You're a Wizard, Zelda (The Game is Mid) ~ Echoes of Wisdom Quick Review

[@CaptainAstronaut]

Go to surfshark.com/captainastronaut for 4 extra months of Surfshark!

[@squid24736]

I get that this game wanted to highlight Zelda's intelligence, but the game's finale pissed me off so bad. I didn't want the game to end up feeling too short, so I decided to find all of the might crystals. the reward for this? a statue that maxes out your sword fighter form for free. that sounds super cool on paper, except that at that point of the game, literally the only task that will be left to do at that point is the final dungeon, where you fully lose access to the sword fighter form by giving all your equipment to Link. like?????? truly what was the purpose of that final upgrade then???? like I am genuinely struggling to think of what benefit you would see from completing that quest.

[@Professor_Utonium_]

Perhaps this is a lesson that you should only do things in games if you find them fun in the first place.

[@lucg4005]

@@Professor_Utonium_ What a shitty lesson. They didn't mention anywhere that they were only doing it for the reward, they just wanted to enjoy the game for longer. The reward for doing so turned out to be pointless, which was annoying since it would have been fun to use for the last stretch of the game. Doesn't mean they didn't have fun, just for them it's annoying how the reward is poorly thought out.

[@topcatfan]

​@@Professor_Utonium_maybe the lesson is you shouldn't be a baby?

[@NicoleColenico]

@@Professor_Utonium_ "Is your fault for trusting the game design"

[@Professor_Utonium_]

@topcatfan Who hurt you? 😂

[@Ramperdos]

Captain has such a stylish outfit that I have no idea what game's on the screen in this video.

[@AlphaOmega-jh6ll]

Peak character design

[@nyxskip]

I think the fact that they brought back that boss from Oracle of Ages that you beat by creating objects using a rod in this game where the entire combat is based around creating objects using a rod really showed a lot of intelligence. Possibly the best creative decision in the whole game.

[@nickcagecatgod]

As a French (sorry) I have to point out that Louis XIV was actually one of the longest reigning monarchs of all time and the template for absolute monarchy, and it’s Louis XVI who got the chop chop

[@OussamaBEKK-hr8wd]

Appology rejected

[@CRITique7777]

The Legend of Link has finally come!

[@dpackerman4203]

I’m torn on this game because on the one hand it was a return to the classic top down 2D style Zelda AND they modernized it, and it was so good! On the other hand, the game was disappointingly short and boring to play. And while I do think people hate on the puzzles in this game a little too much, I do agree they’re not the greatest and left a lot to be desired. Overall, I really liked the game for what it is but I hope the next 2D Zelda game is a lot better than this.

[@nyxskip]

I agree they did a pretty good job modernizing it while still mostly maintaining all the stuff that makes the 2D style good, the game wasn't great but I'm just excited that they're still making new 2D Zelda games at all (excluding the LA remake, which was very good but I want new games as well, not just remakes.) Hopefully we don't have to wait another 9 years for a new one this time lol

[@MG-us5el]

Zelda with an EpiPen is such a wild mental image.

[@shiroihana4381]

she's also full of wisdom so she's definitely not going to shoot herself in the thumb with it

[@CatsLilaSalem]

If you don't like to fight, you can just put a water block on a enemy and they drown 😅 But i do like the game, and the combat is fine for me, love summoning classic enemies to fight each other. And there are some that are actually decent at fighting

[@Xenowolf8]

12:19 Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon did this concept really well. Although in that game you directly control two characters at the same time yourself, and there is an option for co-op. The director Abebe Tinari had a lot of intelligence to make such a good game.

[@Jellyfishlady]

yes, finally someone mentioned it, it is so underatted.

[@cashnelson2306]

the trick is to learn a new language and play games in that language then they're always fantastic

[@Kriseiri]

"the game is mid" to the tune of The Boy is Mine by Brandy and Monica

[@raztalgeir5722]

kinda funny how the cd-i games had playable zelda long before the actual mainline games

[@medicalpotion]

Was going to get this for Christmas, but for 60 bucks I can get Metal Gear Solid 5, Shadow of the Colossus and Final Fantasy 7 Remake. I'll get Zelda later.

