It’s unlikely to have escaped anyone’s notice, but there’s a newLegend of Zeldagame out now. The long-awaitedTears of the Kingdomis here, and it follows on from the events ofBreath of the Wild. Link saved Hyrule before, but now he has to take on a new challenger who threatens to cover the world in dark, corrupting magic.
But all adventures start with a single step. Whether players areZeldanewbies or have been playing the series since the NES days, it can be hard to know which direction to take that first step towards. This is made all the more complicated with the newer gameplay elements like Zonai Devices, breakable weapons, and more. Here are a few suggestions on the first things players should do inLoZ: Tears of the Kingdom.
7Get Used to Link’s Moves
Anyone who’s playedBreath of the Wildrecently will know what to expect from Link here, as most of his skills come back from that game. ButTotKcomes witha few new skillsthat players should experiment with while they’re on Great Sky Island.
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TheUltrahandlets players grab, move, turn, and stick items together.Fusemerges one weapon with other items to strengthen them, add elemental powers, and more.Ascendmakes Link pass through solid surfaces to reach higher levels. Finally,Recallrewinds time to reset items. All these skills can be found in the Island’s shrines, and each come with tutorials on how to use them.
6Break Stuff
This sounds like basicZelda101. There’s been an item or two hidden in pots, grasses, rocks, and more since the 1980s. Even if it’s just a few rupees or stray hearts, it’s always worth it to smash them open and grab whatever comes out. Yet players may be more hesitant to do so now because, like inBotW, weapons can degrade over time and break.
This would be a concern ifTotKdidn’t rain swords and other weapons down on Link like they were going out of fashion. There will be big weapons later in the game that players will want to use sparingly. For the early stages though, there will be enough swords dotted aroundto Fuse togetherand wallop monsters and other things with.
5Grab Everything
On top of the usual rupees and hearts,TotKoffers different fruits tomake warming/cooling dishesto protect against the environment (and elemental arrows),Brightbloom Seedsto keep the dark caves lit, andBomb Flowersto get bombs from, much like inOcarina of Time.
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There are also Zonai Devices that offer up fresh weapons, items to speed up travel, andPortable Potsto cook food on the go. If the player has enoughZonai Charges, they can use them on big gacha machines called Zonai Dispensers to get a Zonai Device. That also means what comes out will be random, so grab those charges whenever they turn up.
4Get a Horse and Explore
Those big, open worlds can look pretty and grand, but can become a hindrance without some fast travel options. Otherwise, players will be side-hopping everywhere. Luckily, players don’t have to finish a race to get a horse. They just need to go to Central Hyrule, find a pony grazing in a field, sneak up on one, then press A to mount and L to race off.
Then Link can see what Hyrule andTotK’s world has to offer much more quickly. They can reach new sidequests, new villages, and new caves. They’ll hold all sorts of goodies, from the aforementioned fruits, seeds, and weapons, to gems, fairies, andfrogs & lizards for elixirs. The Well Enthusiast will also give Link 10 rupees for every well he finds too, as an additional bonus for exploring the world.
3Sell The Gems, Save the Zonaite
There area lot of gemsin the game that players can use to make elemental weapons. Some players might like to save theirAmber, rubies, andDiamondsjust for those late-stage treats. But in the early game, it’s more worthwhile to sell them, as the extra rupees are more beneficial at the start. Amber is only worth 10 rupees, while diamonds are worth 500 rupees each.
However, players should save theirZonaite. Aside from being quite rare in the world of Hyrule (outside the Depths), Zonaite can be used to recharge Link’s Zonai Devices. They can also be traded in at the Forge Construct on Great Sky Island for Crystallized Charges, which will extend the Devices’ Energy Cell capacity, making them last longer.
2Watch Out for the Gloom
The best place to get gems and Zonaite is in the Depths, but this area is risky as it’s largely covered in big, red patches called Gloom. They’ll corrupt Link’s max hearts on contact, reducing how much the player can heal with food and conventional items. It’s like the Black Tar inInFamousor the Mortal Wounds inJudgment, but easier to fix than either.
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Gloom damage can be healed with Lightroot or dishes made withSundelion. Players can also get temporary resistance to gloom by eating food made withDark Clump, or avoid it altogether by riding a skeleton horse. They’ll take the edge off the gloom until the player can get gloom-resistant armor.
1There’s No Shame in Fleeing
If push comes to shove, players can refresh all their hearts by using Ascend to get back to the surface. It’s essentially an emergency exit if the player thinks they’ve bitten off more than they can chew while exploring the Depths. They’re much harder to explore than Hyrule or the Sky, after all.
That’s largely thanks to the gloom reducing Link’s life bar, and the enemies reducing what’s left much faster. So, it’s better to get back to the surface than to get a game over under it. Then the player can return with better items and equipment to grab those gems, get the Zonaite, and anything else they need for one quest or another.
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