Echoes of Wisdom's Still World Breaks A Zelda Tradition & Leaves So Much To Be Desired

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's Still World breaks a certain tradition, but it may be for the worse. It's no secret how sets itself apart from previous entries, as it ignores many of the series' conventions. From Princess Zelda herself becoming the protagonist to the new Echo mechanic that's introduced, goes out of its way to carve a new path forward for the series to follow.

Many of 's new implementations elevate the overall experience, as they shake up the traditional formula in an intriguing way. The Echo mechanic, for example, forces the player to change how they may approach puzzles or combat scenarios, which makes them far more engaging than previous titles' more typical approach. However, not all changes are made equally. The introduction of the Still World breaks a common tradition of alternate worlds in games in a way that ends up leaving a lot to be desired.

The concept of the Still World is quite intimidating when it's first introduced. Null's ability to strip large parts of Hyrule results in them forming a disjointed, barely strung-together home that feels weirdly unsettling. The half-destroyed monuments, alongside the floating bodies of Hyrule citizens, do a fantastic job of creating a sense of fear when Zelda first steps foot in the Still World.

Null is the final boss of The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. This fight is broken up into three phases and you should properly prepare.

However, that fear quickly vanishes as Zelda begins to traverse the world. Despite the Still World being seemingly big enough to consume large parts of Hyrule, the player's own perspective comes in small segmented areas that are separated from one another. Each segment of the Still World gives the player one of two simple objectives: save Tri's trapped friends or clear a dungeon. Because of the linear structure that comes from these restrictive areas, the path forward is made fairly obvious, removing any sense of mystery the Still World is trying to elicit.

's biggest fault with the Still World is the