immediately. I luckily have a first model switch and added it.
"Zelda's first outting" as if we all forgot about Wand of Gamelon and Zelda's Adventure for the CDI.
I think everyone just WANTS to forget about those games.
They weren't made by Nintendo and aren't canon
We did, don't try to remind us.
Wand of Gamelon: Am I a joke to you?
Everyone: yes
@@Veo87We will never forget it because if it were not for Zelda CDi, we wouldn’t have those legendary YTPs.
The kids and I are having lots of fun with it! Glad you reviewed it for what it is (a puzzle game) and not what you might want it to be, like many reviewers seem to have done. Always thoughtful reviews. Thanks mate.
This game looks terrible. Original Zelda is a puzzle game down to the core. This, while a puzzle game.. looks boring and bland. Combat by spawning enemies to help you fight? 😂 embarrassing
@@shaunbrown9733🤓🤓🤓
About combat: you can use the bind ability to help you reposition your own units or hold enemy units still to let your guys wail on them! Once you start playing like this, you start to feel more like a active leader in battle than just someone who stands on the side re-conjuring units as they die.
It feels more and more like pikmin sometimes, especially during bosses
The best writer in gaming. Always a joy to watch your videos mate!
because Greg Kasavin designs games now instead of writing about them. His review of chess is legendary.
@@Keithustus Not complaning. More high quality Supergiant games the better
What wouldve been cool is a coop mode where your friend always plays as one of your mobs. Similar to how they play the hat in Mario Odyssey
Even a two tier echo list couldve helped. One objects the other monsters.
Looks pretty Rad. I will get it for my son... But then play it myself too.
Zelda and Princess Peach. The princesses are getting the spotlight now!
They missed an opportunity to call this game Legend of Link
lmao
@@Covers-and-Commentary Actually, it's LoL.
This comment is on every post about this game😭
Nice@@4Clubs
But then, we never would have got this same highly rated commented on almost every video of echoes of wisdom.
Nintendo didn’t miss an opportunity. They gave YOU the opportunity.
Beds, the ultimate ally.
The menu system is bad. It’s just bad. Radial, customisable would have been much better. Could have had both of those in sync. Yes ToTk had a similar setup except spread over 100 unique options that need accessing it’s a messy system, heck it was annoying there as well. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a very good game still but yeah could be more refined.
"You can tell this wasn’t actually made by Nintendo."
Tears of the Kingdom had the same menu system and the same menu problems as Echoes of Wisdom. The menus in Echoes of Wisdom almost certainly come from Nintendo, not Grezzo.
EDIT: SwitchUp edited their comment substantially after I posted this reply.
What are you on about dude TOTK had the identical style of menu just it was even worse there and had less options. This is definitely a Nintendo thing
@@ericwindsor339 TOTK had either melee or ranged and even those were tied to two directions… this has 100 echoes that each could be used in a separate way tied to a single directional line. While on paper they’re the same system the implementation and use cases are entirely different. Whoever thought it was a good idea for this system (if it was indeed Nintendo themselves) - I’m not a fan
@@SwitchUpYt IMO TotK's menuing was worse. In EoW if an echo isn't in your 10 or so most recently used, you can open up the pause menu and equip it that way. Pretty fast and easy. In TotK if you wanted to fuse something to your weapon and it wasn't in your 10 or so most recently used, you had to pause the game, put the item in your hands, close the pause menu, drop the item, and then fuse it to your weapon. EoW's menuing isn't good, but it doesn't annoy me nearly as often as TotK's menus did.
Radial? Come on man you cannot be serious. How tf is radial going to work woth 127 options. Menus in menus dont work.
Weirdly enough, the best characterization of Zelda we ever got was in a hack-and-slash spinoff (Age of Calamity). I loved that game because it felt like Zelda was really its protagonist. Even as a hack-and-slash, it told a better story than botw.
