Round Up: The Previews Are In For The Legend Of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom

The only thing I’m worried about is that given the more advanced gameplay mechanics and object spawning, we might see the frame rate drop

Has any (p)reviews mentioned anything about it?

I'm so stoked. New real temples for the first time in, what, 11 years since Link Between Worlds? And such a strong focus on puzzle solving even between temples it seems. This should scratch the itch that TotK failed to do in a couple ways for me. And it's friggin C U T E

P.S. please let there be a way for us to echo peoples' furniture to decorate our own house with.

@cookiki I watched some previews and they said it got very framey, unfortunately.

The Verge is saying it is not a true open world Zelda or true classic Zelda game it is a something new. This can go everywhere but the game looks still fun from here.

My Switch is at the ready! 3 2 1 Game on! 🎮

@cookiki Alex from NL mentioned it happening in his video, go check it out as its a good vid

So how's the performance as compared to links awakening? Some choppy framerate in that one

@cookiki I‘ve read about frame dropping several times. And the trailers show it, too. I seems to be a severe issue of Grezzo‘s engine, not fixed for this title, and probably caused by on-the-flight shader compilation (to save memory space).
So, we will see frame dropping not only when using the Rod, but also when entering a new area etc. Still much better than a 30 fps cap imo.

“and because the game doesn’t really care how you solve something as long as you solve it.“

Ok, I guess Zelda is officially dead for me then.
So long, they were 35 fun years while they lasted.

Edit: Ok the other sites are saying it has a more classic approach to dungeons and puzzle solving … so which one is it?

Sounding very promising indeed! Looks like it's the perfect fusion of BOTW/TOTK and Link's Awakening.

Yeah, the FPS drops are still there, but those didn't stop me from enjoying the heck out of LA. Gameplay is what matters and it sounds exactly up my alley.

Looks there were some lessons learned from the TOTK marketing. They didn't convey what made it stand out from BOTW, so people were dismissing it as mere DLC. (Some still do...) For me, all these previews are a bit too much, though, I want to discover things myself. Scrubbed through the SwitchUp video and it does look very vibrant. Perfect for the OLED.

The dungeons do look good. It has been awhile since the multi-compartment stages have come around in Zelda

@Max_the_German I'm the opposite on this, i'd prefer a stable locked 30fps as im in the opposite camp of I dont mind lower frame rates, its frame rate instability that makes gaming uncomfortable to me. Wondering if its possible for devs to put in an optional FPS limit option to cater to both types of gamers preference. For me I like the option on deck to limit FPS, something like that would be nice to have but not essential

Sounds like some awful frame rate issues,
should really be on the next console then.

Another year, another winner for Nintendo. This is why we are fans.

Now for Switch 2, if we could get a remake of a Link to the Past in this engine, I would be a very happy gamer.

I'm really looking forward to this new take on the Zelda formula. It is surely unlikely to please everyone though...

Think I'm going to play Link Between Worlds before playing this. But I can't wait!

@SuperRetroArt

It's a place to talk about all aspects of Nintendo games (and indeed Nintendo itself) graphics, frame rate, sound, cost... anything really.

In any case, frame rates effect gameplay.

Increasingly I feel that gaming websites house two different communities - tech lovers and gamers. Both with very different priorities.

@Uncle_Franklin I agree it does effect gameplay, usually on a minor level. But the comments are usually JUST solely focused on FPS. Frame rates can't make a good game bad or vice versa and judging by the many comments specifically about FPS and nothing else it makes me believe that some people based their whole opinions on games based on the frame rate. Which to me is totally ridiculous. I don't want to talk about FPS I want to talk about games!

@SuperRetroArt Yeah, and framerate drops happen while reading novels! Stupid people!

@SuperRetroArt I think it's more that some people are used to some higher standards in games. I'm used to playing 2D pixel-art games, and they've soured me on these awful and choppy ugly plastic-looking games.

@JohnnyMind It has pro's and cons. For me it's more of a con (though I get the appeal). I think this approach homogenizes puzzles a lot. Maybe this game can change my mind, but BotW and especially TotK sure didn't.

@ozwally It's possible, but Nintendo would never bother.

@Yoshi3 From the previews it looks to takes the sensibilities of both rather than one or the other.

I do agree that top down Zelda probably needs to keep a lot of restricted puzzle solves if they are sticking to classic dungeon styles for room layouts and progression. But the rest is probably fair game (eg, overworld, traversal, bosses etc...).

IMO the linear style of progression or puzzle solving is just far to restrictive and outdated these days anyway (at least, for 3D Zelda). BUT the Link's Awakening remake does prove that there is still some life left in this formula some 30 years on from its initial release.

Either way, it's interesting they've gone for a hybrid approach here, and it makes sense given you aren't playing traditionally as link with his move-set either.

@SuperRetroArt

The frame rate is a part of the game.

Your refrain reminds me of when people say they want to talk about the soccer game, and not refereeing decisions.
Soccer is the rules set out by the Football Association (Association, assoc, soccer), and how they are implemented.
To avoid discussing that implementation seems silly to me.
The frame rate effects how people consume the game, as sound distortion will effect the enjoyment of a radio show.

Now, I think I've won off topic tangent of the week.
The rest of you have 3 or so days left to compete.

Man, I hope all these amazing games will be compatible with Nintendo's upcoming console, they deserve to be played on maximum quality.

@JohnnyMind Although I agree with your first part, I won't really benefit from the amount of different experiences different players will end up having. I am, after all, only one player, and I personally will lean towards only one or a few methods, because I will deem them most effective or satisfying (most people work this way, but I might be more extreme with it). This will take away from the variety I could have otherwise.

