As Nintendo fans hold their breath for the imminent release ofThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, it’s worth taking a look at how the game is shaping up to compare to its predecessors. Of course, the biggest departure from series convention is the fact that Link will not be the star ofEchoes of Wisdom, making room for the titular Princess Zelda to take the reins and carve out her own exciting adventure. But the game may have more in common with older releases than one might initially assume.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, though sometimes overlooked in the era ofBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom, has a special place in the hearts of many players. TheGameCube titletook on a considerably darker tone than what came before it, striving more for photorealism than any game in theZeldafranchise while presenting a story defined by bleakness and strife. The narrative centers on the Twilight Realm, a parallel dimension encroaching on the sunny, vibrant land of Hyrule, turning its citizens into ghostly shells of their former selves, lost and grasping in the dark, waiting to be saved. Its decidedly terrifying tone is something that not even the literally apocalypticBreath of the Wildmanaged to recapture, but perhapsEchoes of Wisdomwill.
Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s Premise Seems Oddly Similar to Twilight Princess'
InTwilight Princess, the Twilight Realm has overtaken large swaths of the Hyrulian landscape, trapping its inhabitants. Link must venture into these overtaken realms with the help of Midna, a mysterious imp-like creature, and purge the lands of this blight. These consumed regions contain some ofTwilight Princess' most terrifying enemies, whose creepiness is elevated by an eerie and foreboding tone. The similarities between the Twilight Realms and their pure Hyrulian counterparts make for an unsettling and uncanny atmosphere, punctuated by clever art design and discomfiting music.
It’s not hard to see the parallels between this concept and the world ofEchoes of Wisdom. In the recentInto the Still World, a Journey Continuedtrailer forEchoes of Wisdom, audiences got a better look at the game’s dark, interdimensional rifts which trap Hyrule’s citizens, including Link and the king, and the similarities betweenEchoesandTwilight Princessbecome all the more apparent.
Zelda needs the help of Tri, her own mysterious and otherworldly companion, to gain entry into this alternate landscape, which is characterized by improbable topography formed by the geography of the Hyrulian overworld. It would appear that these zones contain some of the game’s greatest threats and most head-scratching puzzles, making for another obviousTwilight Princessconnection. For anyone still lamentingthe absence ofTwilight Princesson the Switch,Echoes of Wisdomcould either sharpen or subdue these cravings.
Even the music played in theStill Worldtrailer, with its droning undertones and synthetic stings, is reminiscent ofTwilight Princess' soundtrack.
How Echoes of Wisdom May Differentiate Itself from Twilight Princess
WhileEchoes of Wisdommay be invoking someTwilight Princessenergy through the implementation of the Still World, it should go without saying that the game won’t be “Twilight Princess 2.0.” Like with everything inEchoes of Wisdom, puttingZelda at the forefront will likely have significant narrative and gameplay ramificationswhich will set it apart from other games in the series, includingTwilight Princess. More specifically, the level design of the Still World looks far more dramatic and transformative than the Twilight Realm inTwilight Princess, which has much more in common with its purified counterpart. Still, it’s an interesting link to the past (no pun intended), and just another reason to be excited aboutEchoes of Wisdom.