I just beat the game and overall I enjoyed it. It really opens up Nintendo for the idea of a coop mode one day where one person is zelda and the other link. Puzzles and dungeons are where this game truly shines but i definitly crafted a ton of energy potions to play in sword form. Like the reviewers are saying, a customizable Radial wheel for favorites and the ability to simply hide echoes I no longer/rarely use would have made the use of echoes less of a chore. One temple gives you four separate echoes that other than solving a puzzle, serve the exact same purpose! Come on Nintendo!
A geriatric person finding these childish "puzzles" rewarding.. wow
One huge QOL i found to be a no brainer is only having a select number of echoes available to you rather than everything at your disposal. I think that would have made it feel more like you're strategically picking echoes and you dont have to waste so much time scrolling trying to find the echo youre looking for. And as you level up Tri you get access to more templates to swap to so you can have more options available to you.
Literally just give us a favorites bar/wheel. It's so obvious and easy. Nintendo please
It was very funny to find that the Notebook doesn't let you do this. 😂
hello goat. the blur at the edges is called "tilt shift" and is meant to emulate the shallow depth of field that occurs when a camera photographs small objects. i cannot believe this game does not run at a stable 30fps. lord help us all.
It runs above 30 99% of the time. Trouble is, it dips from 60 down to 30.
mfw ro ramdin comment jump scare
(love your videos!)
Don't try to educate a man-child..
I do think this might be a fine game but i would have rather liked to see an actual magic-playstyle Zelda or Shiek experience with the direction of Twilight princess.
That would be dope.
Same tbh
@@justdracir8197 Sure, but this game is extremely valuable because it shows Nintendo is still interested in making new 2D Zelda games.
Yes, this!
@@sleepy_shiversin other words, outdated, copy pasted games at full price
Yes! I was really hoping that instead of a sword form we’d get a Sheik form. Let me do what Impa does!
Sweet review! And thanks for talking about Zelda not really being her own character in this. We have so many games where Zelda has real, emotional stuff going on and it'd be nice to explore it. She's a straight-up princess with responsibilities - that's gotta be more interesting than a swordsman, haha. Plus, she's got weapons already - magic usually, and she's a straight-up ninja as Shiek. Like, why can't she transform into Shiek for bosses instead of Zelda? Why does her whole quest have to be about getting a guy back? (Which, btw, the CDI games were all about as well)
nothing wrong with getting the guy back, she isn't the frontline fighter and contrary to belief not the main lead, Link is and he's NEEDED to deal with things, if she can do the same thing then there's no point, the smartest thing this game did was show how Link is needed for her
I just want an old-school Zelda game. Even if it's a remake. These new ones have a lot of fans, I get it. But they're more like physics-based puzzle games mixed with crafting and survival. Which is fine, it's just not the kind of Zelda games that I fell in love with.
they should port A Link Between Worlds. under appreciated game.
I'm enjoying the game, but the menus/UI have been the biggest obstacle for me. I'm really surprised they got past testing with the way it is. As a baseline I would have expected that duplicate echoes would be selectable from any of the same type (i.e. you find "bed" and can then scroll up/down to find "soft bed"). But no, all echoes present in a single row with only 5 filter options...
Honestly, I'm really missing the swordplay in this game. Giving it to me for 10 seconds every 10 minutes aint doing it and just makes me miss it even more. They should have kept the swordplay and also had the rod, the game would be top-tier if that was the case.
Been having a really wonderful time with this one. I don't disagree with your complaints, but gosh it's just so... pleasant. It's such a nice, tightly made (performance complaints notwithstanding it IS amazing how much... stuff just works in this game), lovingly designed title. Little details like how well the map lines up with Link to the Past's but expands on its edges and how things we used to take for granted with the different biomes are contextualized by wildlife you can interact with (I love those rain frogs)... I just can't be mad at it. More, please, Nintendo. More TOTK too, but keep this branch alive as well.
Switch 2 can't get here fast enough.
Echoes is really just a statement to the games industry that more complicated isnt necessarily better.
