Final yr, scorching off the again of Tears of the Kingdom, I wrote a bit expressing my love for Zelda’s ‘Trendy’ dungeons. These puzzle-centric areas had been a bit of hit and miss, positive, however I discovered that there was so much to love in every as soon as I received previous the overall terminal-activation-ness of all of it.
I assumed I used to be over Zelda’s ‘Traditional’ dungeon format — shifting from one room to a different through a collection of puzzles, opening chests of more and more flamboyant design and choosing up distinctive objects alongside the best way. I thought the collection was striding in direction of one thing new and I used to be excited by the prospect of that. I thought the Divine Beast components was the longer term and I used to be able to welcome it with open arms.
Final week, I began Echoes of Knowledge and, two rooms into Suthorn Ruins, realised I used to be fully incorrect. ‘Conventional’ Zelda dungeons nonetheless completely have my coronary heart, and I did not realise how a lot I had missed them till now.
I am positive there will likely be just a few of you on the market who’ve already rinsed Echoes of Knowledge for all it has to supply. I’m not at that stage — nowhere close to, the truth is. On the time of writing, I’ve solely polished off the primary three dungeons, and I am avoiding web spoilers just like the plague. I will likely be discussing this preliminary trio of dungeons in some depth right here so, in the event you’re additionally on a social media blackout, be at liberty to bookmark this one and are available again while you’re prepared…
As a lot as I might wish to be a great little Zelda fan and say the factor which excited me essentially the most in Suthorn Ruins was a hidden little bit of lore, room format, or obscure returning monster, it was really seeing an enormous ol’ boss door, with an enormous ol’ lock on it. What can I say? Years of “We’ve got X terminals remaining” had left me determined for a great little bit of archway anticipation and I am a sucker for an outsized keyhole. We’re so again.
But it surely wasn’t simply the aesthetics. This opening dungeon delivered on nearly each conventional touchstone I may consider: blocked-off rooms full of enemies; swap puzzles which require shifting a large statue; a group of small keys with simply the correct amount of backtracking required to discover a house for them. Within the grand scheme of high quality Zelda dungeons, it is nothing particular; however as the primary authentic classic-style Zelda in years, it introduced me nothing however pleasure to be reintroduced to all these mechanics once more.
Issues aren’t all that puzzle-y on this primary go-around, although the Ruins are primarily a tutorial this early within the sport, so I am going to forgive it. Happily, the following two dungeons felt essentially the most ‘Zelda’ that the collection has in years.
I first popped over to the Gerudo Desert (who’s trekking all the best way North while you’re already within the normal space?) and, after some Rift shenanigans, made a begin on the Sanctum. This was extra prefer it. We’re no strangers to a sand-themed temple at this level — heck, even TOTK supplied one — however the puzzle layering had me reminiscing about basic Zelda instantly.
Naturally, every room acts as a small problem of its personal with a niche to cross, flamethrower to navigate, or gang of monsters to defeat, but it surely’s the larger underlying puzzles that offered me on this one. There’s a bit of little bit of Ocarina of Time‘s Deku Tree with a riddle that you will want to recollect throughout a number of rooms and a pinch of The Minish Cap‘s Deepwood Shrine with its piles of mud/sand. The TOTK freedom continues to be current and proper (I fully bypassed a seemingly immovable statue by trampolining over it), however all these puzzles stacked on high of one another supplied some pure, basic dungeon-exploring.
Jabul Ruins stored the nice instances flowing. I’ve voiced my love for OOT’s Water Temple greater than as soon as, so you possibly can solely think about my pleasure once I first stepped on the large purple button within the dungeon’s opening room. It is a puzzle constructed round altering water ranges!
Now that I give it some thought, Vah Ruta delivered on the very same mechanic again in Breath of the Wild (hey, I mentioned trendy dungeons are good), however there’s one thing about Jabul Ruins’ central fountain room that tickled my nostalgia all the identical. Maybe it is how the water controls are divided into their very own sections or the apparent colour-coded instructions that join every of them, however as I incrementally moved up the dungeon’s central chamber, it was OoT’s Water Temple or A Hyperlink to the Previous‘s Swamp Palace that leapt to thoughts earlier than the Hero of Hyrule’s later adventures.
This one is extra linear, it is true, however after the most effective a part of a decade with, “Listed below are your aims, full them in no matter order you want,” it is good to see one thing a bit of extra structured make a return.
I am nonetheless but to find the complete extent of the place Echoes of Knowledge goes after these first three areas (I might be stunned if it weren’t one other 4 dungeons), however the nostalgia is powerful in every thing I’ve seen thus far. There is a time and a spot for much less structured temples, and BOTW/TOTK have proven that it might probably work, however I had let that blind me to the collection’ roots.
Welcome again, Huge Keys. I’ve missed you.
