Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Beginners Guide [Tips & Tricks]

Learn about the top 20 useful tips & tricks for all newcomers & master the mechanics Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom.

Starting the vast journey of Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom is thrilling but also daunting for newcomers. The game’s intricate mechanics and sprawling world can be overwhelming. A Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Beginners guide, replete with essential tips and tricks, can be a lifesaver, smoothing the path for newcomers and transforming the daunting into manageable and enjoyable.

Key Takeaways
  • Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom is a vast open-world game, which means without focused objectives and effective strategies, you could find yourself aimlessly exploring rather than making significant progress.

Here are 20 key TOTK tips for success:

  1. Upgrade Energy Cells or use Batteries for Zonai Devices to extend exploration.
  2. Utilize a Hot Air Balloon for fast long-distance travel.
  3. Make strategic choices at Goddess Statues to adjust hearts or stamina.
  4. Increase inventory slots by trading Korok Seeds with Hestu.
  5. Cook food for buffs aiding battles or exploration.
  6. Efficiently farm ingredients and materials using the Purah Pad Sensor.
  7. Manage weapon degradation with the Fuse system.
  8. Use Gloom weapons as Fuse Materials to boost durability.
  9. Employ combat techniques like Sneakstrikes and Flurry Rush for effective damage.
  10. Attach materials to arrows for additional combat effects.
  11. Utilize mid-air aiming for precise shots.
  12. Practice skills on Great Sky Island before challenging areas.
  13. Progress the plot to unlock mobility upgrades.
  14. Collect materials for crafting and upgrades.
  15. Engage in combat for rewards and materials.
  16. Creatively use new powers for puzzles and enemies.
  17. Activate Shrines for fast travel.
  18. Discover Skyview Towers to reveal map locations.
  19. View Geoglyphs for story insights.
  20. Construct and upgrade a home in Tarrey Town for storage and permanence.

1. Upgrade Your Energy Cell Or Use Batteries For Zonai Devices

Energy Cell

The Energy Cell is a critical component that powers Zonai Devices, ancient machinery integral to your adventure. As a novice explorer, it’s vital to keep these devices active. The Energy Cell, however, will gradually deplete while powering the devices, posing a potential hindrance. Fear not, for the solution lies in upgrading the Energy Cell’s capacity or using supplementary Batteries.

  • Collect resources scattered throughout Hyrule, and invest them in upgrading your Energy Cell’s capacity.
  • This means less frequent power interruptions, letting you utilize Zonai Devices for longer periods.
  • Alternatively, Batteries and Big Batteries offer another viable solution.
  • These can be attached to your Zonai Devices, ensuring they remain operational even as your Energy Cell’s power wanes.
  • It’s like having a backup generator in the palm of your hand!

2. Ready Hot Air Balloon For Long Distance Gliding

Hot Air Balloon

One of the novel ways to traverse the expansive world of Hyrule is via Hot Air Balloon. This isn’t merely a leisurely mode of travel; it’s a tactical method for reaching far-off destinations swiftly and safely.

  • To begin your airborne journey, you’ll need to prepare a Hot Air Balloon.
  • Although it might seem daunting at first, the process is simple and intuitive.
  • Once ready, Link can effortlessly glide across vast landscapes, bypassing hazardous terrain and enemy encounters.

Apart from providing an advantageous vantage point to spot hidden treasures or points of interest, this skyward mode of travel also allows you to plan your next move strategically, making it a key part of your adventure toolkit. Remember, in Tears of the Kingdom, the sky is not the limit but a new frontier.

3. Respec Hearts Or Stamina At A Goddess Statue

Respec Hearts Or Stamina At A Goddess Statue

Another helpful tip I can give you in this Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Beginners guide is that navigating through the game’s world requires a healthy balance between Link’s health (hearts) and stamina. The game offers an innovative mechanism to customize this balance to cater to your playstyle: the Goddess Statues.

  • These divine effigies, such as the prominent one in Lookout Landing, offer a unique trade-off.
  • By offering four Blessings of Light, collected primarily from Shrines across Hyrule, you can either boost your heart count or stamina segment.
  • This flexibility allows you to build a resilient Link or a highly energetic one, depending on your strategy.

Moreover, the game further empowers you with the ability to respec, letting you switch your previously chosen enhancements. If you find your heart-heavy Link struggling with stamina-demanding tasks or your agile Link often at the brink of death, visit a Goddess Statue. In exchange for a modest fee, you can reallocate your enhancements, fine-tuning Link to conquer the challenges that lie ahead.

4. Increase Your Inventory Slots Via Korok Seeds

Your Inventory Slots Via Korok Seeds

Managing your inventory space is a crucial step. You start with limited room for melee weapons, bows, and shields. But fret not, Korok Seeds found scattered across Hyrule, are your solution to this conundrum. These magical seeds are accepted by the jovial character, Hestu, who, in return, gladly expands your inventory.

