The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomhas been teasing fans by slowly revealing new information before the game’s release late in September. In the midst of these reveals, several locations were announced forThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, but one of them stands out from the rest for an unusual reason.
Ever since the announcement that Zelda would be taking the player role in her first game,Echoes of Wisdomhas set itself apart from other entries in the long-running series. Thesecond gameplay trailer forEchoes of Wisdomdetailed some of the different areas that players will encounter on their journey. Focusing on the various NPC races and their homelands, the trailer mostly features familiar points of interest, such as the Gerudo Desert, Faron Wetlands, and Eldin Volcano regions, home to the Gerudo, Deku Scrubs, and Gorons respectively. But the Zora race has been given a brand-new area, Jabul Waters, to represent their homeland.
The Past and Present of the Zelda Series May be At Odds
The history of theLegend of Zeldafranchise is long and difficult to traverse at a glance. With three separate timelines, loads of recurring characters, and a myriad of fantasy races and creatures, fans have a lot to keep track of in the series’ lore. As shown in bothBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom, Nintendo is fond of referencing past games in the newer entries, andEchoes of Wisdomseems to include references to old gamesas well. Because of this, it can be confusing when certain mainstay locations from the franchise’s past return, but others don’t.
From the earliest announcement of the game, fans have noticedEchoes of Wisdom’s map looks familiar, pointing out similarities to pastZeldagames. WithEchoes of Wisdomhaving a familiar map and featuring familiar locations, it makes it doubly strange that only one race out of the four major ones received a new homeland. Zora’s Domain, the typical dwelling of the species, has become as familiar with some players as Death Mountain and The Great Deku Tree. For those fans, changing the world they’ve come to love might feel like a disservice, yet newer players might not notice the change at all. Players likely won’t find out any gameplay or story-related reasons for this change until the game comes out, but for some, a proper explanation of the change is a must in order for them to accept a new location in this established world.
The Expected Role of Races Might be Changing
For decades, players have come to expect certain customs from the various citizens of Hyrule. One unspoken rule that players thought was in place has already been broken byEchoes of Wisdom. This is one of the few games in the franchise in which theRiver and Sea Zora will interact. Typically, only one type of the creature appears per entry, either the friendly sea Zora who aid Link on his quest, or the river Zora, who normally act as enemies. Yet the reveal trailer forEchoes of Wisdomshows the two races having some sort of argument. Perhaps the story of the Zora will play a larger role in this game than in previous ones, possibly seeing Zelda help establish Zora’s Domain for the Sea Zora, and leave Jabul Waters for the river Zora. This could help explain why they have a different home here than in previous titles.
A similar question about race rules comes with the inclusion of Gerudo Town. Historically, men have not been allowed inside the town walls, presenting an obstacle for Link, but Zelda won’t have to follow those restrictions. This has some fanswondering if the Gerudo will hold upinEchoes of Wisdom. With so many questions up in the air,The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomwill have fans searching for answers right up until its release.