[@radaf4429]

Sotc is horrible

[@dpackerman4203]

Just get EoW when it goes on sale. Oh wait

[@orga7777]

@@radaf4429 Get better bait.

[@0llyMelancholy]

@@radaf4429 nice bait m8

[@secretlyaslug2325]

Remake to me was a game that kept giving. I never played the original and was so swept up by the visuals and the music. But knowing it's only part 1 of 3 I felt it was gonna end any minute and it just didn't. Loads of content and I don't even remember beating it. I normally also hate female characters who brainlessly fawn over male Protags but man I'd be lying if I said I didnt love Tifa, Jessie, and Aerith. They're so genuinely lovable and human even if I know they're JRPG women.

[@closedchill5243]

TOTK isn't a bad game. It's just not amazing if you played BotW a couple times. The great thing about BotW was exploring fresh overworld. Bafflingly, ToTk had almost no fresh overworld. Somehow the Zelda team didn't know why BotW was so awesome. The underworld was vastly inferior to the overworld. Seemingly the devs thought gamers would be blown away by a whole new map. But we realized very quickly the map was copy/paste, removed everything interesting, apply a single color scheme, and add poison everywhere. Super lazy, tedious, and uninteresting. Sky islands were so sparse they barely deserved a layer. Crafting system felt cool at first, then cumbersome. EoW team really should have taken note that large inventories of craftables isn't a positive mechanic. In TotK once you craft the 2-fan bike you basically break most of the game and no longer need to bother crafting anything. Dungeons were worse than the absolutely fantastic Divine Beasts. Bosses were better at least. The second map should have been the ancient past and you control Zelda. Zelda explores the ancient past where the Zonai ruins are alive and active cities. She activates new Divine Beasts where they appear in Links time as allies. She works with Link across time to help him reach new areas and finish his quest. The other TotK criticism is the time in dev. It was longer than BotW. This is not great looking at how much copy/paste they did. Yeah COVID happened but it didn't stop other teams from cranking out fresh open worlds. Feels like Nintendo started coasting on Switch success. If Zelda wants to get back on the radar and not slide back to pre BotW sales, I think the main team has its work cut out. Streamline or scrap the crafting. Do something impressive like liquid physics (See Astro Bot for inspiration). I would vastly increase world size and add oceans and sailing along with huge continents. Build on the army raids and allow Link to recruit hundreds of warriors and engage in epic battles, both on land and in ships. Give all NPCs voice acting. Make Zelda a full on AI companion who talks and comments on her surroundings and interacts with NPCs. Make Ganon a live AI opponent who reacts to Links progress in intelligent non-scripted ways.

[@treesauce2625]

Now we need an intelligent comparison to which is more fun to say: Zelda EOW or YIIK

[@niyo919]

9:28 doggy :D

[@unrighteous8745]

I would've felt better about the game if it was half price. There was definitely some cool stuff, but so much of the game was pure tedium. Combat is just better with the sword, summoning creatures and waiting around for them to slowly kill stuff was so bad. Couple that with the performance issues and I was extremely underwhelmed. I've not been impressed with Nintendo lately.

[@crystallemming6027]

The spacemen yearn for Pikmin. Poetic

[@sokumotanaka9271]

Intelligence: There's something really funny about just saying "you have access to infinite crows!"

[@mjuno2909]

I liked it. For me I found that the combat is boring if you let it be boring. Sure, I could sit back and let a slime slowly kill an enemy for like 3 minutes, or I could circle around it summoning a bokoblin letting it attack, then summoning it again so the wind up period to the next attack doesn't happen. Though that said, just because I found the fun doesn't mean the game can't be faulted if a significant amount of players didn't. I think your idea of having the echoes power up over time is a great one. Would've probably increased the combat enjoy-ability for everyone and would also have probably cut down the number of echoes by allowing early game ones to stay relevant over the game. Plus rewards for exploration could be an echo power up rather than needing a billion echoes to reward exploration.