Thanks for your vids SkillUp :)
I've been loving this game, few things I would point out that it feels Skill Up missed:
- you can choose conjuration from the notebook which can be easier when trying to solve a puzzle
- I often found it easier trying to drown my enemies rather than get summons to fight hahaha (summon water, drag enemies into it)
The "blur" effect is to help create a tilt shift look that makes it feel like miniatures.
i respect it from an artistic standpoint, but i'd be lying if i said i loved it
If you can wait, wait for the Switch 2.
It's great, but it is one of those releases where you wish for a "remaster" right then on day one.
Performance is poopoo. The framerate is unlocked though. So on the Switch 2 it will run significantly better right out of the box.
This is what i've been telling people. These switch games, just give me headaches.
Since you own the game, there's no guilt in running it via the Switch emulators Ryujinx and/or Yuzu, assuming they've got it working already...
@@overseastom Didn't yuzu kinda of... die?
@@KisukexMomohimeI am literally waiting for switch 2 for the open world Zelda games
Or emulate it using a much more powerful PC with Yuzu... oh wait they killed it. Ryujin then... wait Nintendo killed that off too
It's about time Zelda got off her lazy ass and did some work
Well execuuuuuuuse me Princess!
Wasn't she a ninja in Ocarina of time? Or was that someone else?
@@Turnoutburndown Yeah, Sheik was Zelda in disguise.
@Turnoutburndown I still find it funny how people immediately default to Sheik when arguing that Zelda is an active character, all while Sheik does pretty much nothing except teach the player some songs and get tossed around a bit. If anything, she's far more active in the most recent games, with her own (albeit off-screen) quest in Skyward Sword, fending off Ganon throughout the entirety of BOTW, and pretty much orchestrating Link's success and helping him out directly in TOTK.
@@brycebitetti1402 Yeah, she's pretty active in the recent games.
I am playing the game now and so far I love it.
Really glad you touched on the UI, cause that was my immediate impression on seeing footage "oh God what the fuck, a horizontal list?" But very glad it's not as horrible as it looks
The most bizarre thing about the performance (and this was true of Link's Awakening remake as well) is that they could have just locked it at a solid 30 fps. Instead, they target 60, but it's double buffered, so if you drop below 60 at all, you drop *all the way to 30,* which feels awful. Hopefully, the lack of a 30 fps lock will make it run at a locked 60 out of the box on Switch 2, but for now, woof.
Good review this in the the top 5 Zelda games for me though. I absolutely love it.
Ugh
0:31 You're forgetting about Legend of Zelda Wand of Gamelon
Correct.
I was a huge fan of the Link's Awakening remake, especially the visual style, so I was excited for this one. Bummed to hear that it doesn't run great but that old school vibe mixed with some inventive puzzle solving mechanics is good enough for me.
Regarding the Hero transformation, why not have Zelda swap into her Sheik disguise to do direct damage to enemies?
If only Zelda had some sort of unique alternate form that allowed her more agility and combat capabilities.
I heavily disagree on Nintendo nailing the UI here. This desperately needs a quick slot dial that you can configure with your favorite echos. Think Monster hunter item wheels. Finding a specific thing that you have not recently used becomes a pain, I actually go to the Library menu instead of the summon menu because it shows more items on the same page. Either way it is not seamless, it works okay, but I really wish they had added some more customizable options here. Still a great game though, but this is a huge flaw!
I agree. It works “ok” enough to keep playing and finish the game but the UI interactions are probably going to be why this game doesn’t get a replay from me anytime soon despite enjoying my time overall.
You can sort by favourite echoes.
I mean the "most used" sort option is pretty much the favourites dial
In addition to all the sorts, you can also just open up the encyclopedia too... I think the criticism of the UI is a bad take. For what the game is trying to do and for how many options it has, the UI is fine.
@@Katie-hb8iq I don't know how else, without complicated button combinations, it could be easier. If I want to favourite something I can spam create it a bunch of times in 10 seconds.
Perhaps they could organise it by species of monster/item, then press right + A, right + B etc to lilmit it to just that sub-species of options.
