How Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Reimagines BotW/TotK’s Cooking System

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How Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Reimagines BotW/TotK's Cooking System

Highlights

  • Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom reimagines the cooking system by introducing smoothies made with collected ingredients, providing various gameplay benefits.
  • Smoothies in the game grant Zelda helpful bonuses like refilling hearts, adding a new twist to traditional gameplay elements.
  • While drawing on past Zelda titles for inspiration, Echoes of Wisdom puts a fresh spin on the cooking formula, offering a refreshing step forward.

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of Hyrule-roaming under my belt, I must admit that The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom has managed to pique my interest like no other new release in recent memory. This game seems to be a masterful amalgamation of the best elements from past titles, with a delightful twist on one of my favorite features: the cooking system.

In a fresh twist for the “Legend of Zelda” series, following the groundbreaking changes brought about by “Zelda: Breath of the Wild” and “Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom,” The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom doesn’t aim to revolutionize but instead proudly showcases its ties to the franchise. It does this by blending elements from various other “Zelda” games, giving a refreshing perspective on Hyrule and traditional “Zelda” gameplay. One such element is the cooking system first introduced in “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” which has been adapted and transformed for a unique experience in Echoes of Wisdom, rather than simply being reused.

In the games Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its upcoming sequel, players gather various items across Hyrule which can be mixed together to create special dishes offering beneficial effects. As demonstrated in the “Traversing Hyrule” trailer for Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, the new cooking system in this game appears to be quite similar to that of Breath of the Wild, but with a revamped design to maintain an innovative and fitting feel within the context of this Zelda-focused installment.

How Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Reimagines the Cooking System From Zelda: BotW/TotK

Players Can Have Smoothies Made in Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Using the Ingredients They Find

In the games, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, players search Hyrule for various ingredients that contribute unique benefits when included in a meal. These ingredients can be mixed together in a cooking pot to prepare food that restores Link’s health or offers additional gameplay advantages. Recipes for these dishes are available at shops and stables throughout Hyrule in both Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Zelda: Breath of the Wild. However, players can also cook meals without a recipe, relying only on the descriptions of the ingredients to guide them.

In the game The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, players gather items with specific advantages, similar to the process in other games. For instance, an Electro Apple confers electrical resistance upon use. Unlike previous titles, instead of cooking these collected goods, players can visit a Smoothie Shop and have a smoothie prepared using those items for a certain amount of rupees. As shown in the “Traversing Hyrule” trailer for Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, it appears that Smoothie Shops are overseen by Business Scrubs, but other NPCs may manage them too as you explore Hyrule.

Smoothies Provide Zelda With Various Gameplay Benefits, Much Like the Dishes From BotW/TotK

In the game Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Zelda can benefit from various smoothies she prepares, similar to the cooked food in Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its sequel. These smoothies grant her useful advantages when consumed. Although only the Mixed Milk Smoothie, which refills Zelda’s vitality, was shown in the trailer, it is likely that other ingredient-based smoothies will enhance Zelda’s physical and elemental resistances, as well as potentially increase some of her abilities. Given that ingredients like the Electro Apple and Chilly Cactus, which provide resistance to fire, are present in the game, it is safe to assume that mixing these items into a smoothie would have an obvious effect.

In essence, while The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom showcases innovation, it also leans heavily on the strengths and drawbacks of the series’ past to drive its momentum. Based on the footage released thus far, there are numerous aspects from previous Zelda games, some subtly hinted at and others in plain sight, within Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. The cooking system found in Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is merely one example. Nevertheless, the fresh take on the creative culinary formula that Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom offers, built upon its predecessors, is a welcome progression.

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2024-08-14 23:05