[@havvomusic]

I was shocked when Tom and Jerry were revealed as the twist villians EOWWW

[@theturtleking2454]

As someone who hasn’t played this game, you starting to rant about how you can just “summon more crows you have infinite crows” was so fucking funny

[@theturtleking2454]

Dude what is that echo menu….. have they learned nothing

[@teero121]

you do eventually become pretty op with the lvl 3 darknut and lizalfos but too much of this game is you playing as an underpowered spectator. i feel the only way to make summoning gameplay fun is to have the minions be really strong and balance it out by making the summoner super fragile. enemies do hit pretty hard in this but early to mid game echoes are just way too slow and weak

[@DanielVCOliveira]

Hero mode does exactly that. I turned it on at the start of my playthrough and had a blast. Actually died a handful of times, even. And the final boss in hero mode is quite the challenge.

[@Widdershyn]

Pretty comprehensive review and I can say I probably won't be getting the game, which is a shame because I've wanted a Zelda-focused game for a while now. And yeah I don't mind striking the balance between combat and focus on Wisdom but... yeah there could've been better ways of going about that I think. People saying "well you didn't HAVE to use the echo that makes everything trivial" I think kind of miss the point: it is there, ergo it means that you can skip a large amount of content. CHOOSING not to defeats the purpose of the GAME creating the challenge for the player. They could've put further limitations on summoning the cloud, for instance, and it looks like in one of your clips the little spider dude was outright climbing on the camera side? Which makes me wonder if they just. Didn't realize how far that could go. I will say though, the "girl game for girl gamers" bit got pretty old pretty fast. I understand it was supposed to be sarcastic, and I could hear that, but it really didn't add anything to the review, sorry. Just got kinda painful to listen to, a case of satire sounding... a little to close to what it's trying to make fun of to effectively be satirical. Tone alone can't do it.

[@jackking1900]

“She echo on my done ‘till I wis” is the best joke I’ve heard in Q4 2024

[@Jumperboy333]

Man, the thing that disappointed me the most were the dungeons. The only design I really dug was the dungeon in Hebra Mountains, which I did last. The whole heating up/cooling down of rooms mechanic through navigating rooms with a breakable object was really cool and fun. The best of the dungeons... Just meh

[@supersonicbro]

8:17 my fiancé is currently napping

[@painuchiha2694]

EoW is great imo Personally think it was good overall even if maybe I wanted Zelda to talk but it’s not a big issue. Game is fun

[@zap2099]

the only game my sister's ever beaten is pokemon sword. she spent her time shopping until the dlc came out and then she went to the max lair, got a level 70 gigantimax shiny alcremie and beat the whole damn game. that shows you that women like to shop in videogames.

[@interrobangings]

women be shopping

[@FratFerno]

15:00 Zelda and 6 Crows has that one episode of Rick and Morty running for its money.

[@unknownbowser1439]

Intelligence was such a huge part in this game :)

[@Limayde]

EoW 2 should be a tactics rpg where you summon little guys as your troops a la Fae Tactics

[@catborg780]

First thing I did was complete the map & warp points. I find it oddly satisfying. Did the same for BOTW

[@Eltron92]

I just legit used the peahat for most of the game cuz it was the only thing that attacked quick enough to stun lock shit and not get constantly one shot before it can attack.

[@HumbleTeller]

Immensely disagree. I found EoW so much fun and engaging unlike Totk which felt like a tedious chore.

[@AHylianWarrior]

I got so mad when they said they were going to give Link lines but then didn't cause "dunno what he'd say uwu" like man, it's really insulting to the fan's intelligence, like we can't handle him speaking finally??

[@mvjbass9561]

EoW is lowkey the second best Zelda game on the Switch

[@TempoKong]

I mean unless you count NSO it's not like the competition is that good to begin with

[@radaf4429]

Bait

[@PlatinumAltaria]

Nah, BotW and Link’s Awakening remake both beat it.

