It’s his name in the title, but we had to wait almost forty years to embody him. This Thursday comes out on Switch The Legend of Zelda : Echoes of Wisdomthe latest opus in one of Nintendo’s essential sagas. If we exclude two obscure spin-offs from the 1990s which were not developed by the parent company, this is the first time that players will embody the princess, even though in the title of the series.
The Japanese company knew how to highlight its heroines. Historically, with the “Metroid” saga, where the main character’s SF armor hides the identity of the bounty hunter Samus. Most recently, in March, Nintendo released Princess Peach : Showtime !which features the queen of the Mushroom Kingdom from the Mario universe.
“This is exactly the game for her”
Another detail, revealed a few days before the release in an interview with the development team: it is a woman in charge of this new “Zelda”. Eiji Aonuma, main director of the saga since the end of the 1990s, gave way to Tomomi Sano. However, the idea of playing the princess instead emerged along the way, thinking of a way to offer gameplay without the sword and shield of Link, the traditional hero of the series.
The opportunity came at just the right time to meet the expectations of those who have long dreamed of an important role for Zelda. “Over the years, we have often been asked: ‘Will Princess Zelda ever be the protagonist?’” explains Eiji Aonuma on the Nintendo website. I always thought, “Sure, as long as it makes sense for the game and honors his character.” […] When I saw the team having difficulty identifying the ideal protagonist for this game, I thought this was exactly the game for them. »
Echoes of Wisdom succeeds in standing out from the previous “Zelda”. The heroine can repair and manipulate objects to find creative solutions to puzzles. A mechanic that recalls the innovations of the previous episode, Tears of the Kingdomtransposed to a world in only two dimensions. To fight, Zelda can use the “echoes” of monsters, animals and objects. But the impetuous and ingenious heroine cannot resist the temptation to occasionally put on Link’s costume to equip herself with a sword, which briefly returns to a more classic experience. Admission of weakness in this bet, or way of showing that it is really she who takes on the role of warrior woman this time? It will be up to the players to decide.
