Zelda is the hero in ‘Echoes of Wisdom’

JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:

Legend Of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom is out now. It’s the latest video game in a franchise that started way back in 1986. But believe it or not, it’s one of the only games in the series where Princess Zelda is the hero.

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UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: In a Hyrule torn asunder, Zelda’s sage wisdom is her greatest power.

SUMMERS: And playing as Zelda is something fans are really excited about. But does this game deliver? That’s something video game writer Ash Parrish has been wrestling with. She reviewed the game for The Verge and joins us now. Hey, Ash.

ASH PARRISH: Hey.

SUMMERS: So there’s so much to unpack here. But before we really dig into the game, I’m hoping you can just start by catching us up on why it is such a big deal for some players to be able to actually play as Zelda. How is she typically portrayed in these games?

PARRISH: So when you’ve had your name on the franchise for, like, the last 35 years, and – but you’ve never been able to play as this character, it’s a big deal that Zelda is finally getting her first crack at being a protagonist in the series. Typically, she’s really only been a damsel in distress. And it’s only been very recently with the last handful of games that Nintendo has given her more agency as a character, but you still haven’t really been able to play as her.

SUMMERS: OK. I’ve gotten to play for 30 minutes. You’ve gotten a lot more time with this game, so I’m hoping you can kind of crack open the big question here, which is, how does this game stack up to the best of the best when it comes to Zelda games?

PARRISH: So recently, with the last handful of legend of Zelda games, Nintendo has been experimenting with this go anywhere, kind of do anything ethos. We saw this in Breath Of The Wild and again with its sequel, Tears Of The Kingdom, where you’re kind of given this open world and a handful of tools and you’re told to just go. But I think what’s interesting about it is that instead of relying on brute force, like Link does with his sword and things like that, Zelda has to rely on her wits using things in the environment to get around obstacles and to fight monsters.

SUMMERS: I’ll just jump in here to note that for people who don’t know that Link is the franchise hero, who we see again and again embark on missions to save Princess Zelda, though things look a little different in this game.

PARRISH: Yes.

SUMMERS: Now, I was reading your review, and there’s one thing that you mentioned, and that’s that this game – it doesn’t give players enough of a challenge. Why is that? And I’m curious. Is there something that you think this game is missing that other Zelda games have really nailed?

PARRISH: Nintendo, with its other games, and even within the Legend of Zelda franchise itself, has really struck an incredible balance between making things that are kid friendly, while also incorporating challenges that adults will enjoy. The Mario franchise is a perfect example of that, actually, as is the most recent Legend of Zelda games with Tears Of The Kingdom and Breath Of The Wild.

That kind of balance is missing in Echoes Of Wisdom. I feel like it’s just a little bit too simplistic, which means that older fans of the series, older fans like myself and other people who are really excited to play as Zelda, might be disappointed that i doesn’t offer a kind of challenge that they might be looking for.

SUMMERS: I know, for me, and a lot of the people in my life who really love Zelda and were really waiting for this, this was super hyped. But I have to imagine there are some people out there listening to our conversation who have never played a Zelda game before. Do you think this is a good place for a player to start with the series if they’re Zelda curious?

PARRISH: Absolutely. I think one of the fantastic things about the Legend of Zelda and about Nintendo as a developer overall, pretty much any series, especially this one, you can just pick up and go, and you will have a great time.

SUMMERS: Ash Parrish of The Verge talking about the new Legend of Zelda game, Echoes Of Wisdom. It’s out now on Nintendo Switch, and I’m looking forward to getting to play a little bit more of it. Ash, thank you.

PARRISH: Thanks for having me. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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