Literally just beat it while watching this video. Was so much fun! I loved it. I want more like this every now and then while getting the bigger zelda's on the side still of course
Another great review
It was a good shrubbery, I liked the laurels particularly.
You saved me $60, thank you!
The way Ralph says "air" is crazy. "eAAAAiiir" 😅
regarding performance:
having played the links awakening remake this game didn't feel as bad. it actually never bothered me.
that's for handheld mode. i played neither in docked mode.
what i also noticed: the game seems to run smoother when the cam is panned to the max of any direction
have they purposely made the last 3 Zelda games have "of" in the title? Breath OF the Wild, Tears OF the Kingdom, Echoes OF Wisdom... Is it a hat tip to Ocarina OF Time? Mask OF Majora, Link OF the Past, Waker OF Wind, Princess OF Twilight... It's a lot of "OFs" considering they all already have "OF" in the title, The Legend OF Zelda.
I just wrote "OF" so many times it's starting to look weird... LIke it's spelled wrong or sounds weird or something lol. It's spelled OF but we say it like it has a "V" in it... Like OVEN. What's up with that? lol
Imagine taking the monster fighting and catching mechanic from this game to a new Pokémon spinoff game that could birth innovation in the series. But I guess I’m asking for a lot.
Playing it right now. Great game
I wonder how many people aren’t talking to Dampé…
🤣 I never gave Dampe the time of day
Hey shillup? What is goon of fortune? Someone told me it's an aussie thing.
It’s when you tie a goon bag (cask wine in a silver foil bag) to a clothes line and then spin the clothes line.A group of you and your mates stand under the rotating clothes line and who ever the goon bag lands closest to has to skol.
Good times lol
I agree Zelda should transform into Sheik instead of Link
Only ONE Zelda has been Sheik. It's not an inherent trait of the character across time and space.. you know that, right?
I’m really, really enjoying my time with this game. It stands amongst all of the classic 2D Zelda games, even with it’s minor faults.
You have the best reviews. Thank you for the great content
To be fair, it's not like Link had a personality either :P In true Nintendo fashion, it's not really about the characters but the gameplay.
But this Zelda is a regression of her characterization in Twilight Princess and the 3D Switch games.
@@Keithustus What? You're not comparing apples to apples. The playable protagonist in a Zelda game has had no personality in all of these top down games. The npc and story characters the protagonist talks to always has had more personality in these games, and the same is true for Echoes of Wisdom.
There is no agenda against Zelda here. None. It literally follows the formula of these games since the NES. Like what do people want, for Zelda to get special treatment that Link never got?
Also, SkillUp is wrong about the sword meter in the game. It's meant to mirror the magic meter that Link had. It's the reverse. It's a call back to the previous games.
@@Katie-hb8iq Yes, that's what we want. We want Zelda to get her own special treatment that Link never got but which has been present for Zelda since at least Twilight Princess, or arguably since Ocarina of Time, or Wind Waker, or Ocarina of Time. She's been tabula rasa'ed here.
@@Keithustus Why are you comparing the 2D games, which have always been more gameplay-focused and less narrative-driven, with the 3D ones where Zelda was a key NPC in the plot? In the top-down games, the protagonist (whether it's Link or Zelda) has traditionally been a silent hero, leaving the NPCs to drive the story. Now that Zelda is the playable character, she fills the same role that Link always has in these games-a hero with minimal dialogue and lots of action.
It honestly feels like you're seeing some "injustice" that doesn't exist and are asking for an "over-correction" that would take away from what makes Zelda games special. The game is exactly what it should be, and I’m glad Nintendo sticks to their vision rather than bending to activists who constantly demand more. Echoes of Wisdom stays true to the Zelda formula, and that's why fans love it.
I could watch these videos for hours!
Love the game but it did feel a bit short.
I think part of that is decades of mastering playing Zelda games. This game model is fun but we are also really used to it. Well some of us are.
