Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is closer to TOTK than anyone thought

A new trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom has been released, revealing features that bring the game more in line with the 3D entries on the Nintendo Switch, rather than the older 2D titles.

Echoes of Wisdom is an upcoming Legend of Zelda game that shares a ton of DNA with the remake of Link’s Awakening, right down to the clay art style. While you get to play as Zelda in this new entry, the world is very much reminiscent of the kinds seen in many earlier entries.

However, the gameplay is a different story, with Zelda possessing the ability to call on “Echoes,” allowing her to create copies of items she discovers. These range from beds that can be used as stepping stones, to monsters that will fight by your side.

A new trailer for Echoes of Wisdom on the Nintendo UK YouTube channel has revealed some of the new gameplay mechanics, which bear a striking resemblance to features seen in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

In Echoes of Wisdom, Zelda will be able to ride around the overworld on horseback. This isn’t new to the series, but in Echoes of Wisdom, Zelda will have access to a variety of mounts, rather than just Epona, who she can summon with a carrot Echo.

One of the biggest new additions is the Bind ability, which lets Zelda trap objects in place, manipulating them to solve puzzles or defeat enemies. This bears a strong resemblance to Link’s Ultrahand ability in Tears of the Kingdom, with a similar glowing green color scheme.

In Echoes of Wisdom, Zelda will also be able to don a variety of outfits, much like Link can in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. These have special abilities that enhance Zelda’s powers, so they’ll likely be needed to progress through the game.

Echoes of Wisdom has a lot more going on with its gameplay than fans initially gave it credit for. The world seems a lot bigger, as you’ll be using a mount to traverse it, while the puzzles have more depth than just “summoning item you’ve seen already.”

Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are two of the best games on the Switch, and it’s amazing to see their gameplay changes influence the 2D entries in the series.