The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is primed and ready to take the series where it hasn’t gone before – letting you play as Princess Zelda herself.
This has got fans of the franchise incredibly hyped as it not only mixes things up story-wise, there are also huge changes in gameplay mechanics.
You’ll be using Zelda’s magic Tri Rod to create Echoes, copying objects and enemies, and eliminating any foes in your path, in an effort to save the kingdom.
However, thanks to the ESRB rating for the game, we know now that you will still be able to play as Link.
Looking at that rating, while it does state that “players assume the role of Zelda” it also reveals that “as Link, players use a sword and arrows to defeat enemies”.
Now, while it does appear that you will in fact be able to don the iconic green outfit in Echoes of Wisdom, there’s no real suggestion as to how long for.
Since Zelda is the protagonist, and the whole story of the game being she will be saving Link, there definitely won’t be a character-switching mechanic in place.
What we believe is that the experience opens up with you being able to control Link, take on Ganon, and ultimately lose due to him succumbing to darkness, just as the first announcement trailer suggests.
At this point, the change to Zelda will take place, and you’ll likely just continue as the Princess for the rest of the game.
While this might anger some who want a Princess Zelda-only playthrough, if it fits into the story, and keeps those engaged who were sceptical, it’ll definitely be a good inclusion.
Granted, the above is speculation but is heavily inferred by that aforementioned trailer, so we’ll just have to wait and see the full extent of Link’s availability come release on September 26.