[@PokeMaster22222]

This is NOT what I wanted from the next Legend of Zelda game, not by a long shot. Not only does it not star Link, instead focusing on Zelda for the first time in Legend of Zelda history (CD-i doesn't count), but the gameplay isn't at all what I wanted, either. I just want Nintendo to go back to the ACTUAL 'traditional' formula - Link, swordplay, dungeons with dungeon items, etc. It's not like it's "always the same damn thing" every time, either, as each game adds its own spin on it, while still keeping the familiar, refined, and highly enjoyable core; for example, Twilight Princess adds Wolf Link and the Hidden Skills to the core, while The Wind Waker adds sailing and counterattacks, and Majora's Mask had the three-day loop and masks to shake things up. Even when A Link Between Worlds (2013, the last proper brand-new Legend of Zelda game) shook things up by adding most of the usual 'dungeon item' candidates to Ravio's shop, it did it rather intelligently - for one, buying them outright is quite expensive, and renting them is initially much cheaper but also means they get returned to Ravio upon death, so there's that neat choice there. For two, even though most items are available from the start, the Sand Rod is only unlocked after beating a few dungeons, as it had previously been purchased by a Sage who had then gotten himself (and the Rod) captured by Yuga; additionally, dungeons still have other goodies left to find, like Master Ore and tunic upgrades (increased defense), so it's not like dungeons are barren of treasure (coughBotWandTotKcough). I really did not want EoW here whatsoever. I did play through BotW and TotK to see why people liked them so much, but this game? Never touching it. This game's a horrendous disappointment.

[@Lowkey-NoPressure]

Anyone who ever asks why you ban Aarakocra from your DND game should just play Echoes of Wisdom and then they'll understand.

[@zeneck7387]

"And it's a women with blond hair and a catsuit ". Meanwhile people kneeling and begging for Link to have one in the next game ( don't lie , we know who the fandom is )

[@nerathi]

The targeting system is so painfully useless. Why can't you just hold the targeting button down and use the right stick to select different targets or, more importantly, why the hell are my own summons valid targets for the only system to influence who my summons are supposed to target!?

[@j.paulsen541]

Thank you, Captain. I'll get the Tears instead

[@j.paulsen541]

Maybe Nintendo should let women gamers make video games for women...by women!

[@j.paulsen541]

🤔

[@InmateOmighty]

17:34 Ah yes the Genshin Effect of dialogue 😂

[@aegrajag]

I find it so disappointing that Zelda has to become Link to fight when she had a rapier in TP and HW and a bow also in TP and HW (and a few others) honestly just changing her Link meter into a light meter which she could use to create her rapier and bow would be an improvement without much mechanical changes

[@jackking1900]

You did not just call this game “Zelda EOW!!!!”

[@sledgecomplex]

intelligence

[@umbreonturtle8382]

The Legend of Crows: Echoes of Crows

[@Silver-tb7hf]

I WATCHED ETERNALS, but I don't remember SHIT about it because that movie was ASS, so I STILL can't fact check you!

[@MrReset94]

You managed to get me to both disagree and agree with everything you said at the same time…good job? The fighting issue is only an issue if you don’t know how to fight, sorry. Don’t usually go around saying “git good”, but this part of your criticism deserves it.

[@mackyhilden4573]

Interesting review! It's always nice to see games broken down with thoughtful analysis and intelligence.

[@DanielVCOliveira]

Intelligence. "I deliberately abused an echo I don't like and now I'm mad. How could this possibly happen to me?" - this video ...Also skill issue for using only crows when there's MOTH. I've seen the "cloud and water block break the game and make it too easy" argument many times, and it's a very bad one. You know you can just not use those echoes right? Maybe just leave them as a last resort if a section of the game gets frustrating? The only arguments I agree with in this vid is the menu and the dialogue.

