October 6th 2024.
It's safe to say that The Legend of Zelda is a beloved video game series, with a long-standing reputation for excellence. Each installment has been met with critical acclaim, and many have even been hailed as the best games of all time. It's hard to top that kind of success.
As a fan of the series, I've played all of the main games and have thoroughly enjoyed each one. However, I have to say that the newest addition, Echoes of Wisdom, may just be the best yet. Or at least, it's the one that I personally have enjoyed the most. I know my opinion may be biased, but let me share my experience and perhaps you'll see where I'm coming from.
I picked up Echoes of Wisdom on launch day, not expecting my wife to take much interest. While she did enjoy watching me play Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, those games are much more visually complex compared to the top-down view and cute graphics of Echoes of Wisdom. Surprisingly, the simpler style seemed to grab her attention, especially when she discovered that I could play as Zelda herself.
We started playing together, with her offering suggestions and ideas for using the echoes in the game. It was a great collaboration because Echoes of Wisdom is all about experimentation and trying out different strategies. With so many echoes at our disposal, we had endless options for tackling any situation.
Then, to my surprise, my wife wanted to try playing on her own. This was a first for her when it came to Zelda games, as she's not usually into gaming and gets easily frustrated with controlling the camera and character at the same time. But in Echoes of Wisdom, that wasn't an issue, and she quickly became even better at the game than I was. I found myself giving her advice instead of the other way around.
I loved this new dynamic because I often feel guilty about spending too much time playing video games. But then, the most unexpected thing happened – my in-laws and my wife's sister and her autistic son came to visit. My wife suggested we all play the game together, and to my amazement, everyone from the ages of seven to 72 happily gathered around the TV, shouting out suggestions and cheering each other on.
The youngest, Jason, asked to have a turn, and while he wasn't interested in solving puzzles, he had a blast in Hyrule Field, creating monsters and battling enemies. He played for hours, laughing and making up his own little stories about what was happening in the game.
I've never seen a single-player game bring my entire extended family together like this, and it was a heartwarming and affirming experience. After reading about other readers who had similar experiences, I realized that Nintendo made the right decision by giving Zelda a starring role and embracing more experimental, lower-budget games.
Echoes of Wisdom may not have been possible as a big-budget 3D game, but here it is, a unique experiment that my whole family has fallen in love with. My wife and I have now beaten the game and are moving on to the harder difficulty mode. I can honestly say that I haven't had this much fun with a game in a long time, and I've never experienced a single-player game in the same way. It may not objectively be the best Zelda game, but it certainly feels that way to me, and it has become my new favorite.
So, if you haven't already, give Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom a try. Play it your way and see what kind of fun and unexpected experiences it brings. After all, that's what gaming is all about – bringing people together and creating memorable moments.
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