The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a big game, and there are a lot of dangers lurking around every corner. Jumping in blind without any idea about the world can be a pretty intimidating thing.
Fortunately, there are some things that you can do to help get off on the best foot. By following these simple pieces of advice, you can ensure that your adventure in Hyrule is starting out in the very best way possible.
Updated by Shane Black on May 25th, 2023: Added entries into the list to give more advice to newer players, as well as added links throughout the article
15 Turn Off Motion Controls
While motion controls haven't been at the forefront of these games as much as they were with the Wii, Nintendo has still included them with the Switch. While some of you may be used to using these controls after playing games like Splatoon 3, they aren't the most intuitive thing to use, and turning them off can be a huge help. With motion controls on, it can feel really wonky to get a shot off.
Just go into the Pause Menu, head to Settings, and go to the Aim with Motion Controls option, the fourth one down the list. Turn this one to Disabled, and you won't have to worry about messing up your shots.
14 Use Fusion As Much As Possible
The new Fusion mechanic in Tears of the Kingdom is one of the best parts of the game and gives you a ton of freedom to be creative. Combining weapons with different objects around the world can create some truly amazing creations.
Not only can it boost your damage, but it also just makes the game a lot more fun. So, don't hesitate to play around with Fusion and see what you can create; you never know when your creation will be the difference between life and death.
13 Cook Often
It is easy to find ingredients and resources around the map and just leave them as is. You may just pull open your Inventory and eat a bunch of peppers to regain your health, but this is doing yourself a disservice. Whenever you have an opportunity at a fire and pot, pull out your ingredients and cook.
Not only will it make room in your Inventory, but it will also give you meals that give you more health and an elemental boost, such as resistance to cold. It is hugely important to keep dishes in your pocket that can help you out when your outfit isn't going to keep you safe.
12 Turn Camera Sensitivity To High
Now, this one is going to be based on your preference, but the default camera speed is sluggish. It can feel like a drag to turn the camera in a different direction, especially if it is turning it in a completely different direction.
Go into your Settings and turn your Camera Sensitivity to High to make the camera feel way easier to control and turn. It will be a huge benefit as you explore and navigate the world.
11 Loot Everything As You Begin
There are a lot of items and resources that you can loot in Tears of the Kingdom, honestly an overwhelming amount. However, when you are first starting out in the game, you really need to pick everything up. This will allow you to have more weapons to use when you break into a fight, as well as create some meals that will keep you alive. The game has a ton of different mechanics that will use these items, so be sure to pick up literally everything you find, at least at first.
10 Always Carry A Wooden Weapon & Shield
One thing you don't want to find out the hard way is that metal weapons will attract lightning if you are in a storm, which will happen frequently throughout your adventure. You'll know you're in danger when your metal weapon and shield have a faint electric look to them, meaning that a bolt of lightning is about to fry you.
Instead of having to throw your weapon and shield away, just carry a wooden version of each to bring out until you are out of the storm, or it passes.
9 Do The Shrines
There are a lot of Shrines in the game, and they are a huge assist; they're the only way you can increase your health and stamina. Even if you're on your way to something else, take the time to stop and complete the Shrine, or at least make a mental note to come back to it. You always want to get those Blessings of Light to bring back to a Goddess Statue to boost your powers.
8 Visit The Stables
The Stables from Breath of the Wild return in this game, and they prove to be pretty important for exploration. First, you can hear some good gossip from the visitors there that will give you an idea of where you can or should go for certain quests. Second, each one has its own side quest for you to take on and give you more content to digest. Lastly, you can organize and take care of your horses there. There are countless Stables to find, and they all deserve to be found.
7 If There Is An Obstacle, Try To Go Through It
Tears of the Kingdom has a new ability that completely changes the way you think about overcoming obstacles and solving puzzles. This ability, Ascend, allows you to phase through a solid object from the bottom, meaning that you can just shoot up onto a platform from underneath it. It's a different kind of mechanic from previous entries, so it's important to wrap your head around it and remember it as soon as possible.
6 Explore Lookout Landing Extensively
Lookout Landing is the first town you will come to in Hyrule, and as a result, it may seem obvious to blow through it and move on to exploring other locations. However, there is a lot you can miss in this town, including an armorer, a Poe Trader, and plenty of Side Quests. Don't feel like you need to leave immediately; take the time and find every use of it that you can. There is a lot more to discover than meets the eye, including a Stable you can repair to access your horses.
5 Boost Your Health
You will learn early on in the game that the enemies hit you often, and they hit you hard. With the base amount of hearts that the game gives you, don't be surprised to be one-shot by just about every enemy you come across. And even with more, there are a lot of enemies that will still be able to kill you with one blow or just get you really, really close. This means that it is important to use your Blessings of Light to boost your health more so than your stamina at first. You can forego the ability to climb longer to make sure you won't get obliterated as often.
4 Reveal The Map As Soon As Possible
As was the case with the last game, the map of Hyrule won't be fully available to you at the beginning. You will have to go to the game's numerous Skyview Towers to reveal more sections of it. Do these as soon as you can to make your life way easier. Many NPCs will reference specific locations, clues will point you to a point on the map, and all of them are easier to figure out if you can actually see what is on the game's map.
3 Fuse Your Zonai Objects
It's an issue that has been in gaming for years: you gain something good and hold onto it for that one perfect moment when you can use it, only for that moment to never come. This is a cycle you can fall into with the game's Zonai items that will boost your weapons' damage when you Fuse them. But don't do that; instead, use them as you get them because you will get a lot of them as you play. There just isn't a need to limit yourself to damage when you can use them liberally to help yourself out.
2 Explore The Sky
It's easy to feel like you need to just explore the land of Hyrule on the ground, but this game opens it up with the inclusion of the Sky Islands that are hovering above the land. You can use the Skyview Towers to easily launch yourself up and land on one of these floating hulks of land. These islands have puzzles, Shrines, bosses, and more for you to discover, and you deserve your time to fully appreciate everything this game has to offer.
1 Go Into The Depths
It's not just the sky that has a lot to discover, as there are also the Depths that reside beneath the kingdom. You can access the Depths early on after your time at Lookout Landing, and while it sounds really intimidating, you need to go down there. There are some really awesome environments and bits of lore to uncover, and the quests down there also help unlock some abilities that can make your life easier as you play.