The Thirteenth Installment of Developer Inquiries: The Spirits of Zelda - Initiation Chapter 1
In an exclusive interview, the developers of The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom for Nintendo Switch have revealed the unique features that set this new top-down adventure apart from previous Zelda titles.
Founded in 2006, game development studio Grezzo has been instrumental in remaking games from the Legend of Zelda series, such as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. With Echoes of Wisdom, Grezzo, under the guidance of producer Eiji Aonuma, has created a brand-new game that revolves around Princess Zelda as the main protagonist.
One of the key innovations in Echoes of Wisdom is the "echo" mechanic, which allows players to create copies of various objects found in the environment. These "echoes" can be used for a variety of purposes, such as reaching higher platforms by creating water blocks, forming bridges from old beds, or even summoning monster echoes to aid in combat. This mechanic provides a high degree of creativity and multiple solutions to puzzles and combat scenarios.
Unlike earlier games where the Master Sword is a staple, Zelda in Echoes of Wisdom initially lacks a sword and shield. Instead, players focus on versatile tools like echoes and strategies. While sword and shield power-ups do exist, their usage is time-limited and upgradeable, emphasizing combat as a strategic, puzzle-like challenge rather than pure action.
Another significant change is the playable Princess Zelda as the main character. This shift affects both gameplay style and narrative perspective. Echoes of Wisdom encourages creative problem solving and strategic combat choices, making the experience more akin to an immersive sim than a traditional action-adventure game.
The game also sports a charming, toy-like animated visual style inspired by Link’s Awakening remaster, enhancing its whimsical and inventive atmosphere. To accommodate different player preferences and skill levels, the game includes options such as frequent checkpoints, a navigational map, adjustable difficulty levels, and HUD navigation aids.
The developers at Grezzo were conscious of combining top-down views and side views in the game, as they had enjoyed the world of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, which had both perspectives. They felt that changing perspectives made it more satisfying to use objects in the game, as it provided a clearer understanding of an object's size and movement.
This is the first time Grezzo has worked on a completely new game in the Legend of Zelda series. The gameplay concept of "edit dungeon," which allowed players to create their own dungeons using copied objects, was initially proposed but ultimately evolved into the current game design. The development team was concerned about the game memory usage due to the large number of objects that could be copied and pasted, but ultimately decided to push forward with the "echoes" mechanic.
Tomomi Sano is the director for this game from Nintendo's side, while Satoshi Terada is from Grezzo and directed the project for the first time. The new game was designed to expand on the ideas that the developers wanted to explore in the "edit dungeon" prototype.
At the start of development, Grezzo employees were asked to pitch their ideas for the new game. The gameplay focuses on copy-and-paste mechanics and combining top-down and side view perspectives. The developers were inspired by the Thwomp enemy from The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, as its appearance and function changed significantly depending on the perspective.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom for Nintendo Switch stands out for its innovative "echo" mechanic that transforms the environment and combat into a flexible playground for creativity, combined with a fresh protagonist and a puzzle-strategy-heavy game design approach uncommon in the franchise.
- The developers of The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, under the supervision of producer Eiji Aonuma, have created a new game for Nintendo Switch that revolves around Princess Zelda as the main protagonist.
- Grezzo, the game development studio founded in 2006, has shown support for various Nintendo titles, such as The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, by remaking them for modern platforms.
- In Echoes of Wisdom, players can use the "echo" mechanic to copy various objects in the environment, which can be used for a variety of purposes, such as overcoming puzzles or enhancing combat strategies.
- Unlike traditional action-adventure games, Echoes of Wisdom leans towards an immersive sim-like experience, with a focus on creative problem-solving and strategic combat choices, thanks to its innovative gameplay mechanics and unique visual style.
