Nintendo’s newest addition to the Zelda franchise, Echoes of Wisdom, lets players experience Hyrule through the eyes of Princess Zelda herself. In a delightful twist, you’re not rescuing the princess—you are the princess, setting out to save Link and the kingdom from mysterious rifts. But here’s the kicker: some crafty players have discovered a glitch that allows you to complete this epic adventure in under an hour!
Completing the Latest Zelda in Under an Hour?
Released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on September 26, Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom introduces innovative gameplay mechanics centered around Echoes. These allow you to briefly summon the power of the legendary Swordsman, adding layers of strategy and depth. The game encourages patience, thoughtful exploration, and a fair bit of puzzle-solving.
But for speedrunner Linkus7, patience took a backseat. Known for his knack for completing games at lightning speed, Linkus7 uncovered a series of exploits that let players teleport directly to the final boss’s doorstep. By performing specific actions and leveraging certain in-game glitches, he’s managed to shave the game’s completion time down to less than 60 minutes.
A Blend of Creativity and Bugs
Pulling off this swift journey through Hyrule isn’t as simple as it sounds. It involves executing a series of unconventional maneuvers that tap into the game’s Echo system and some unintended bugs. For instance, using a bed and a fan in a particular way can catapult you to otherwise unreachable heights. In another trick, combining a crow and a piece of meat leads to shortcuts that skip entire sections of the game.
While these methods showcase impressive creativity and a deep understanding of the game’s mechanics, they also bypass much of what makes Echoes of Wisdom special. As someone who loves immersing myself in the rich lore and intricate puzzles of the Zelda series, I can’t help but feel that rushing to the end might rob players of the full experience the developers intended.
Nintendo’s Likely Response
Given Nintendo’s history with previous titles like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, where players also found creative ways to exploit the game’s openness, it’s reasonable to expect that the company will address these glitches soon. They’ve always been committed to maintaining the integrity of their games, and a significant glitch that allows players to skip vast portions is likely high on their fix-it list.
Moreover, some players have reported performance issues, such as frame rate drops in more demanding scenes. If Nintendo rolls out an update to patch these newly discovered glitches, perhaps they’ll also take the opportunity to enhance overall performance—a win-win for everyone.
The Joy of Exploration vs. The Rush of Speedrunning
The Zelda series has long been celebrated for its expansive worlds, engaging stories, and challenging puzzles. Echoes of Wisdom is no exception, offering a fresh perspective and new mechanics that enrich the gameplay. While the allure of finishing the game in record time is tempting—especially for the speedrunning community—there’s something to be said for taking the scenic route.
For most of us, part of the magic lies in unraveling the story piece by piece, savoring each challenge, and soaking in the beautifully crafted environments. Skipping ahead might get you bragging rights, but you’ll miss out on the very elements that make Echoes of Wisdom a worthy addition to the Zelda legacy.
In the end, whether you choose to embark on a leisurely quest or sprint straight to the finale, Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom offers an adventure that’s hard to forget. And who knows? Maybe this glitch is just another puzzle waiting to be solved—or perhaps avoided—for the sake of preserving the journey that Nintendo so lovingly created.