So here’s something cool from the world of gaming crossovers — not in-game, but in spirit. Final Fantasy 14 director Naoki Yoshida (aka Yoshi-P) just gave The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom some serious praise, and honestly, it’s a take worth paying attention to.
After making waves at Anime Expo as a Guest of Honor — and rightfully so, considering how much of a legend he’s become through FF14 — Yoshi-P sat down with Famitsu and chatted about the games that have caught his eye lately. And among all the heavy-hitters, it was Echoes of Wisdom that stood out to him.
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Now, if you’re thinking, “Wait, isn’t Echoes of Wisdom that smaller Zelda title next to giants like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom?” — yeah, exactly. That’s what makes this so interesting. According to Yoshi-P, what made Echoes shine wasn’t just the gameplay, but how the devs built the game. He highlighted how the team smartly reused existing assets, which allowed them to focus more energy on the fun factor rather than reinventing the wheel.
In his words, the development team — a mix of industry vets and fresh blood — managed to deliver a solid experience while keeping production costs in check. That’s no small feat, especially when you’re following up two of the most ambitious Zelda games ever. Yoshi-P even pointed out that the team probably knew this game wasn’t going to hit mainline numbers in sales, but they went all-in on making something genuinely enjoyable anyway.
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His advice? If you’re studying game design or just getting your feet wet in the industry, you need to play this game — not just as a fan, but as a student of how to make something special with smart planning and great execution.
Even if Echoes of Wisdom didn’t totally shake up the Zelda fanbase like its open-world predecessors, it still hit a major milestone: Zelda finally took center stage. And by September 2024, it had already pushed over 2.58 million units — not bad at all for a game that wasn’t even trying to be the biggest thing on the Switch.
Bottom line: Yoshi-P’s endorsement is more than just fan service. It’s a nod to solid, creative game design done right. If you haven’t checked out Echoes of Wisdom yet, it might be time to give Zelda her well-earned spotlight.
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