The second part, yeah. We haven't experienced the game and honestly, while I don't like the mindset Nintendo is having on it, a nice execution could really make this a lot better than the mindset suggests on its own.

That said, I thought the same about Tears of the Kingdom, and it's probably the biggest game disappointment I've ever had.
On the other hand, I thought the same about Breath of the Wild and I loved it, haha.

@Uncle_Franklin your comment makes very little sense so I will refrain from answering

@SuperRetroArt

Well formulated argument.

This is my most anticipated game so far this year. The 2D Zelda's are always a special treat since we don't get too much of them anymore and this is looking like it's gonna be a fun game.

I'm not too concerned with the frame rate since LA's was way over blown and honestly didn't effect my enjoyment of it. Plus this looks like this is made in house rather than Grezzo taking the reigns. Now if only Nintendo would give us an HD release of ALBW.

So it's basically the Banjo Tooie of the franchise.

I'm down for that.

Not having nostalgia for the original, the framerate seemingly dropping to 30fps in Link's Awakening did bother me. It felt like it dropped straight to half then back up, maybe due to Vsync. I think I notice those type of drops the most, so disappointing to hear looks like this game may have the same issue. Will wait for DF analysis.

Zelda is my favorite game series and one of my few day one purchases. This one hasn’t ever made me excited to play it, and the fact that none of the gaming press that I saw expressed anything but excitement makes me write off their impressions. I’ll definitely be playing this game for myself, but I’m waiting for a sale. Conjuring objects just doesn’t sound like a fun game mechanic. Hope I’m very wrong.

Sounds positive. Since the switch led to the true handheld demise, I wasn’t ever sure we would see another original top down Zelda. This is the game I didn’t know I needed and wanted. I will be playing this with the kids day 1.

@timp29 They were smart to corner the market the way they did. Merging the console and handheld division and putting them under one roof was the smartest thing they could have ever done.

I didn’t really like BOTW, and didn’t get TOTK, but very excited for this Zelda. With limited gaming time, I much prefer a semi-linear, more guided experience. And this just looks so kawaii

Will play the heck of it when realesed for sure. Can't wait!

@Yoshi3 - I played the game for around an hour, and it didn't feel like I could do literally ANYTHING at ALL and still succeed, as if the game couldn't be bothered to come up with a puzzle or allowed you to button-mash. Instead, it felt similar to a game like Portal, where it slowly teaches you how to think about your surroundings, and then you can do with that information what you will.

For me, that made every single room feel extremely exciting, because everything was teeming with potential. For a series as old as Zelda where we've all been conditioned to know exactly what everything symbolizes and does, I think this is a good thing!

I'm looking forward to this one but the issue is A Link To The Past just wasn't a big world. So putting in a game breaking mechanic might be a bit of over kill.

With games like ALTTP the gradual upgrade and ability system with a more linear approach helped keep the game fresh and more purposeful. I just dont think this world will be big enough to handle a tool kit given from the get go designed for large open world games.

I'm thinking of Let's Go Pikachu where all Pokemon were pushed into the open and the game was 3D. But suddenly everything felt tiny and it went from a 40 hour game to a 10 hour game.

@batmanbud2
How do you compare this to Banjo Tooie?I'm curious.

@JohnnyMind
I think what a lot of people didn't like about puzzle solving in TotK and BotW is that it rarely felt like cracking a code, more like just overcoming an obstacle if that makes sense.

It seems to me EoW will be more of the same since I'm afraid you can probably solve most puzzles by stacking beds, and that's a pity really. Though the old school dungeons seem to counter that mindset so there is hope that the game is indeed somewhere in between those two styles of zeldas.

Wish they'd gone with a different more expressive art style. It worked for a remake of Link's Awakening but it's so disappointing for a new mainline entry, and particularly the first one starring Zelda as the protagonist.

@cookiki yeaa, I believe that links awakening was not patched and still laggy

@SuperRetroArt I’ve been playing video games almost daily since 1977. Yes, it’s been almost 50 years. And I can state emphatically that I have never noticed or cared about frame rates. I play to have fun. Sure some games have flaws. So does all media. Websites, music, movies, etc. But, like you, I just don’t care. I like the experience of playing and enjoying a game, not making it a tech spectacle. Nice to see a fellow gamer with the same mindset! 😀

@Kiyata keep on gaming!!

@Kiyata I grew up with slowdown in games. Unless it was truly horrendous I wouldn’t care. I loved Super Ghouls n Ghosts on the SNES, brilliant game that had some bad slowdown. Nothing I’ve seen on the Switch even reaches those levels…

@WiltonRoots you’re right! The switch doesn’t even come close! And those old games are still fun today! 😀

@JohnnyMind
These are all valid points but the difference is the progression arc.

In BOTW the player has the same physics system / framework to use at the start. The only difference is the intensity of ability. So they can play any of the divine beasts in any order. Or head straight to Ganon and try to beat him to death with a pot lid and a torch.

In ALTTP you couldn't get to death mountain without the glove. And it wasn't just barriers on the over world. But also dungeons. There were rooms you couldn't enter until you got the dungeon item which was integral to solving the dungeon itself. This made each of them unique. Where as with BOTW because there is no item progression everything can be resolved with the initial toolkit. And this was even more so with TOTK when ultra hand and fuse replaced everything.

When I was playing the Links Awakening Switch port I was reminded I was playing a game boy game. This is based on a SNES game.

To put it another way, think of how long it takes to walk from Links House to Kakariko village (or lost woods) in BOTW compared to ALTTP. Once you strip away the progression pathway and back tracking we see in Classic Zelda games (forced linear play through) I think this game will just be too short.