Nintendo has provided a fresh look at The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, the upcoming Switch game that makes the titular princess the playable protagonist for the very first time. Like many folks, I’ve been looking forward to this one, but one key question remained unanswered until this preview: where the heck is Zelda’s sword? Earlier gameplay videos focused on her ability to create “echoes” — i.e. copy objects and enemies — to use in combat.
Fret not, fans of adorable murder: Zelda will have a sword after all. The latest video revealed her swordfighter form, meaning that, yes, she can battle her foes head on. There is a bit of a catch, though. The swordfighter form is on a meter, so you can only use it for a little while each time. That makes it just one of several weapons at Zelda’s disposal, meaning you’ll need to be strategic in combat.
Zelda can use the sword she finds in the trailer to pull off the classic charge-up spin attack. You’ll refill the gauge by finding a resource simply called energy. For what it’s worth, it looks like the meter can be leveled up, so perhaps you’ll get to stay in the swordfighter form for longer later in the game. Still, I have to wonder if you’ll eventually obtain a Master Sword that you can use as much as you like.
The video reveals more details about gameplay and combat. Zelda will be able to enter the dimensional rifts like the ones that Link and the King of Hyrule were sucked into as she attempts to find them. On the other side is something called The Still World, in which people, objects and parts of the landscape that were swallowed up float in a void. It’s not yet clear why this void doesn’t seem to affect Zelda. You’ll need to traverse floating platforms and create echoes to help you do so.
There are also dungeons for Zelda to battle through in The Still World. These, of course, include boss fights where you can put your sword to use. Alternatively, as the video shows, you can create an echo of a bed and simply take a nap (this would be my approach tbh).
Automatons are another type of weapon you’ll have at your disposal. These are wind-up mechanical devices that can “release powerful effects,” so they should complement your sword and echoes. The automatons are created for you by an engineer named Dampé. They’re one of several friendly NPCs you’ll encounter, alongside a cat and a Zelda staple, the Great Fairy.
The latest gameplay video should help to drive up anticipation for The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom even more. Thankfully, it’s less than a month away. It will land on the Switch on September 26.
