The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Knowledge is out, and this contemporary 2D outing for the franchise is a enjoyable romp via a chibi world in addition to Zelda’s inaugural main position. Sadly, whereas the sport does quite a bit to construct Zelda up by offering her an arsenal of Echoes and restricted transformation powers, as you attain the ultimate problem of the sport the story appears completely satisfied to place Zelda again into her field as a supporting character.
We’re going into endgame spoilers, so if you have not accomplished The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Knowledge, it is best to bookmark this and are available again to it to share your ideas on the ending.
Echoes and Swordplay
The principle energy that you’re going to be utilizing via your journey is Zelda’s Echoes, which she will be able to be taught and create with the ability of the Tri Rod. Firstly of the sport, you get echoes corresponding to a mattress, a small rock, and customary enemies like Zol and Guays.
With every new area that you just discover, you may get to seek out more and more highly effective enemies to take as your individual. You won’t have the ability to tackle a Wolfos alone, however a small military of different creatures will probably be highly effective sufficient to show the tide of battle.
This energy permits Zelda to summon the creatures, after which be on the defensive. You may create some stage of offence by directing or throwing these enemies however it’s usually higher to simply allow them to do their job.
For when Zelda does need to go on the complete offence the opposite means that she picks up via her journey is a restricted transformation right into a Swordsman. Right here she will be able to swing a sword to create a extra conventional Zelda expertise. The vitality to make use of this energy although solely comes from creatures product of the Nonetheless World.
Boss Battles Educate You Steadiness
Boss battles in Echoes of Knowledge present you one of the simplest ways to steadiness every of those skills. A boss would possibly want an Electrical Keese to knock them to the bottom, after which in that brief second of vulnerability by reworking right into a Swordsman you may capitalize on harm.
The sport even particularly rewards one of these play. Every time a boss will get up from being knocked down, it additionally dispenses a number of the vitality required to recharge your transformation gauge. It is the sport telling you “The perfect time to make use of the Swordsman transformation is to take down the boss,” which is why it is senseless that for the ultimate combat of the sport, they rob you of this energy.
Hyperlink Is the Hero of This Story
Echoes of Knowledge begins with Hyperlink releasing Zelda however falling into the Nonetheless World, and it does make sense that by the tip of the journey Zelda frees him. However after releasing him, Zelda returns all of Hyperlink’s gadgets to him. That energy of transformation that has been integral to each single boss combat is now unavailable to you.
This results in a ultimate boss combat the place Hyperlink isn’t solely current, however is energetic in fight and has limitless well being, permitting him to continuously be damaging Null, whereas Zelda is restricted to solely the flexibility to summon Echoes.
This ultimate boss combat is not some small endeavor both. With three main phases every of which has smaller segments, you may be compelled to expertise the tip of Echoes of Knowledge not as a triumphant hero however as a substitute a witness to Hyperlink’s almighty energy when you spam Echoes that disappear in a single hit and dodge oncoming assaults such as you’re enjoying a bullet hell.
How Zelda Has Assisted Hyperlink within the Previous
The components for what has transpired right here isn’t new. It is fairly widespread for the climactic combat of a Legend of Zelda title to be Hyperlink getting assist from Zelda to defeat the ultimate foe.
In Windwaker, Zelda would shoot a Gentle Arrow so that you can mirror, in Tears of the Kingdom Zelda allowed Hyperlink to get above Ganondorf’s draconic kind to slay him, and even in Ocarina of Time Zelda threw the Grasp Sword again to Hyperlink for the ultimate strike.
Whereas I hoped the components could be “The principle character will get assist from the character they saved,” as a substitute the components actually is “Hyperlink saves the day with the assistance of Zelda.”
How Echoes Of Knowledge Ought to Have Ended
There are two key ways in which the ultimate battle of Echoes of Knowledge might be altered to offer not solely a extra becoming finale, however one which Zelda deserves.
The primary change would merely be to not rob Zelda of a serious a part of her transfer set for the ultimate combat. Permit Zelda to maintain the Sword, Bow, and Bombs and supply Hyperlink a wide range of backup gadgets to help with. To maintain Hyperlink in a very assist position this could be one thing so simple as having him exterior the sector of fight, however capable of throw in helpful gadgets that would put the ultimate boss in a shocked state.
This might imply that Zelda remains to be the one driving the present, however in the same technique to how Zelda has supported prior to now, it is now Hyperlink’s flip to contribute with out hogging the highlight.
The second change could be to have the ultimate combat be greater than who can hit the toughest. In the end this ultimate battle is simply “Can Hyperlink and the Echoes deal sufficient harm whereas Zelda dodges oncoming assaults.”
When earlier battles have you ever using Electrical Keese to shock enemies off partitions and into attain or alternating hearth and ice assaults as the sector modifications, to have a battle that is simply “summon Echoes and hope they hit earlier than they die” is lackluster.
A lot work and planning went into the beginning of The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Knowledge to gracefully sideline Hyperlink, create wholly distinctive and enjoyable powers for Zelda, and thoroughly scale these skills all through the sport. It was actually a disgrace to see it finish with Zelda turning into a damsel in misery.