The game isn’t short. I think some of us are just so good at playing classic Zelda that it goes much faster than it would have.
With that said the game is amazing. One of my favorites and will play again.
I found the ending a bit lacking if not anymore so than any other Zelda game of this game style that came before it. Part of it may now be spoiled by the BotW new style of games and their massive depth.
It’s an interesting topic for discussion of can we really go back to classic Zelda. Part of that is yes but it’s all clearly not the same depth as the newer Zelda open world games. It’s nice to see Zelda cater to both sides of the argument.
ive been having a great time so far. its not the perfect game but the zelda series has a special place in my heart. i am pretty blown away at the amount of frame studder with how minimal the game is visually
Giving the player presets of like 3 echoes and the ability to swap between those presets would really go far in this game!
Wow this comment section is full of awful takes. It's a solid, novel game. Not as flashy or frantic as the seventeenth AAA-Soulslike this year, but solid. I'm a grown man and I welcome the chance to play as Zelda in a mainline first-party title. I'm having fun with it.
Except it's priced as a AAA game.
@@eggshelf I've gotten my money's worth.
I finished it tonight and enjoyed it immensely. Honestly more than I enjoyed TOTK
@@eggshelfyea and its worth the price.
@@GameTimeNLL *it's
Its is the possessive it.
It`s a little bit sad that nintendo didn't let zelda wield her own weapon.
I find this game so charming! But I've been mostly trying to avoid spoilers. O . O
ONE SPOILER:
So are the Tris Spirits of the Land? How much of Hyrule in this game is just Echoes of Echoes of Echoes of the original Hyrule, due to all of the Rifts? It does seem like those saved from Rifts by Zelda ARE NOT Echoes, because the Stilled Scrub NPC in Stilled Heart Lake disappears from the Still World after the Tris mend the Rift; either that, or the Tris are trying their best to avoid making the game seem too dark to Zelda.
OKAY, ANOTHER SPOILER:
The way Zelda is scared of the Sword is very cute. It certainly makes the game a lot easier, but I found myself running out of Energy a bunch while fighting Ganon, and I had everything maxed out! The Bow is also neat, but certain enemies are masters of dodging when they're not distracted!
A THIRD SPOILER:
Oh yeah, and Tough Mangoes seem to destroy the economy.
What i like about Zelda games is that majority of puzzles arent actually that hard to solve rather they made it fun and not boring.
Yes this game is freaking amazing
I agree, little disappointed that we transform into link. Wanted Zelda to be the main and only protagonist.
It still feels like link is saving Zelda to some extent.
We got a new open world way to play and experience the Zelda franchise and you’re over here complaining about the subjective choices in pixels in an alt sword uniform that’s used less than 5% of the time instead praising the 95% of the game that’s great.
@@L4COMBE A 100% great game would be better than a 95% great game. Just make her do non-Link stuff...hell be Sheik or something.
And stabilize the framerate, even lock to 30.
You literally don't turn into linkll and Link is the main protagonist of the series and always will be this was only ever a side game not even developed by Nintendo so maybe reign in your expectations
@@Dd-fb2tj sword, shield, spin, etc. You’re Link.
the bed is straight up OP in this game.
need to bridge a gap? bed
need to cross a body of water? bed
need to heal out of combat? bed
need a stair? bed
Im so happy. It may be an unpopular opinion, but i much prefer this style of zelda over the botw and totk style. I like a slightly more linear zelda with really well done dungeon design and that doesnt overstay its welcome. Botw and most open world games for me just feel to overwhelming and feels like alot of the content is just filler stuff
Would love a classic pokemon game in this style.
Why?
Visuals don't make a game.
@@Big_Dai visuals are as much of a game as anything else. They tell you something about the world and provide an aesthetic that you can get lost in. When visuals don’t contribute to the world building or gameplay then they don’t matter. But they are important.
But for my reasons it would feel like a halfway between a modern Pokémon game and one of the original gameboy games. Which is nostalgic for me. I’m not into the look of the new ones.