[@XanderVJ]

"I've seen the "cloud and water block break the game and make it too easy" argument many times, and it's a very bad one. You know you can just not use those echoes right? Maybe just leave them as a last resort if a section of the game gets frustrating? " No. A trillion times, no. WHat kind of brain dead take is that? We're not talking about relying on glitches or overtly convoluted means to skip content. The cloud and water blocks are among the most basic echoes in the game. If you have to rely on the player NOT using a basic mechanic in order for the game to be engaging, then that game's design has failed. And it's the second, maybe third time in a row that the Zelda series has fallen into this trap.

[@ultimate_pleb]

Echos should level up like smash bros amiibo Literally just copy and paste that system and change a few things to make it work and you're good

[@BadMann3rs]

I ain't even watch yet but i agree. This game was half baked and felt like a tech demo for a system that's been out for several years already 🤦🏾‍♂️

[@pickyphysicsstudent201]

I think Spirit Tracks was the best rendition of Zelda.

[@SirStumblebum]

That women be shopping joke caught me so off guard 😂

[@jamieohjamie]

i really liked this game while i was playing it. but i finished it in one weekend and have no desire to replay it.

[@gnomegguy69]

FINALLY, ZELDA IS A GIRL!!!

[@unluckyfives]

I waited like a month until I caved and bought it. I gaslit myself into thinking I was being childish by assuming I wouldn't enjoy it just because TotK was shit. Turns out I was mostly right. It's fine. Legitimately mid. I haven't finished it. I probably will eventually but I'll definitely never want to play it a second time. If it wasn't Zelda then I wouldn't be upset at all. Hell, I'd probably like it. But this was another waste of a Zelda game. Time to wait 6 years for the next one.

[@edwardgamerx9061]

I totally agree with you, the game is pretty mid. I had some "euphoria" for it that lasted like... 3 days, and I've been having a better time with the completely unnecessary Switch Lite I bought (and I fucking scratched day one) with BotW, TotK, HW and Minecraft.

[@DylanMatthewTurner]

This is a top 5 Zelda

[@circumquentiam]

Intelligence

[@katelawyer3689]

I was once a big Zelda fan but god the last a Zelda game wasn’t a big disappointment for me was Breath of the Wild! Seriously what happened?? Tears was good but derivative as hell and had a mediocre story that actively made Breath’s story worse retroactivity! Age of Calamity was an AU instead of the prequel we were promised! Link’s Awakening 2019 wasn’t even a new game it was just a remake. Then this game which has great concepts and background lore but mediocre execution and is very very boring… Honestly I think going forward unless the next Zelda game is some kind of masterpiece I’m going to just get my Nintendo fix from Metroid, Mario and Fire Emblem in the future.

[@Your_Native_Mothman]

This was the first Zelda game I couldn’t finished just because I got so bored

[@juragunn7921]

I think Zelda's moveset should've had greater emphasis on the telekinetic abilities rather than the summoning ones. I found EoW the most engaging when I limited myself to using what objects were provided to me in the world, rather than summoning echoes. For combat, maybe Zelda could use the tri wand to cast spells that manipulate how objects interact with physics or deflective spells to turn enemies attacks against themselves. Giving her a copy-paste Link moveset that can be activated any time really defeats the purpose of playing as Zelda. On the subject on Tri, I actually kinda liked what they were going for with his writing. He's a being from beyond the mortal realm, so emotion is something of a foreign concept to him; so we get to see him learn to express himself as he spends more time travelling with Zelda.

[@2lazy2type2]

Oof! I gor excited when I saw the trailer for this game. But seeing how the gameplay loop is kinda slow and autonomous I am definitely gonna wait till it goes on a super sale or somethin

[@SaturnFreak]

Capt Astro you're my favorite KZbinr. What's the plan for 2025? More videos? More streams?

[@DonutSwordsman]

I agree, mid and they are still coward and make her turn into link to use a sword. How actually sad is that

[@NeroCrucible]

Just like Palworld

[@newjumpcityjosh9333]

The wizzrobes held it down for me most of the game you definitely violated 😅

[@Noir-xq8ko]

Most of the bosses feel like the MM3D first boss. Basically, you can just hit them. Other then like, the first one, no real puzzle...

