Key Takeaways
- Echoes of Wisdom lets players control Zelda for the first time, offering new gameplay mechanics.
- Hero Mode in the game increases the difficulty by having Zelda take double damage and eliminating heart drops.
- Players can switch between Hero Mode and normal difficulty at any time, providing flexibility in gameplay choices.
Most of us have been playing Zelda games for decades now, both in 2D and 3D, and are very proficient with our swords, shields, bows, and other tools we find across Hyrule. With Echoes of Wisdom, Nintendo is giving us a new spin on the franchise by letting us play as Zelda for the first time in an official entry. Now that we’re no longer one of the many incarnations of Link, we will have to learn a whole new set of skills to fight and explore the world. While there is a more traditional Swordfighter Form that Zelda can temporarily embody to fight just like Link, most of the time you will be using your magic and wits to overcome challenges.
Even with this big shift in gameplay style, Echoes of Wisdom probably won’t be a big challenge for most players. Nintendo tends to make its games on the easier side to appeal to a broader audience, but that can end up making it feel unsatisfying for veterans who want the game to push back a little bit harder. Just like in Tears of the Kingdom, Echoes of Wisdom offers a more challenging Hero Mode that will put your skills to the test. We’ve unlocked all the secrets about this new mode and how it changes the game so you can know what you’re getting into before release.
What Hero Mode changes in Echoes of Wisdom
Zelda is ready to be a hero if you are
You are free to change to Hero Mode, or back to normal, at any time through the game’s menu.
Echoes of Wisdom will come with both the normal and Hero Mode difficulty options, with Hero being aimed at players who desire a more challenging and demanding game. There are a lot of ways that games can tweak difficulty that aren’t clearly detailed to the player, but thankfully Nintendo has fully outlined exactly how Hero Mode will alter the game. Here’s what you have to look forward to if you select Hero Mode:
- Zelda will take double damage from enemies.
- Enemies will no longer drop hearts when defeated.
- Some accessories will not give you any buffs.
The first two aspects of Hero Mode are what you want to pay attention to. Taking double damage from all enemies is going to be especially brutal in the early game when you have very few hearts to spare. Since bosses tend to already deal more damage than normal foes, this should make every boss encounter a nail-biter as well.
Enemies not dropping hearts is perhaps even more brutal than the first modifier. Not being able to recover health naturally as you go means you will have to rely on other methods of healing. We know that smoothies will be able to heal you, as well as sleeping in beds, but that’s all we know of so far. This will force you to plan ahead and always make sure you’re stocked up on healing smoothies before diving into a dungeon, and could even mean backing out to restock if you run low.
The last change is still unclear since we don’t know all the accessories, what buffs they give, or which ones will not work in Hero Mode.
You can always change the difficulty later
This change is fully reversible
Worried about getting stuck as the difficulty naturally ramps up? Fear not! You are free to change to Hero Mode, or back to normal, at any time through the game’s menu. It is unlocked right from the start so you don’t have to beat the game first to unlock it if you would rather begin on this harder difficulty level or decide you want to go back to normal difficulty.
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