The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomis a stellar entry in theZeldaseries, but to say the title’s story is a highlight would be overselling it. While its certainly entertaining,the story ofEchoes of Wisdomis overshadowed by the fun and freedom that comes from experimenting with the title’s Echo mechanic. New insight from theEchoes of Wisdomdevelopers has now shed some more light on how gameplay is often prioritized in eachZeldaentry over story.
The decision to prioritize gameplay over story is clear to see when looking back on theZeldaseries as a whole. Many stories from variousZeldaentries are often in service to each title’s primary gameplay or mechanics, helping to elevate the player’s overall experience. As a matter of fact,in the case ofMajora’s Mask, its those central mechanics that are the reason why its story is so beloved to begin with.
Echoes Of Wisdom’s Devs Say Zelda Games Build Story Around Gameplay
The Revelation Is Hardly Surprising
The Washington Postreleased an interview withZeldaseries producer Eiji Aonuma, alongsideEchoes of Wisdomdirectors Tomomi Sano and Satoshi Terada. The interview included many interesting talking points, from returning to the top-down format of 2DZeldaentries, to making Princess Zelda the protagonist for the first time in the series. However, what’s arguably more fascinating about this interview isAonuma’s explanation of theZeldateam’s approach to story.
More specifically, the producer goes in-depth into howthe story of aZeldagame is often built around the gameplay. Aonuma admits he’s “never really made a game where you think of the story first,” while mentioning how the story is “how you may get players to understand the gameplay.” It’s a fascinating insight into howZeldagames use story as a way to allow the player to adjust to said title’s gameplay and mechanics. That being said, the less significance that the developers place on the story is hardly surprising to see.
Nintendo has always demonstrated a lackadaisical approach toZeldastories. TheZeldaseries' own timelineis proof of this, asits already convoluted layout has been subject to several changes, while an older interview fromGamesRadarhasBreath of the Wilddirector Hidemaro Fujibayashi saying they want certain titles' placements to be “up to people’s imaginations.” If the developers are willing to give players permission to interpret the timeline in their own way, the insignificance of stories inZeldagames becomes all the more clear.
Zelda Has Good Stories But Gameplay Mechanics Always Shine
Zelda Stories Are Crafted In Service Of Gameplay
That’s not to say that stories inZeldagames aren’t memorable or enjoyable, although they do tend to be out-shined by gameplay. Again, this preference of gameplay over story is unsurprising when considering the main purpose of narratives inZeldagames.The story often serves merely as a means of encouraging the player to engagewith all facets of a certainZeldatitle’s features and mechanics.
Multiple entries in theZeldaseries are proof of this approach to story in action. For example,Skyward Sword’s tale of the origins of the Master Sword is a perfect complement to the game’s focus on motion controls, especially in combat. Link’s journey to upgrade the Goddess Sword reflects the player’s own mastery of using the sword during gameplay, elevating the overall experience as they become fully immersed in the world.
In some cases, the story’s structure can be altered completely depending on the game.Breath of the Wild’s story is intentionally bare-bones, with the use of flashbacks that are often viewed out of chronological order.The lack of a linear structure helps to encourage the player to explore the open world of Hyrulein their own way, allowing them to craft their own narrative.BOTWis a fantastic example of how the story is implemented to encourage the player to engage with everything the game has to offer, while demonstrating the malleability of these narratives in order to complement the gameplay.
Majora’s Mask Is A Great Example Of Story Being Secondary To Gameplay
Majora’s Mask’s Gameplay Is Why The Story Is So Memorable
The examples provided pale in comparison toMajora’s Mask, whosegameplay is precisely why the title’s story is so memorable to begin with.Majora’s Maskis a distinct and beloved entry in theZeldaseries thanks to itsuniquely dark toneand unsettling narrative. The story of an unstoppable doom and the effects this has on the citizens of Termina is truly harrowing to witness. Yet,Majora’s Mask’s story wouldn’t have been as impactful if it wasn’t for the implementation of the three-day mechanic.
Entrapping players in the same three days repeating over and over again is what results in the distressing feeling they have aboutMajora’s Mask’s incoming doom, and the player can’t help but begin to feel a sense of isolation and hopelessness as death seems inescapable. Meanwhile,Majora’s Mask’s side stories involving the Clock Town residents encourage the player to maintain good time management under this cycle, keeping track of people’s routines in order to assist with their problems, giving those residents some semblance of hope before the moon crashes on all of Termina.
There’s a constant feeling of panic and dread inMajora’s Maskthat is only there thanks to the use of the three-day mechanic. With this in mind,Majora’s Maskis a great example of why the developers have prioritized gameplay over story in so manyZeldaentries, including the latest,The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. If this method wasn’t used, not only would the core of theseZeldagames fall short of their potential, but the stories themselves would not be effective as a result. It’s unlikely this approach will change for futureZeldaentries, and that’s definitely for the best.
Sources:The Washington Post,GamesRadar
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Strange rifts are tearing Hyrule apart, and with Link missing, it’s up to Princess Zelda to save the kingdom. Armed with the Tri Rod and aided by a mysterious fairy, she must solve puzzles, create environmental “echoes,” and battle enemies while navigating new regions and uncovering hidden secrets.
