A new Zelda game trailer was just released by Nintendo, and the experience appears to be even better designed than we’d first thought. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom was first showcased during a Nintendo Direct announcement back in June and immediately became the center of excited chatter. The initial trailer gave us a glimpse into Zelda’s much-awaited return to being the main character of the show, offering up an entirely new playstyle distinct from any of the Zelda games that came before.
The latest trailer now gives us a glimpse into some of the Echoes of Wisdom features and brings us one step closer to the Hyrule regions via gameplay, celebrating the bright and beautiful landscapes we can expect to traverse. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom game is available for preorder and is expected to have a September 26, 2024 release. As we inch closer to the due date, the energy is building up spectacularly.
Image: The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom – Traversing Hyrule Trailer
New Zelda Game Trailer Shows Us What the Game Has to Offer
From the original trailer we had for the game, we learned that the kingdom of Hyrule was being slowly overtaken by dark and mysterious rifts that were consuming everything without hesitation—even Link. Now it’s up to Zelda to work with her ethereal friend Tri who gifts her with a Tri Rod that can create “Echoes” or duplicates of various objects she encounters on her journey. As innocently simplistic as that sounds, the Echoes of Wisdom gameplay is anything but simple.
Giving us a much deeper look into the Echoes of Wisdom’s many features, the new Zelda game trailer is worth diving into in detail.
Image: Zelda takes a well-deserved break.
The Many Hyrule Regions We Got a Glimpse of via the Gameplay Trailer
Just like any other Mario or Zelda game, the locations in the game change frequently and bring us new elements with every stop. While lush, bright greenery does dominate a large part of the trailer, we also get to see the harsh desert lands of the Gerudo desert, where Zelda has to fight the scorching heat and frequent sandstorms to get where she needs to go—with the occasional break of an oasis or two, of course. The women of the local Gerudo tribe may be able to offer some respite before you have to step back out to explore the ruins that await.
Next, Jabul Waters brings scenic waterways with sparkling landscapes interspersed with some greenery. Swimming is just another part of Zelda’s skills as she splashes between the Zora villages and tries to determine what the different communities may be fighting about. Peacekeeper Zelda to the rescue!
The Hyrule region’s gameplay also takes us to the Eldin Volcano where the fiery, rocky mountains bring in some dramatic and treacherous landscapes. Despite the challenges, nothing will stop our protagonist from reaching Goron City and its own unique citizens. We also get a glimpse at the Faron Wetlands in the new Zelda game trailer, and its thick forests, while lovely, have some interesting creatures waiting for the traveler.
Image: A sweet quest to brighten your day.
We Love Sidequests and Zelda Should Encounter Plenty of Those on Her Journey
The Zelda game updates are not just centered around its scenic locations. The trailer also tells us that Zelda will encounter many different people on her journey to solve the mystery of the rifts. Instead of a single-minded focus on the main storyline, we’ll have the chance to immerse ourselves in Zelda’s world by taking on different quests and going on mini-adventures to lend a helping hand when we can. This means we have more hours of gameplay to look forward to as the journey will extend beyond just getting from point A to point B.
When you want to move back and forth between the map and return to a different quest, you can find waypoints to help warp between locations.
The list of the Echoes of Wisdom features also includes a horse-taming skill that allows you to use a carrot to summon your steed so you can cover greater stretches of land at once. Who doesn’t love riding a horse across the world to rescue your world from destruction?
We Also Have Some In-game Shopping to Look Forward to, According to the New Zelda Game Trailer
Apart from Zelda showing us new ways to explore Hyrule, we also got a glimpse into some of the shops we might encounter on the way. There’s a smoothie shop where we can combine ingredients to obtain fun drinks that provide different boosts. There’s also a store for clothes and other equipment. The additional benefit of the clothing is that it helps Zelda stay at her fashionable best on her adventure. Look good, feel good is what we always say.
Image: Nothing can get in Zelda’s way
Creating Echoes Is Only One Part of Her Skill Set—Zelda Can Bind Objects Too
If all of the other Zelda game updates sound like external benefits that don’t concern you, then some insight into the game mechanics might be what you need to decide whether you buy the game.
We already know about Zelda’s main ability to duplicate items and monsters in order to fight off her enemies and conquer the landscapes, but she has the additional skill to bind objects to her. This can help move obstacles out of the way or drag things to places where she needs them to be.
She can also reverse-bind herself to objects to move around as the objects do. A bird may be able to fly to places she can’t reach so a reverse bond would then help Zelda fly along with the bird instead of moving the bird with her. It’s a fun detail that opens up a vast list of options to choose from when you want to decide how you want to play the game. Clearly, there’s more than one way to solve every challenge that presents itself.
The new Zelda game trailer gives us more information about the game than we’d expected, but it’s unlikely that Nintendo has revealed everything about the game. More crucial elements of the Echoes of Wisdom gameplay will only come to light when we finally play the game, and there should be hours worth of content to keep us hooked.
The Breath of the Wild was a widely successful game and the upcoming one appears to be headed in the same direction. The promotions for the game have been perfect in our estimates and we can’t wait to see everything The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom has in store for us.