A Link Between Worlds might mark the last Zelda game where you only get a blue and red tunic as simple upgrades to your clothing. Tri Force Heroes embraced its different outfits and Breath of the Wild then introduced a sophisticated armor system, where Echoes of Wisdom seems to land somewhere in the middle of this.
Well, it would have been disappointing if Princess Zelda didn't get more fashionable, but she does and the Traversing Hyrule Trailer gives us a first look at what you can expect here. You will get whole outfits again, like in Tri Force Heroes, but they've added accessories on top of that for smaller buffs.
These accessories seem very similar to the Magic Rings from Oracle of Ages & Seasons, only that they are not limited to rings. But they do have the same type of buffs. For example, the Zora's Flippers, which aren't required for swimming any longer, work the same as the Swimmer's Ring: they increase your swim speed. And here's a list of what was shown in the trailer:
- Zora's Flippers: Swim Speed Up
- Zora Scale: Dive Time Up
- Frog Ring: Jump Height Up
- Heart Pin: Heart Appearance Up
There is also a hibiscus with a similar icon to the Heart Appearance Up, but with a butterfly instead of a heart, which probably means that certain insects may appear more often.
And it really seems like you will be able to jump with the press of a button (and not automatically), most likely the B-button, where the Frog Ring increases that height, so maybe you will be able to jump up a full block with this.
If you've followed this blog for a while, then you will know that I love these type of items, whether it's the Magic Rings from Oracle of Ages & Seasons, or the Charms in Hollow Knight. It's a fantastic collectible, because each piece gives you something unique, and it's fun to make good use of the different perks.
Interestingly, there is a list of applied accessories on the right side of the menu. This looks rather spacious, which may indicate that later on you will be able to equip multiple accessories at once. Unlike the outfits, the accessories aren't actually visible on Zelda, however.
The outfits work similar to the ones from Tri Force Heroes, which means that they will change your whole appearance. With a top-down game you don't really need anything more filigreed anyway. And the system in Breath of the Wild / Tears of the Kingdom was somewhat convoluted, because the set bonuses often go against the flexibility of being able to freely combine different headpieces, tops and trousers. So, having whole outfits with the accessories sprinkled on top feels like a good compromise. You get the sets and you get some other useful bonus(es) on top.
Whether the outfits also come with special abilities and perks remains to be seen, but it's thinkable that the Gerudo outfit allows you to bear the heat of the desert, for example. They may just be for the looks, since they don't have any icons next to them in the menu, but that would be unusual for a Zelda game. The only game where you've swapped clothes purely for the looks was in Spirit Tracks with the Engineer's Clothes, but that's about it, unless you also count the Nintendo Switch Shirt in Breath of the Wild.
Anyway, if the outfits also have some functionality, then there should be a clear distinction: accessories give you buffs, meaning they enhance or improve what's already there, while outfits give you new abilities that you wouldn't have otherwise, e.g. making you fireproof. If it were like that, then this could become the best armor / outfit system in the series.
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