There are many contentious aspects of bothTOTKandBOTWthatThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomcould have borrowed, from the breakable weapons to the lack of meaningful dungeons. Naturally, there will be just as many players glad to see these features pop up as there are those who desperately don’t want them to, and yetEchoes of Wisdomdoes borrow a couple of gameplay mechanics. Fortunately, it’s most controversial choice may not be the one many expect, but it’s bound to please some and annoy others.
Luckily, other parts ofThe Legend of Zelda’sopen world efforts that annoyed players have been rectified, includingEchoes of Wisdomfeaturing revolutionary dungeons, which is a step up from the less traditional ones found inTears of the KingdomandBreath of the Wild. It also has a lot of unique qualities that players won’t find in any otherZeldatitle, such as its titular Echoes, so players shouldn’t be too worried about it borrowing a lot of mechanics. Nevertheless,there is the one aforementioned borrowed feature that may actually surprise people.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom Sees The Return Of Dangerous Temperatures
Players Can Get Too Cold In Hebra Mountain
When venturing up to Hebra Mountain inThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom,players will discover that they can get too cold, which, if ignored, will damage them over time. Tri advises Zelda that she’ll freeze if she’s not careful, and asks her if she “can bring out something to keep you warm?” This will undoubtedly bring back memories of trudging through the tundras ofTears of the Kingdom, desperately searching for thebest cold-resistant armorin order to prevent Link from dying the second his lips get a little frosty.
It is one of the few mechanics that carry over from the open worldLegend of Zeldagames toEchoes of Wisdom, although it only really affects Zelda in one area, as she doesn’t need to resist heat while exploring the Gerudo Desert like Link. While it’s certainly adivisive mechanic inBOTWandTOTK, with many questioning why aLegend of Zeldagame needs survival mechanics, it’s not as demanding inEchoes of Wisdom. However, it does feel more out of place here, especially asEchoes of Wisdomgives the player less ways to deal with it.
Is Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom A Sequel Or A Standalone Game?
The Legend of Zelda franchise has numerous games, and many wonder if Echoes of Wisdom can be played without any prior knowledge of previous entries.
Nevertheless,for those who enjoyed balancing utilizing drinks and food to keep warm inBreath of the WildorTears of the Kingdom,Echoes of Wisdomabsolutely checks that box. The Hebra Mountain region isn’t a particularly lengthy section, and it’s one of the less rewarding areas of the game, which makes the trade-off of taking damage while exploring a little frustrating. However, it’s a novel addition, one that keeps exploration feeling fresh, and another reason whyEchoes of Wisdomreviewed so well.
Echoes Of Wisdom Brings Back Elixirs
They’re Called Smoothies This Time Around
Fortunately, to combat the effects of the coldinThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Zelda can craft smoothies which grant her an assortment of buffs depending on which ingredients she uses. This is very much like the Elixir cooking mechanic inBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom, and many of the same type of effects can be seen inEchoes of Wisdom. Players can craft smoothies that increase chill resistance, fire resistance, electric resistance, climbing speed and swimming speed, as well as restore hearts and more.
TheLegend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomalso has potions which players can craft, although it also costs 10 rupees per potion, just like smoothies. Each of these will increase one of Zelda’s resistances or abilities by five minutes, which is better than the majority of craftable smoothies.
Smoothies inEchoes of Wisdomaren’t made in cooking pots like inBreath of the WildorTears of the Kingdom, but rather via Business Scrub Smoothie Shops, which charge a fee of 10 rupees per smoothie, plus the necessary ingredients.
Managing these isn’t as frustrating as inBOTWorTOTK, as in those games they felt almost necessary to get through specific combat encounters or boss battles. However,Echoes of Wisdomis a far easier experience, and the smoothies only exist to assist those who are potentially struggling with difficult encounters, but not the majority of players.
The fact that players will only take damage from temperature effects in one area and not several, unlike inTOTKorBOTW, speaks volumes about the usefulness of potions and smoothies inThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. That’s not to say they’re not handy or worth having in the game at all, but rather tostress that, for those who found managing Elixirs in the open world titles frustrating, it’s less of a requirement inEchoes of Wisdom. Additionally, cooking complex meals is entirely absent in Zelda’s spin-off adventure.
Echoes Of Wisdom’s Smoothies Aren’t Surprising
It’s An Expected Part Of The Genre
It’s not surprising thatEchoes of Wisdomfeatures smoothies and potions as they are a trope of the genre, with potions being the default healing and buffing method in most RPGs and adventure games, and crafting them being the most reliable method of gaining more.
Of course, it’s easy to see them and having to deal with temperature effects as a frustrating mechanic inBOTWandTOTK, games that are already full of eatures that need to be carefully managed. However,Echoes of Wisdomis a more pared-back affair, albeit one full of creativity, so their implementation is less egregious.
Players who found utilizing potions and dealing with the cold inBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomlikely won’t find it particularly distracting inThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, especially as, like previously mentioned, they play a much smaller role. It’s a logical carry over, one that makes sense within the context ofEchoes of Wisdom’sgameplay design. Additionally, it helps further sell the immersion of Zelda’s journey in a way that breakable weapons or having to upgrade inventory slots simply weren’t inBOTW, for example.
All 28 Legend Of Zelda Amiibo Compatible With Echoes Of Wisdom
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is compatible with a wide range of Amiibos, which can be used to unlock special items within the game.
Luckily, for purists who would rather theirZeldagame forgo these more survival-based gameplay mechanics, it’s likelyEchoes of Wisdomwon’t be the last 2DZeldagame. Future titles may choose to drop these mechanics, although it’s easy to see them staying for the long term as they’re largely inoffensive, especially in the way they’re implemented here.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomis certainly no worse off for including temperature effects and smoothies, although for those who really can’t stomach it, there are plenty of other smoothie-lessZeldatitles to enjoy.
