Last week, Nintendo opened a new chapter in the legendary Zelda series with The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. For the first time since the early 1990s, Princess Zelda herself is in the spotlight and must save the kingdom of Hyrule from a mysterious threat. Although the gaming community has given the title mostly positive reviews, performance issues are causing frustration.
Story & Background
When it comes to saving Hyrule, fans have always actually taken on the role of the brave hero Link. But he disappears through mysterious cracks along with other inhabitants of the kingdom. So it is now up to Zelda to save the kingdom.
She is accompanied by a mysterious fairy named Tri, who gives her magical abilities. In addition, Zelda has the so-called Tri-Staff, which allows her to create echoes of items and even monsters. This way, the princess can not only win fights, but also solve puzzles and explore Hyrule.
One of the game’s highlights is the expanded and modified version of Hyrule, which is reminiscent of classics like A Link to the Past. However, Echoes of Wisdom brings a breath of fresh air to the series by introducing new challenges and larger areas. At the same time, fans can look forward to familiar locations in a new guise. These include the Gerudo Desert and the Phirone Marshes. Dungeons packed with monsters and bosses also make a comeback in the title.
The Dark Side of Echoes of Wisdom
But as exciting as Zelda’s gameplay and new abilities are, Echoes of Wisdom suffers from significant performance issues that were already causing controversy at launch. Digital Foundry’s technical analysis shows that the frame rate often fluctuates wildly, especially in the overworld. The frame rate can drop to as low as 30 FPS at certain moments, which leads to noticeable interruptions in the flow of the game, especially during action-packed boss fights. These issues are reminiscent of the Link’s Awakening remake, which also had to contend with technical glitches. Particularly disappointing: Despite the first update, these shortcomings have not yet been resolved.
It’s time for a new Switch generation.
Also on Metacritic the reviews paint a mixed picture. With an impressive score of 87 points (Metascore) and 8.7 points (User Score), Echoes of Wisdom receives many words of praise. This applies particularly to its innovative gameplay mechanics and the courageous decision to place Zelda at the center as a playable heroine. Many reviews are enthusiastic about the creative freedom offered by Zelda’s abilities and the Tri-Stab. The ability to imitate objects and even monsters makes for refreshing puzzles and different solutions.
However, the technical performance of Echoes of Wisdom is criticized in most reviews. Especially in hectic scenes and in the open world, the gaming experience suffers from fluctuating frame rates. The graphics quality, which varies between 1080p in docked mode and 720p or 480p in handheld mode, is also a source of annoyance for players. These problems raise the question of whether it is not time for a new hardware generation from Nintendo. The rumor mill has been buzzing about this for a while.
Despite the technical flaws, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is celebrated as another successful installment in the series. The creative freedom and fresh gameplay made possible by Zelda’s new abilities make the game an unforgettable adventure. But it is to be hoped that Nintendo will soon present solutions for the technical problems – because Zelda would definitely deserve a smooth gaming experience.