As enjoyable as i find this game im still a bit sad that they chose to make Zelda also a silent protagonist. Like i get with Link cause its a bit of tradition at this point, but Zelda has never really been silent, most games she can talk and is her own character, so why did they feel the need to make her silent here just cause she is the protag? There is no taboo with her speaking and literally the last 3 games she has very much talked and very much had a personality, so why not experiment with having an Nintendo protag who can talk/have a personality for once? Missed opportunity if ya ask me.
My only gripe was Zelda being a silent protagonist. I know why Link is. Hes meant to be a blank slate to facilitate the player connecting with the world, thats literally why he is called Link. But not only is Zelda not Link but this game even mentions near the start that this Link is an actual mute because he was injured saving some kids from a Rift as a child. If you are doubling down on Link never ever speaking even as an npc then that just makes Zelda being silent after characters like Tetra in WW or the Zelda of Phantom Hourglass even more of a strange choice. Not a massive dealbreaker since its probably just because its a puzzle game first and foremost ala Oracle of Ages but still its werid in the most dialogue heavy 2d zelda.
Agreed.
It's such a turn off to have these 2 not speaking to each other, while "having a conversation".
So unnecessary and old-fashioned.
Hero mode is the way to go. It makes every fight a challenge.
No, it does not.
Making things last longer doesn't not equate to challenge. IF the enemies acted differently, that would be a different story. But the combat in these sort of games were good for the 80s, and are not engaging at all.
@@Big_Dai The enemies don't have higher HP, they do double damage
Sounds like they made this game to bundle with the next switch...
Very creative. Only if nintendo would stop sueing people and shutting things down
Don't think I didn't notice the usage of the link's awakening credits theme at the end there
The only thing I will say is the game is actually quite easy thus far which isn’t necessarily a complaint. I’m more than half way through now, beat Faron Temple, the echo menu isn’t great but hasn’t really bothered me too much personally, outside of this the game is great, I love it!
Tedious is a more apt description.
A game where "getting through the motions" is the only necessity to finish it.
You thought you cleverly hid the Wand of Gamelon OST in the background but NOT CLEVERLY ENOUGH!!
10:55 the Link's Awakening remake in the same art style also runs very badly and that came out 5 years ago, so I'm kinda feeling like Grezzo just isn't great at optimizing their games. Also I looked up the developer and learned that "Grezzo" is Italian for "rough" so not sure what we were all expecting 😂
I think it would've been good for Zelda to speak during the game (not voiced, just as text). We all know Link is a mute protagonist, but Zelda isn’t. It would've helped this game stand out and would personalise Zelda a bit more.
thanks, bot.
She do talk. You have options where she can say different things like in Baldurs gate.
This is 100% not the first game that has Zelda as the main character
This game is wonderful @ a locked 120fps at 1440p
No the cdi games are not forgotten....just would be like if fntastic did a mario game....they have no link pun intended to even being mentioned in the same universe of the main games
Performance issues? dont know what you are talking about Ryujinx runs this bad boy 60fps 4k no problemo and i have a 4060ti and a rx5600x
I enjoy this so much more than totk. Ive only finished the 3rd dungeon but i am loving this. This is exactly what i wanted and needed after the lack of traditional elements in the open world games. I know people want massive octuple a games with oPeN wOrLd nonsense but this is exactly what i want right here.
This product feels like a fan-made game using A Link to the Past's engine.. in every aspect!
From the bad story, the awful/slow/unengaging combat, childish puzzles and many more.
@Big_Dai I mean what is the modern alternative? Botw and totk are trash, this is the best we've got since link between worlds.
** there's 3 other games you play as Zelda
"Echoes of Wisdom is the first game to have Zelda as the lead character" Thats.... Not entirely true, their are a few old games on consoles from the 90s (we talking Sega CD/Sega Satern type stuff). but as far as recent "modern" LoZ games go, Yes is the first game to have her leading the charge in like 20 years.
Edit: Anyone Remember Zeldas Transformation in Smash Bros? Ya think we ever gonna get a GAME with THAT?
