Nintendo has released a new gameplay trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom that shows how the combat and platforming in the game will work. The trailer, which you can watch below, shows how Zelda differs from the normal fighting we expect from Link. She travels through different rifts that have torn apart the Hyrule kingdom.
Zelda has to visit places in the Still World, which has captured people and objects from the real world and keeps them in stasis. You will be solving a lot of puzzles in the game, and will mostly be depending on something called Echoes, different objects that you can summon at will. They will allow you to traverse complex terrain, and even fight enemies and bosses.
You can use many different echoes, and their abilities can be synergistic, allowing you to dish out more damage, or overwhelm your opponents with higher numbers. The trailer shows Zelda summoning an echo that looks like a bed, and taking a nap, mid-boss fight.
Finally, the trailer shows off Zelda’s swordfighter form. It turns her blue and gives her the ability to fight directly like Link, but since it is a power-up, it only lasts for a short period and can be activated at will depending on the situation. When you run out, you can collect energy while exploring that will refill the Swordfighter ability.
There are other things like automatons that you can use to fight, but it is fairly obvious from the gameplay trailer, that The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom isn’t just another Zelda game with direct combat. Fighting enemies and traversing the world will require more nuance.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom comes out on September 26, 2024, exclusively on the Nintendo Switch. Preorders are now live on the Nintendo Eshop.