After completing the Suthorn Ruins at the beginning Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomyou must choose between going to one of two locations to deal with the additional rifts that have opened up – the Gerudo Desert to the west or the Apple Waters to the north.
The two zones have a few big differences, the main two being difficulty and the distance you'll have to travel to get there. This guide explains some of the core benefits of each area, including the particularly useful Echo that you can only get in each zone to help players decide where to go first after completing the opening section: Gerudo Desert or Jabul Waters.
Gerudo Desert and Jabulu Waters in Echoes of Wisdom
Jabul Waters is relatively easy but remote
- Highlight: Echo water block
Apple Waters is the first area of Zora that Zelda has access to Echoes of wisdom. It is an area that is home to two Zora tribes – the River Zora and the Ocean Zora – and recently the great spirit Lord Jabu-Jabu has gone mad, apparently provoked by the opening of nearby rifts.
Between the waters of Jabul and the desert of Gerudo Zora's Domain is a bit easier and the enemies tend to be less annoying. There are a few standout annoying enemies, but for the most part it's a cool ocean adventure with great scenery (including a Galleon-style ship) and one of the best early Echoes games: Water Block.
This simple Echo only costs one Tri Power and essentially creates a cube of water in the air that Zelda can float through. It blocks enemies, puts out fires, and can be used to get into hard-to-reach areas that would normally be inaccessible.
Gerudo Desert is close to Suthorn Forest but more difficult
- Highlight: Echo flying tiles
When prompted to choose between going to the Gerudo or Zora dungeon first Echoes of wisdomyou'll probably notice right away that the Gerudo Desert is just a stone's throw to the west, while Jabul Water is much further north. This might lead you to believe that the Gerudo Desert is the easier of the two, as it is a zone with a more linear path.
The Gerudo Desert is actually harder to get through than the Jabul Waters due to the tougher enemy types and the map distortion effect that occurs when you are in a sandstorm. But, if you don't mind a bit of an early game challenge, the faster way is to go to the Gerudo Desert first. Once you're done here, you can head to Jabul Waters, which is right next to Hyrule Castle for the next part of the main story.
Another reason to defy the sands and head to the Gerudo Desert early is to get the Flying Tile Echo. Like the Water Block Echo, the Flying Tile can be used to get to areas that would normally be hard to reach or outright inaccessible. Just summon a flying token, jump on top and it should start flying in the direction you were facing when it was summoned.
So should you go to the Gerudo Desert or the Jabul Waters first?
Choice between going to Gerudo Desert or Jabul Waters first Echoes of wisdom really it will come to the difficulty level you want at this early stage of the game. Thanks to the game's fast travel system, distance points make the distance factor of both areas pretty negligible, though it's still a factor for players looking to quit. Echoes of wisdom quick.
Finally, if you want to save some time in the long run and don't mind facing tougher enemies with fewer heart containers, head west towards the Gerudo Desert first.
If you want the easier of the two routes, but don't mind going a bit sideways, consider going north to Jabul Waters first, then Fast Traveling back to the entrance of the Gerudo Desert once you get a few more. Containers for echoes and hearts.