Amazing how poorly this runs despite how it looks. They got Xenoblade 1-3 running smoothly but this is the second plasticy Zelda game whth frame rate issues.
I have no idea what you're smoking to say that Xenoblade 1-3 run smoothly. I've played all 3 emulated & on the original switch, the graphics drop to 480p, the frame rate chugs in most areas, & stuff gets very pixelated & soon as a lot is happening. Plus all the pop in for textures & backdrops. They ran "good enough" for as old & outdated as the switch is, not smoothly. Agreed on Echoes performance though
Zelda’s not used to all this work. There was one point where I thought she was gonna shake link when she found him.
This game's combat is more complex than it seems.
I think the game's kinda lacking 2 things:
- fast summons that basically work the same as casting a spell
- binding summons to quick buttons. (Not just being able to summon the same thing you already got out) Both of those things would make combat feel that much smoother and more like a wizard battle than setting down a couple guys and hoping they fight the guy you want them to fight anytime soon.
That way you could almost create certain builds for combat or exploration etc.
Man if only they had took the money that they spent on petty patent trolling, frivolous legal nonsense over open source emulation, and crying about cover art databases, and instead put it on better optimizing their games for the only platform they’re releasing games on, eh?
That menu... I'm already annoyed looking by just looking at it. Game looks fun though
I really don't know. I managed to get a 100% completion (except some amiibo clothing) and with some time passing I'm not sure it was a very good game. The puzzle are too easy even in the beginning and in the last 25% or so of the game you can literately solve ever traversal with one or two blocks and every combat with a precious few echoes. Looking back what I liked the most was probably the minigames (like the slumber dojo). Overall I found the controls awkward and bloated, most of rifs stages mostly felt like a chore, some dungeons where nice though. Also the economy of the game is really wack, I made every smoothie recipe available, and bought all gear and and items available, and I stilled finished the game with like 3600 rupees. Most of the time, you do a puzzle and where in any other Zelda game you would get some sweet gear, in this game its like: "great work lady, here's two apples" or "I bet you really need these 20 rupees". Literally the only time those smoothies will really make a difference is when you speedrun the boss levels in the dojo (for energy). Some mechanics where poorly onboarded, I collected all the automatons (or whatever they where called) but never once used one for the entire game. At the risk of repeating myself, looking back, though perhaps a bit familiar, the boss fights, some late dungeons (ofc as long as you don't go around expecting any Link's Awakening level puzzle dungeons), and the minigames where my biggest takeaways. Condé was by far my favorite in the whole game though, I still smile when I think of him.
About the only thing your review really needed to do is highlight the fact the UI is bad enough to diminish the experience and instead of doing that you talked about how Zelda's first game should have done more to show her personality. Pretty hilarious that people think this style of review is nuanced when it can't even deliver the very most basic of information like how it feels to play a game. "The UI is as seamless as it could be." Time to stop taking Ralph seriously.
Agreed 100%.
I just had an idea, you know what one small tiny change would have made this game so much better? Give Zelda a magic-based main attack. It doesn't have to be strong, it just has to exist. That's what the swordfighter deal is, but, well, your point about that just being Link is apt.
Going back to the start of the game, what's the first 'weapon' you get? A rock! So why not something like, you can conjure a rock but instead of it dropping at your feet, it flies towards the enemy. Simple basic ranged attack, unique to Zelda, thematically appropriate to the game. This would help give her more of her own unique role, and it would help paper over the combat moments that are obnoxious to deal with by summoning monsters
Uh!? They made an unnecessary long-list of things to capture and use. Why would the game give you an alternative?
Just look at BotW and TotK, where all weapons break.. and the player as no basic option to defend themselves (not even the Master Sword).
Ah yes I another on the I will wait for the Switch 2 list.
I wonder what’s next. Tears of the Kingdom was mega Breath of the Wild and now Echoes is mini. I’m enjoying it so far except for the tedious dungeon lead up quests.