Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Must Steer Clear of The Inventory Issue from Tears of the Kingdom

The highly anticipated The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is set to debut on Switch consoles soon, offering fans a fresh and exciting twist on the beloved Zelda franchise. This installment will finally place Princess Zelda at the forefront as the main protagonist, a long-awaited change that fans have eagerly anticipated.

In Echoes of Wisdom, Princess Zelda won't be wielding a sword and shield like the series' traditional hero. Instead, she'll harness her renowned magical abilities to navigate the game. Central to her powers is the Tri-Rod, which allows her to absorb and transform inanimate objects and monsters into "echoes." These echoes can be utilized for both combat and solving intricate puzzles. While this new mechanic is promising, it faces a significant challenge that the developers must address by learning from the inventory management issues found in Tears of the Kingdom.

Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Needs to Refine Its Inventory System

Tears of the Kingdom introduced innovative features like Ultrahand and Fuse, which let players creatively manipulate and combine objects in the game world. Link can craft complex structures and enhance weapons with various items, pushing the boundaries of player creativity. However, these features come with a notable drawback: cumbersome inventory management.

The game allows players to summon collected items through traditional or simplified menus. Yet, as the inventory grows, navigating through it becomes increasingly tedious. The minimalized menu, while designed for ease, ends up being a linear and awkward system, making item retrieval a less than smooth experience. Although this issue doesn't ruin the game, it does detract from the otherwise exceptional Ultrahand and Fuse features.

How Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Can Improve Inventory Management

While the Tri-Rod in Echoes of Wisdom isn't identical to Ultrahand, it shares key similarities, particularly in managing Zelda's inventory of items and monsters for summoning. To enhance this system, Nintendo could implement several improvements over the inventory management seen in Tears of the Kingdom, such as:

- Reduce the number of summonable objects: Many items in Tears of the Kingdom become obsolete later in the game. A more curated selection in Echoes of Wisdom could streamline the process.

- Adopt a radial menu: Instead of the linear menu found in Tears of the Kingdom, a radial menu would provide a more intuitive and accessible way to select items.

- Set a limit on "saved" echoes: Implementing a cap on the number of stored echoes could prevent inventory bloat and simplify organization.

- Add contextual organization: For example, displaying monsters first in the menu during combat scenarios could make navigation more efficient and contextually relevant.

By incorporating these features, Echoes of Wisdom could offer a more refined and user-friendly experience compared to Tears of the Kingdom. Given that the game is expected to focus heavily on puzzle-solving and strategic use of tools, optimizing inventory management will be crucial for maintaining a smooth and enjoyable gameplay experience.