It finally happened. After nearly four decades of waiting in the wings or being the literal damsel in distress, Zelda is actually the protagonist. But forget everything you know about swinging a Master Sword or firing Light Arrows from the back of a horse. Princess Zelda Echoes of Wisdom isn't just a skin-swap of a traditional Link adventure. It’s a total mechanical pivot that feels more like a physics-based puzzle sandbox than a classic dungeon crawler.
Honestly? It's kind of weird.
Instead of direct combat, you spend your time literally "copy-pasting" the world around you. You see a table? You memorize it. A bed? Memorized. A terrifying fire-breathing Lizalfos? Yeah, you can copy that too. This is the "Echo" system, and it changes the fundamental DNA of how a Zelda game works. You aren't a warrior. You're a magical architect of chaos.
The Tri Rod and the End of the Sword Era
The game kicks off with a massive subversion. Link rescues Zelda (as usual), but then he’s sucked into a purple, shimmering void called a Stilled World. Zelda escapes, finds a mysterious glowing spirit named Tri, and gains the Tri Rod. This is your primary tool. It allows you to create "Echoes," which are translucent duplicates of objects and enemies you’ve encountered.
There's no stamina bar for running, but there is a limit to how many Echoes you can have out at once, represented by the little triangles following Tri. Early on, you might only be able to summon three tables. Later, as you level up Tri by closing Rifts across Hyrule, that capacity increases.
It creates this bizarre, improvisational gameplay loop. You’ll find yourself staring at a tall cliff and thinking, "Okay, I could stack four beds into a makeshift staircase, or I could just spawn a flying Keese, grab its legs, and glide over." The game rarely tells you which way is "right." If it works, it works. That’s the core philosophy Eiji Aonuma and the team at Grezzo—the same studio that handled the Link’s Awakening remake—clearly leaned into.
Why the combat feels so different
You're going to feel vulnerable. At first, it’s frustrating. You see an Octorok and your instinct is to run up and bash it, but Zelda's physical attack is basically non-existent. You have to summon your own Octorok to fight for you. Or maybe you drop a heavy rock on its head.
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There is a "Swordfighter Form" that lets Zelda move and fight like Link for short bursts, fueled by energy found in the Still World. But relying on it feels like a failure of imagination. The real joy of Princess Zelda Echoes of Wisdom is watching a group of summoned Moblins do your dirty work while you sit back and eat a smoothie.
Hyrule Like You’ve Never Seen It (Literally)
The map is huge. It’s a reimagined version of the classic Hyrule, featuring the Gerudo Desert, Jabul Waters (home to both Sea and River Zora), and the rocky slopes of Eldin Volcano. But the Rifts change everything. These Tears-of-the-Kingdom-style voids swallow chunks of the landscape, transporting them into the Still World.
In these sections, gravity goes out the window. Water flows sideways. Trees float in mid-air. It’s platforming at its most experimental. You aren't just walking; you’re using "Bind" and "Sync" to move massive objects.
- Bind: You lock onto an object, and it moves exactly where you move.
- Sync: You lock onto a moving platform, and Zelda is pulled along with its movement.
Combine these with Echoes, and the sheer number of permutations is staggering. If you need to cross a gap with a moving platform that’s too high, you can Bind a boulder to it, let the platform carry the boulder over the gap, and then Sync yourself to the boulder. It sounds convoluted because it is, but in practice, it’s incredibly intuitive.
The Smoothie Meta is Real
Let’s talk about Business Scrubs. They are scattered across the map, running smoothie stands. This is the game's version of cooking. You mix ingredients like Floral Nectar, Refreshing Grapes, or Rock Salt to create drinks that provide health recovery and elemental resistances.
It’s not just busywork. If you’re heading into the Gerudo Desert, you need chill drinks to survive the heat. If you're diving into the Zora's underwater ruins, you'll want something that boosts your swim speed. The economy of the game revolves around exploring to find these ingredients, which encourages you to stray off the beaten path.
