Should you go to the Gerudo Desert or Jabul Waters first?

The opening section of The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is fairly linear, but it doesn’t take long for Zelda to be presented with a significant branching path. After Zelda makes her way to Southhorn Village and takes care of some business there, the main quest offers a choice between venturing into the Gerudo Desert to the west or heading northeast to Jabul Waters. Although the 50/50 is not as overwhelming as the complete directional freedom offered in Breath of the wild And Tears of the kingdomThere is not a lot of information to help make the choice.

Since both avenues are presented as equal options, it may be easy to assume that there is no real benefit to choosing one over the other, and it is true that Echoes of wisdom Will not actively punish Zelda for any way. even so, The perks that each route offers are not the sameAnd the order ultimately affects the gameplay experience despite leaving the basic story unchanged. It’s fine to choose on a whim, but for those who consider the decision carefully, one option ultimately emerges as the more attractive path overall.

Benefits of going to Gerudo Desert in Echoes of Wisdom

The closer area has a lot going for it

Although the Gerudo Desert is often a place that appears later in Seldom games, Echoes of wisdom Places the dry zone almost directly to the left of Suthorn Village. In the absence of any other reasons, this is already a strong enough reason to prioritize it. Although Jabul Waters is not too far up the road to the northeast, it is still a further walk, and Clearing out an area near the bottom of the map first makes sense.

Gerudo Desert also makes for a good one Echoes of wisdom Starting area in terms of content. It’s not a massive commitment, as the quest line there isn’t too tangled, and the challenges found in the desert aren’t particularly intense. Most overworld threats can be easily avoided in the largely open expanse, and puzzling through the primary dungeon should be a breeze for Seldom Veterans.

The biggest advantage of the Gerudo Desert, however, lies in the echoes that can be found there. Right after entering the area, Zelda can pick up the Crow Echo, which is a great way to deal with early-game enemies and generate rupees while doing so. It also does not take particularly long to acquire the soft bedWhich makes regenerating hearts way easier, and the flying tile, an excellent solution for quickly crossing gaps. The other great treasure of the Gerudo Desert is the Flatboom, a platform that can lift Zelda to heights much easier than stacking beds can.

The benefits of going to Jabul waters in Echoes of Wisdom

One Jabul Waters Echo is a real standout

Although Jabul Waters isn’t quite as close as the Gerudo Desert, it’s not far away either, and Zelda can easily stop by to catch the Crow Echo on her way to Jabul Waters without exploring the rest of the desert. With two interesting Zora civilizations and a charming seaside village to boot, Jabul Waters is a particularly exciting area to visit in Echoes of wisdom.

Some of the challenges in Jabul waters can be a little tougher than what the Gerudo Desert has to offer, mostly because the presence of water can complicate maneuverability. All the same, there is nothing there that cannot be managed directly after Suthorn Village. The final boss fight for the quest line is also quite easy to handleAnd it can be approached in a surprisingly straightforward manner.

As far as echoes go, there is one huge argument for tackling Jabul waters before the Gerudo Desert – the water block. While the Gerudo Desert’s flying tile and flatboom can help Zelda move horizontally and vertically, respectively, The water block can take care of both aims as a modular echo that can stack in either direction. The Bombfish is another useful echo to be found in the area, providing a way to blow up obstacles that are invulnerable to many other attacks.

Zelda should go to the Gerudo Desert first

The Gerudo have a bit more to offer than the Zora do

Despite the arguments to prioritize Jabul Waters, The Gerudo Desert ultimately makes more sense as Zelda’s first chosen destination in Echoes of wisdom. True to what the map would indicate, venturing out to meet the Gerudo is more convenient, and solving the problem of the rifts in the desert can be completed with reasonable efficiency.

The real hook for the Gerudo Desert is how versatile the echoes found there are, even if there is no single echo among them that can do quite as much as the water block. A large part of the echoes in the Gerudo Desert will be useful in Jabul watersWhat can’t be said for doing other ways. The various water creature echoes found in Jabul waters are cool, but grabbing them first and then attempting to use them in the desert will be largely futile.

Ultimately, though, there’s no wrong way to reach that first big choice Echoes of wisdom. Although the desert path makes a little more sense, the difference between the two options is not so huge as to override any personal preference, and those who feel inclined to visit the Zora before the Gerudo will not destroy the natural curve of the game. Progress by doing so. Anyone undecided about which way to go should go to the Gerudo Desert first, but any approach to early exploration in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Should work just fine.