The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a sequel that fans have been dying for. Breath of the Wild was a hit in 2017, and it seems like the same is true for its successor. Sales are through the roof, which is amazing considering so much of the experience hasn’t changed.
In The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, players will traverse a majority of the same locations in this version of Hyrule, albeit with a few tweaks. There are the sky islands to contend with, for example, along with the various new powers. So, for those wishing to start their adventure on the right foot, here are some easy-to-understand beginner TOTK tips.
8 Turn On The Pro HUD
There are two options players should fiddle with as soon as they gain control of Link. First, switch the jump button from X on the Switch controller to B. Using X to run will be awkward, but it won’t be as awkward as using X to jump.
Next, go to the HUD menu and select the Pro option. This will turn off all factors on the HUD so that players can take in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom more like a breathtaking painting and thus make it more immersive.
7 Mainline The Story Until Purah’s Quest Is Complete
It will be tempting to start exploring right away but there are reasons to follow the story to a certain point. Do all the story content leading up to Purah handing over the Paraglider. This will allow players to sail across the region in the air as they did in the original game.
The game is then the player’s oyster, although there is one more story quest they should consider before truly diving in deep. Head to Rito Village, and do those quests with Tulin, which will end with getting an amazing gust ability to help with the Paraglider in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
6 Fill Out The Map
From there, people should focus on filling out the map. As is the case with many open-world games, players need to climb some towers. In The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, they are called Skyview Towers and they are easier to access than the last game.
Gaining access to all of them will make it easier for players to figure out where they are. Plus a lot of great quests open up on the way to some like Hestu around the Hyrule Ridge region. In The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Hetsu will upgrade Link’s weapon, bow, and shield inventory for Korok Seeds.
5 Your First Armor And How To Upgrade It
Lookout Landing, where Purah is located, has a lot of great quests and shops inside to get adventurers started. It might be a good idea to buy all the Hylian armor at that shop, for example. Link can still die relatively easily even with the gear equipped, which means players should be aware these armor suits can be upgraded.
There are four Great Fairies in Tears of the Kingdom, and the closest one to Lookout Landing is Northeast by the Woodland Stable. This will start a quest at the horse stables involving a traveling band playing music to awaken these magical NPCs.
4 Favor Hearts Over Stamina
This is an obvious piece of advice but on an exploratory mission, be sure to head toward any Shrine. Even if they can’t be solved, activating a Shrine will unlock the fast travel option. Completing Shrines will unlock light which players can then spend at Goddess statues to increase their stamina or heart gauge in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Players should always favor hearts over stamina upgrades because this game can get hard and they will need all the help they can get. It’s fairly easy to cook food that will replenish stamina even on a mountain climb.
3 Spam Amiibo For Easy Items
Is that Amiibo collection gathering dust on the shelf? The good news is that Tears of the Kingdom allows players to use every single toy they have collected with it. The Zelda Amiibo will often give players rarer items like weapons from past heroes.
Generic Amiibo, like say anyone from Fire Emblem, will usually give players money, or food items. It’s easy to stock up on rations quickly this way and there is no limit to how many players activate. Cook veggies and fruit and then sell the meat in these drops.
2 Take Manual Notes
Players are going to come across a lot of NPCs on their journey from the various stables and towns to travelers on the road. They will often tell Link about some mystery near or further away. Usually, unless a quest is involved, these notes will not be jotted down in the logbook.
Players should take measures into their own hands and take down manual notes instead. Write them in an app on the phone or take some screenshots on the Switch for an extra bit of security.
1 ABS: Always Be Saving
The save command did not get upgraded since the original game, and players can only have one manual save file per Switch account. In an open-world game, bugs are prone to happen, which is why it is encouraged to keep multiple files handy.
They exist in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, but they are in the form of autosaves. They can help a player out of hot water depending on the situation. Even though the options are limited, it’s always a good idea to manually save in the game especially right before what looks like a fight.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was released on May 12, 2023, and is available on Switch.