Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom map is eight times the size of Link’s Awakening

The developers of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom have spoken a bit about the game’s map, and you might be surprised by just how big it is.

According to Grezzo director Satoshi Terada, the map is eight times the size of Link’s Awakening. That wasn’t always the plan though. Series producer Eiji Aonuma said that it was at first four times the size, but it sounds like the team included quite a bit for players to see and do.

Terada and Aonuma shared the following about the map in Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom:

Terada: … we packed in so many things we wanted to do to create this “Legend of Zelda-like” feeling, and the map ended up eight times the size of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. (Laughs)

Eight times the size?! That’s pretty extensive.

Aonuma: At first it was four times the size, but then, before we knew it… (Laughs) However, although the map has become much larger, the feeling of a top-down Legend of Zelda game, where you can easily enjoy gameplay in a compact world, is still there, so it isn’t intimidating to explore. So, you’ll be able to play with a slightly different feeling compared to the vast worlds of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom launches for Switch worldwide tomorrow, September 26. You can find other interesting tidbits shared in interviews this week plus additional coverage here. Today’s full interview from Nintendo can also be found here.