Grezzo's The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is certainly one of the boldest steps forward for the franchise, finally putting players in the shoes of Princess Zelda by making her the lead protagonist and building on the creative foundations established by its predecessor, Tears of the Kingdom. However, despite the strides it takes toward innovation for the series, it also circles back to the past in one major way. Specifically, Echoes of Wisdom's version of Hyrule bears a striking resemblance to the overworld from A Link to the Past, almost to the point of being identical in some ways. With that, the franchise might be setup for another remake, with Grezzo at the helm.

If Grezzo has proven anything, it's that it has a knack for Zelda remakes and remasters. While Echoes of Wisdom isn't a remake, it still feels like the bridge toward what could be one of the most requested remakes alongside Ocarina of Time: A Link to the Past. If nothing else, Grezzo's success with its fairly recent remake of Link's Awakening is a telling sign of what the developer is capable of, and with Echoes of Wisdom channeling the spirit of A Link to the Past in its version of Hyrule, the work feels almost halfway done already.

Zelda Echoes of Wisdom Timeline Placement
Echoes of Wisdom's Place on the Zelda Timeline Is Hopefully the Start of a Trend

With Echoes of Wisdom settling into one of the Zelda timeline's official branches, it should start a new trend for the series' lore moving forward.

3
By 

To this day, A Link to the Past has been widely recognized as one of the most beloved and influential Zelda titles ever made. Released in 1991 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was a major leap forward for the series, introducing elements to the series that are still used today, like multi-layered dungeons, items that unlock overworld secrets, and the dual-world mechanic that even Echoes of Wisdom's Still World is the fruit of. This is actually at least partly why Echoes of Wisdom resembles A Link to the Past so much, as Grezzo intentionally designed it to have that classic Zelda feel, and A Link to the Past is one of the best examples of that.

While Echoes of Wisdom isn't a remake, it still feels like the bridge toward what could be one of the most requested remakes alongside Ocarina of Time: A Link to the Past.

That's not all, though, as the layout of Echoes of Wisdom's map bears a strong resemblance to A Link to the Past's Hyrule, so much so that it wouldn't be at all surprising if Grezzo eventually announced it was developing a remake of the 1991 Zelda adventure. With Echoes of Wisdom serving as a soft reintroduction of sorts to that design philosophy, a remake of A Link to the Past would thus feel more like natural progress than a reset.

Grezzo Has Proven It Can Modernize Zelda Without Losing Its Soul

Perhaps even more than what it has accomplished with Echoes of Wisdom's Hyrule, however, Grezzo has proven its ability to modernize Zelda without losing its soul. Not only is the Link's Awakening remake proof of this, but the fact that Echoes of Wisdom feels like a brand-new Zelda experience and yet is still rooted in a legacy that is now over three decades old is evidence of Grezzo's skill for remakes. Plus, given the developer's history of regularly intervening in the franchise with various remakes and remasters, throwing a Link to the Past remake in the mix wouldn't feel random or out of place at all.

In addition to the Link's Awakening remake, Grezzo was responsible for Zelda remasters like Ocarina of Time 3D, Majora's Mask 3D, and Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition.

With Echoes of Wisdom renewing interest in classic Zelda design, there may never be a better time to revisit the world that first defined it. Grezzo already has a proven track record of remaining faithful to the series' roots while simultaneously modernizing them, and A Link to the Past is one of the few remaining titles that could benefit from that approach. All that's needed now is the green light.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Tag Page Cover Art

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Display card tags widget
Adventure
Display card system widget
Systems
super greyscale 8-bit logo
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget
Top Critic Avg: 85 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
Display card main info widget
Released
September 26, 2024
ESRB
E10+ For Everyone 10+
Developer(s)
Nintendo, Grezzo
Publisher(s)
Nintendo
Engine
Havok
Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Genre(s)
Adventure