[@AcousticHarmonia]

22:59 "The framerate is also there" Untrue, I would recommend Digital Foundry's video on the topic Edit: Looking back at it again you can literally see the framerate dipping in the clip where this is said

[@CaptainAstronaut]

(I was making a joke about the framerate, it's not great in this game)

[@AcousticHarmonia]

@ Oh pfft, r/whoosh then I guess, sorry about that. Sometimes it’s so hard to tell these kindsa thing these days, especially when it’s not super glaringly bad like Scarlet/Violet and might not be noticed by everyone, like I don’t recall framerate being something that came up from most coverage I saw on this game which really surprised me.

[@arikatkat]

looking good in that fit mr astronaut

[@ultimate_pleb]

22:00 that is the worst pronunciation of volvagia i have ever heard it's right up there with arc-oo-se and yah-val-tal

[@DariusDuplechan]

Is that a failboat reference 1:47

[@shadowsofvalentia]

omg i’m from egypt so i got so excited when you mentioned going there. Sorry you got food poisoning i hope you at least had fun aside from that part. Seems the cooks had a lack of intelligence🤔🤔🤔

[@7PMNewz]

Yo RTVS audio hell yeah

[@Zuckussbuilder]

I dunno man, I kinda enjoyed echoes of wisdom, maybe my intelligence is higher

[@makikuma91]

Oh yeah, haven't played this yet. Maybe this video can convince me to finally buy it.

[@kendallcharleswell8489]

INTELLIGENCE!!!

[@yurareigiryu]

Not a J062020 😭

[@silvesta5027]

I mean I still really enjoyed it. Too pricey for what it is though AND OMG THE UI SUCKS

[@meechsanims]

18:23 i watched eternals and it was mid as hell

[@Shibanu_]

I played this after beating Plucky Squire and was already annoyed when i went into this game. 😅

[@kojiro133]

Intelligence?

[@benjaminlane7715]

thank you the stuff that gets in the way of this game just is oof. why didn't they do a 10 fav radial menu...

[@crimsonvale7337]

Well I appreciate the fact that this isn’t just another review singing the praises of this pretty middling game. How intelligent. It’s a shame the puzzles were so simple.

[@classicwhitehat9028]

What was the point of the video??

[@NocturnalFudj]

UGH my GF always INSISTS on taking her Epipen with her every time she goes out lol. Thank you for finally giving her the #ROASTING she deserves AM I RIGHT

[@Jstarizle]

OH WHAT THE FU-

[@rafaela00002]

Playing Disco Elysium? Nice

[@Lua_Diurna]

Zelda YEAAAOWWWWW 😂😂😂

[@skullcoonce]

banger video per usual

[@aiden_metcalf4444]

The dungeons introduced no new true mechanics no zelda old likes this game the whole cycle is place bed and get up, 4:13 so idk where you got this info, its obvious that you have never played a zelda game made past 2017 lol, Watch The Plinksters Video on this game I agree alot more with his videos points, I dont agree with all but a majority because he knows mostly whats hes talking about unlike you

[@FredericJohnsen]

The combat has problems but it's still miles ahead of any other 2d zelda. Spamming the same sword attack gets boring pretty much immediately.

[@classiccat7783]

Still can't believe it's not called "legend of link" the roles are literally reversed

[@iceclkeyheart3060]

It felt like a great return to form to me after the disappointment that was breath n tears

[@soldatgunner9952]

Love ur vids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@jaylenjackson9399]

Haven’t watched it yet, but yes it was indeed mid

[@murplecrabb]

Oh I thought you meant the video not the game yeah the game was mid

[@jaylenjackson9399]

@ oh yeah of course not captain always delivers

[@lannypenn]

OH ITS SO WOKE BECAUSE A FEMALE CHARACTER IS REPRESENTED IN MEDIA…. all they did was make a preexisting female character a main character in a single game that probably won’t have a sequel. It was a bad game, not because of feminism but because of game design. Get over yourself