On September 26, Grezzo and Nintendo released a new game of The Legend of Zelda series, Echoes of Wisdom. And, this time, the rumors got it right. For the first time in the game’s long history, the hero is in fact… Zelda! In this new adventure, players can finally play as the princess. Zelda is no longer a side character waiting for Link to save her. On the contrary, it’s her that has to save him and the entire reign.

Princess Zelda takes the lead

Mysterious rifts have appeared all over Hyrule, swallowing everyone and everything. The game begins just like many others, with the player walking through a dungeon as Link, fighting monsters to save Princess Zelda. Finally, he finds her trapped in a crystal guarded by Ganon. A battle begins. But, just when the player believes the demon is defeated, a rift appears and swallows Link. Before disappearing, our hero manages to shoot an arrow and free Zelda. Now, the destiny of all the kingdom’s inhabitants lies in her hands. The princess, helped by a fairy-like companion named Tri, is responsible for solving the intricate mystery of the Null.

Not damsels in distress, but heroes in a dress

Echoes of Wisdom is not the only videogame that recently switched up the usual male-hero-who-has-to-save-the-princess plot. The world-famous Super Mario series has come up in March 2024 with a game about Princess Peach. We all know the story: she gets kidnapped by Browser and Mario has to save her. But in Princess Peach: Showtime, there’s no Mario: Peach is the protagonist, and she literally “takes the stage”. The players can experience the thrill of playing as Peach, undergoing different transformations that give her different powers. She has to defeat the Wicked Grape and her Sour Bunch, who have taken control of the Sparkle Theatre, to save the Theets and the show.

Female characters are finally given the space they deserve in games that, up until now, tended to overshadow them.

And this is not just a trend in video games. Still on the subject of Super Mario, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, also shows us a different Peach. Produced by Universal Pictures, Illumination, and Nintendo, the film came out in April 2023. It portrays the princess as a confident and heroic leader willing to do anything to save her little mushroom friends. This time, she is the one who teaches Mario how to fight. Ultimately, they defeat Bowser together, saving Luigi and the Toads.

Furthermore, the same type of change appears also in superhero movies and TV shows. Marvel Cinematic Universe’s new heroes are basically all female: Captain Marvel, She-hulk, Miss Marvel, Kate Bishop, Cassie Lang, Shuri, and the list goes on. MCU phase five is likely going to be run by women.

Old and new, a winning combination

Echoes of Wisdom is quite different from previous games of the series. The most prominent difference is the new gameplay mechanic, which consists of copying existing objects or monsters and creating Echoes of them. The player can then summon them when needed. 

Zelda is not a knight like Link, and she fights the enemies in her way. The player can use the Echoes to summon monsters to defeat other monsters or to overcome obstacles. Even a bed becomes a precious object. It can function as a bridge or a staircase, and players can use it to cross gaps or reach high places.

But, most importantly, the main function of Echoes is that of helping the player solve puzzles and complete dungeons. Puzzles are part of the traditional gameplay formula, and all The Legend of Zelda games have dungeons to complete. Nevertheless, in Echoes of Wisdom, they are more preeminent and make up most of the game.

The game also looks back to other winning elements of the past. For example, the art style and gameplay recall those of 2019’s Switch remake of Link’s Awakening. Both games are, in fact, top-down and 2D, with a vibrant, colorful, and cute art style. But Echoes of Wisdom improved and perfected the formula, eliminating all the framerate drops that made Link’s Awakening‘s game experience less fluid.

In addition, just like many other games of the series, Echoes of Wisdom is an open world. Players can explore freely the whole land, unlocking the map as they go. It’s up to them to choose where to go and whether to follow the primary mission or focus on side quests. Even if the map is not huge like that of Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom, the players can reach any location with the right Echoes.

Last but not least, most characters are not new to fans. Of course, Zelda and Link are the franchise’s main characters. But also Impa, Lueberry, Ganon, and the king of Hyrule ring a bell to veterans. The same applies to the Gerudo, Zora, and Goron, the inhabitants of the reign of Hyrule. And most experts will even recognize the Deku Scrubs from Ocarina of Time.

Some mixed feelings

Fans have received the game well, but it has attracted mixed reviews. On Metacritic, it has a Metascore of 85/100, while the users rated it an 8.5/10. Many have been lamenting the lack of more challenging combats like those on Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, the two previous games of the series. Echoes of Wisdom is, as a matter of fact, more puzzle-centered, and the fights do not play such a key role.

Nevertheless, it is pretty liked overall, and it has received two nominations for the Game Awards 2024: Best Action/Adventure Game and Best Family Game.