Guides & CheatsThe highly anticipated Legend of Zelda : Tears of a Kingdom is finally available for fans to play after years of teasing and sneak previews. Much like its predecessor, Breath of the Wild, Tears of a Kingdom grants players the freedom to explore Hyrule without being shackled to a linear and restrictive main quest.
This freedom makes for an exceptional fantasy adventure, but when you’re trying to learn the game’s mechanics and collect all the essential tools, this lack of guidance can feel bewildering. So, if you’re stuck in the early stages of Legend of Zelda : Tears of a Kingdom, use this guide to discover everything from which villagers you need to talk to and to what weapons you should collect.
The Story
The ending of the 2017 smash hit, Breath of the Wild, left players with more questions than answers. But, luckily, Tears of the Kingdom is here to solve those lingering mysteries in the most direct Zelda sequel Nintendo has ever released.
When players complete Breath of the Wild, they are rewarded with a cutscene depicting the spirits of the King of Hyrule, Zelda’s father, and the four Champions smiling down on Link and the newly freed Zelda. This nicely tied the main quests of the game together and provided a sense of closure as the spirits finally faded away.
For those who completed the ‘Captured Memories’ quest, an additional cutscene played, in which Link and Zelda looked out across Hyrule and acknowledged that, even though Gannon has been defeated, there was still work to be done if Hyrule is to be restored to its former glory.
And anyone who is familiar with Zelda will know that evil is never defeated for very long.
Tears of the Kingdom picks up almost directly after these events. The player is reunited with Link and Zelda as they explore the tunnels beneath Hyrule castle in an attempt to locate the source of a mysterious fog that is spreading across the kingdom. After making several key discoveries, Gannon appears, kickstarting the central plot as Zelda vanishes along with the Master Sword. Link also loses all the powers he obtained throughout Breath of the Wild.
So, as with any Zelda game, it’s time for Link to save the princess and defeat the forces of evil before they can consume Hyrule.
Getting Started
To introduce you to Link’s new abilities, the game, much like its predecessor, starts in a tutorial area with several basic shrines. With each shrine, you will unlock a new ability and a fast-travel checkpoint. While you won’t need to return to this area frequently, checkpoints always come in handy.
The four shrines will unlock Ultrahand, Fuse, Ascend, and Recall respectively. These differ significantly from Link’s powers in the first game, so have fun experimenting with your new abilities, and don’t forget to use them once you start exploring Hyrule.
You will also obtain the Purah Pad in this section of the game, which gives you access to the map.
Once you have completed each shrine, you have the necessary power to open the gate and leave the Great Sky Islands, granting you the freedom to explore on your own.
Head to the Ruins of Hyrule Castle
When you first leave the Great Sky Islands, it can be tempting to spend hours roaming the grounds of Hyrule and refamiliarizing yourself with the map that made exploring one of the best parts of Breath of the Wild. While this is understandable, especially after being confined to one area for the first few hours of gameplay, at this stage of the game, you’re better off following the main quest and heading to the castle ruins.
Without completing these first quests, you won’t have access to several key features of the game that are essential for exploration and story progression.
There’s no rush though. You can experiment with your new powers and bout with some familiar enemies along the way to flex your fighting abilities. Just be sure to keep the castle’s floating ruins in your sites.
Lookout Landing and the Paraglider
On your way to Hyrule Castle, you’ll come across a village in Hyrule Field named Lookout Landing. This is the hub of the story, especially in the early stages of gameplay, and is where you are reintroduced to Purah.
After completing a short quest that involves speaking to a character searching the ruins of the castle for Link and Zelda, Purah will reward you with the paraglider. In addition to that, she’ll also take you to your first Skyview Tower. These towers function in the same manner as the Sheikah Towers in Breath of the Wild and allow you to fill out your map as you explore Hyrule.
Now that you have a paraglider, you are equipped to explore the kingdom at will and to complete whichever side quests take your fancy.
Early Game Tips
Interact With the Shrines
Shrines are an essential element of the game. Not only do they provide you with the necessary resources to improve Link’s health and stamina, but they also unlock fast-travel checkpoints.
If you’re in the middle of a quest or simply don’t want to stop to solve a puzzle, you may be tempted to walk straight past a shrine and circle back to it later. You can save yourself a significant amount of time by walking up to the shrine and activating it. This will open the shrine, giving you the option to complete it, or you can walk away and resume what you were doing.
Either way, you’ll now be able to fast-travel back to the area, saving you the hassle of retracing your steps later on.
Talk to Everyone
The villagers in Tears of the Kingdom bring the overarching narrative to life. When you interact with them, they’ll either offer you insight into the area or issue a side quest. The side quests aren’t essential, but if you want to get the most out of the game, they can point you toward key resources and areas of the map.
Don’t Ignore the Skyview Towers
In a similar vein to the shrines, you can save yourself a lot of mid-game frustration if you focus on filling out your map in the early stages of the game. To do that, you need to visit the Skyview towers that are scattered across the kingdom. Activating each one will unlock a new piece of the map, which can be viewed on the Pukah Pad.
The map makes completing side quests and exploring significantly easier, so activate every tower you come across.
Always Look Out for Loot
Loot is plentiful in Tears of the Kingdom and can be acquired through numerous different means. Whether you’re exploring a remote area of the map or attacking an enemy camp, there are countless opportunities to pick up weapons and food items, all while having fun with your new abilities.
Get creative and make the most out of the loot you find. If you regularly pick up loot, then there’s no need to hoard it, granting you more freedom with your gameplay.
Final Thoughts
Legend of Zelda : Tears of the Kingdom introduces players to countless new abilities and reward systems, offering them a fresh perspective on the older games. While you can still expect to fight an all-powerful evil and be tasked with saving Zelda, don’t get lost in the game’s new mechanics and instead make the most out of the narrative by utilizing this guide, among countless others available at Vgamerz.
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