In my time playing The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, I’ve encountered a significant issue with the user interface for managing Echoes. After just a few hours of gameplay and clearing a few dungeons, I found myself overwhelmed by the sheer number of Echoes available and lacking effective sorting options. This led me to stick to a few familiar Echoes rather than experimenting with new ones.
The essence of Echoes of Wisdom lies in utilizing different Echoes creatively to solve puzzles and navigate dungeons. However, the cumbersome UI and plethora of options sometimes hinder these experiences. This made me long for a controversial feature present in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: item degradation.
Weapon Durability and Degradation in 3D Zelda Games
While Breath of the Wild did not include an Echoes mechanic, it introduced a weapon degradation system to promote exploration and adaptation. This mechanic, common in survival games, causes weapons to break after a certain number of uses, a feature met with mixed reactions from players.
Its successor, Tears of the Kingdom, addressed this issue by allowing players to fuse weapons with other items, extending their usefulness. The degradation system guides players to use the Fuse mechanic effectively, encouraging experimentation and exploration rather than sticking to familiar tools.
Applying a similar degradation system in Echoes of Wisdom could alleviate the UI challenge faced by players early on in the game due to the vast inventory of Echoes.
How This Concept Could Benefit Echoes of Wisdom
Echoes of Wisdom boasts over 125 Echoes without a practical sorting mechanism. Implementing a degradation system could help players experiment with various Echoes rather than relying on a select few. This system could remove Echoes from the inventory after several uses, compelling players to adapt and explore new options.
While losing useful Echoes might seem daunting, it could enhance the gameplay experience by fostering quick thinking and improvisation. This change could make the game more engaging and prevent players from becoming stuck in repetitive patterns.
Despite its UI shortcomings, Echoes of Wisdom has received positive feedback, showcasing the appeal of its Echoes gameplay. While post-launch changes may be unlikely, future iterations of the Echoes concept could benefit from refining the system to prevent overwhelming players.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is currently available for Nintendo Switch.
