Summary
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomis a highly anticipated title for two reasons: it is the first game in the series to feature Zelda as the main playable character and the first in the series to depart from the new formula that was introduced inThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Fans have been requesting that Zelda be the main playable protagonist in aLegend of Zeldagame for years now, soZelda: Echoes of Wisdomhas been well-received ahead of its release even for that reason alone. However, while players are likely to be primarily controlling Zelda,Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s ESRB rating summary was recently posted, confirming that Link will still be playable in the upcoming game.
According to theESRB summary forZelda: Echoes of Wisdom, players will be controlling Link for a period (or periods) of time during the game. Specifically, the ESRB summary reads, “As Link, players use a sword and arrows to defeat enemies.” That doesn’t clear anything up for players who initially thought Link might be playable to some extent inZelda: Echoes of Wisdomanyway, as it makes no mention of how often Link will be playable in comparison to Zelda or what the setting may look like for Link. The ESRB summary reading “as Link” makes things even more confusing, as it suggestsZelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s gameplay could go in a variety of different directions.
Link’s Confirmed Playability in Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Leaves Room for Speculation
The Wording for Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s ESRB Rating Suggests Link and Zelda Are Equals
While it is essentially confirmed that players will control Link for a portion ofZelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s story, what poses more questions than answers is the way the game’s ESRB summary goes about wording that confirmation. The description of Link and Zelda’s gameplay inZelda: Echoes of Wisdomseems to suggest they are equals, as it reads, “as Link, players use a sword and arrows to defeat enemies; Zelda can use a magic wand to summon creatures (e.g., wind-up knights, pig soldiers, slime) for battle.” As this statement indicates howLink and Zeldawill function in terms of combat, it almost makes it seem as though players will be able to swap between the two characters at any time.
Some theories have suggested that Link has been pulled into an underworld rift of some sort based on whatZelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s trailer shows, with him able to somehow help Zelda, who is on the surface, from his location. If that ends up beingZelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s gameplay loop, it could see players regularly switching back and forth between Link and Zelda to see them cooperating. However, anyLink-centric portions inZelda: Echoes of Wisdomshould arguably be kept to a minimum to allow Zelda the spotlight she has patiently waited for over the last forty years.
Link May Only Be Playable for Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s Prologue
While it could be that Link is playable throughoutZelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s story, it seems more likely that he will only be playable for the game’s prologue. Judging by what is shown inZelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s announcement trailer, Link appears to be in a dungeon of some sort where he eventually finds Zelda trapped in a crystal on the other side of a door.
He then engages in combat with who can only be assumed to be Ganondorf before falling into a purple void on the floor. This is presumably footage from the game’s prologue, as Zelda is able to break free from the crystal and then most likely becomes the main playable character from there. Since fans have waited so long for aZelda-ledLegend of Zeldagame, having Link playable only during the prologue might be the best route to take, but Nintendo may surprise fans with an altogether different gameplay approach.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
WHERE TO PLAY
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!