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Dealing with the Echo Overload
One valid criticism floating around the community is the UI. By the end of the game, you will have over 100 Echoes. Scrolling through a horizontal line of icons to find the specific "Water Block" or "Trampoline" you need can get tedious.
The game tries to help by letting you sort by "Most Used" or "Recently Obtained," but it still feels a bit clunky during high-intensity boss fights. You’ll find yourself using the same 5-10 Echoes for 90% of the game simply because it’s faster than digging for that one specific plant monster you copied ten hours ago.
Despite the clutter, the creativity the system allows is unmatched in the top-down Zelda format. During a boss fight against a giant mole, I ran out of Swordfighter energy. Instead of panicking, I realized I could spawn a "Wind Cannon" Echo to blow away the sand he was hiding in, then summoned a bunch of fire-slugs to cook him. It felt like I was cheating, which is usually a sign of a great sandbox game.
A Note on Performance
Since this uses the same engine as the Link’s Awakening remake, it carries over some of those same technical quirks. On the Nintendo Switch, you will notice frame rate dips when transitioning between areas or when the screen gets crowded with complex Echoes. It’s not game-breaking, but it’s there. The toy-like aesthetic is gorgeous, with tilt-shift depth of field that makes Hyrule look like a living diorama, but that beauty comes at a slight cost to performance.
Essential Tips for New Players
If you're just starting your journey to close the Rifts, keep these strategies in mind. They aren't just "good to know"—they will save you hours of backtracking.
1. The Bed is Your Best Friend
Seriously. The basic bed is the most versatile Echo in the game. You can use it to bridge gaps, stack them to climb walls, or—most importantly—sleep in them to recover hearts for free. Don't waste your smoothies on minor scrap damage; just take a nap in the middle of a dungeon.
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2. Learn the "Crawlspace" Logic
Many secrets are hidden behind small holes or high ledges. If you see a small creature like a Holtran, grab its Echo immediately. Small, mobile Echoes can reach switches and items that Zelda can't touch.
3. Automate Your Combat
Don't just summon one monster. Summon a variety. Put a "Tank" like a Shield Moblin in front and a "Ranged" attacker like a Spear Moblin or an Octorok behind it. Zelda is a commander, not a soldier.
4. Explore the Still World Thoroughly
The Rifts aren't just linear paths. There are hidden chests containing "Might Crystals," which are essential for upgrading your Swordfighter Form at Lueburry’s house. If you skip these, the late-game bosses will feel like absolute sponges.
5. Mix Your Smoothies Wisely
Golden Eggs are the rarest ingredient. Don't waste them early. Save them for late-game recipes that provide "Energy Up" or "Damage Reduced" buffs, which are vital for the final gauntlet.
Moving Toward a New Legend
Princess Zelda Echoes of Wisdom represents a massive risk for Nintendo. They took their most traditional franchise and stripped away the "Press B to Attack" gameplay that has defined it since 1986. What’s left is a dense, cerebral, and often hilarious adventure that proves Zelda is more than capable of carrying her own series.
It’s a game about curiosity. It’s about looking at a puzzle and saying, "I wonder if I can break this by stacking six spiders on top of each other." Most of the time, the answer is yes. While the UI might be a bit of a headache and the frame rate occasionally stutters, the sheer joy of discovery outweighs the technical flaws.
To make the most of your time in Hyrule, focus on collecting every Echo you see. Even the ones that look useless—like a decorative pot or a signpost—usually have a hyper-specific use case in one of the game's many side quests. Talk to the NPCs in Kakariko Village and the Gerudo Sanctum; the rewards for small tasks often include accessories that significantly change your movement or defense. This isn't a game to be rushed. It's a game to be dismantled, piece by piece, using every tool the Tri Rod gives you.
Next Steps for Players:
Start by focusing on the "Suthorn Ruins" dungeon to master the basic movement Echoes. Once you have the ability to Sync, head to the Gerudo Desert first—the Echoes you find there, specifically the Crow and the various wind-based creatures, make navigating the rest of the world significantly easier. Always keep a stack of "Twisted Pumpkins" and "Hydromelons" in your inventory for high-tier smoothie crafting before entering a Rift.