  • Find Korok Seeds: Discover hidden Koroks throughout Hyrule to obtain their magical seeds.
  • Expand Inventory: Trade Korok Seeds with Hestu to increase inventory slots for weapons.
  • Strategic Advantages: More inventory slots allow for better-equipped adventures and enhanced preparedness.
  • Collectibles with Purpose: Korok Seeds serve a practical function beyond being mere collectibles.
  • Exploration Rewards: Keep exploring to find more Korok Seeds and expand your inventory further.

5. Cook Food For Situational Buffs

Cook Food For Situational Buffs
  • Consider Situational Needs: Prepare meals tailored to upcoming challenges or environmental conditions.
  • Ingredient Variety: Experiment with different ingredients to unlock various buffs and effects.
  • Buff Benefits: Buffs can enhance Link’s abilities, such as boosting attack power or providing resistance to cold.
  • Prepare in Advance: Plan ahead and cook meals before facing tough battles or exploring harsh environments.
  • Essential Strategy: Cooking isn’t just about food; it’s a vital aspect of strategic preparation in the game.

6. Farm Ingredients & Materials Using Purah Pad Sensor

Purah Pad Sensor

Utilize Purah Pad Sensor:

  • Camera and Sensor+ Upgrades: Snap photos of ingredients or materials to track them using the Sensor.
  • Efficient Tracking: The Sensor leads you directly to desired resources for crafting, cooking, or other needs.
  • Survival Strategy: Resource gathering is crucial for survival; make the most of the Purah Pad Sensor to ensure abundance.
  • Streamlined Process: Farm ingredients efficiently by letting the Sensor guide you to specific resources.

7. Manage Weapon Degradation Via Fuse System

In Tears of the Kingdom, weapon degradation can be a daunting challenge. Your trusty sword might not stay trusty for long, but don’t despair – the Fuse system is here to help. This innovative mechanic allows you to fuse items or weapons with your current armament, effectively boosting their attack power and durability.

  • Utilize the Fuse system to enhance weapon attack power and durability.
  • Identify items or weapons with high “Fuse attack power” to fuse onto lower-quality weapons.
  • Experiment with various combinations to maximize effectiveness.
  • Extend the Fuse system’s benefits to shields and armor for increased defense.
  • Transform seemingly weak weapons into powerful tools through strategic fusion.

8. Use Gloom Weapons As Fuse Materials

Gloom Weapons
  • Avoid Direct Use: Due to the Gloom debuff, refrain from using Gloom weapons in combat.
  • Fuse for Power: Use Gloom weapons as fuse materials to enhance other weapons’ attack power.
  • Maximize Potential: By fusing, gain significant attack boosts without suffering the Gloom debuff.
  • Enhance Arsenal: View Gloom weapons as valuable assets for strengthening your overall combat prowess.

9. Employ Sneakstrikes, Parries & Flurry Rush

Employ these combat techniques for success:

  1. Sneakstrike: Execute a powerful blow by sneaking behind enemies undetected and pressing the Y button.
  2. Parrying: Deflect incoming attacks using your shield by locking onto enemies with ZL and pressing the A button at the right moment. This may also cause enemies to drop their weapon for you to collect.
  3. Flurry Rush: Trigger a slow-motion state by dodging sideways or backward just before an enemy strikes while locked onto them with ZL. Use this opportunity to unleash a rapid flurry of slashes.

10. Attach Materials To Your Arrows For More Effects

Attach Materials To Your Arrows

Enhance your arrows’ effectiveness by attaching materials in Tears of the Kingdom:

  1. Bomb Flower: Adds explosive area damage upon impact, perfect for crowd control and dealing with groups of enemies.
  2. Chillshrooms: Inflicts freezing effects on enemies, momentarily paralyzing them and leaving them vulnerable to follow-up attacks.
  3. Rock Salt: Reduces enemies’ armor ratings, allowing subsequent strikes to deal more damage, ideal for foes with high defenses.
  4. Thunderwing Butterfly: Imbues arrows with an electric effect, stunning enemies or even disarming them.

To attach materials, access your inventory, select an arrow, and choose the ‘Attach’ option.

11. Slow Down Time In Mid-Air

a high-octane move called “Bullet Time” can give you an edge in battle, especially against fast or numerous foes. Initiate this by aiming your weapon while in mid-air; time will slow down, allowing you to aim with greater precision and deliberation.

  • Stamina Management: Keep an eye on your stamina wheel as Bullet Time consumes stamina.
  • Strategic Advantage: Use Bullet Time to land critical hits on weak points or target multiple foes effectively.
  • Experiment: Try different weapons to see which ones are compatible with Bullet Time for optimal results.

12. Master New Skills On Great Sky Island

Great Sky Island provides a perfect training ground for honing your nascent skills. As the gateway to the skies and home to an array of formidable creatures, the locale offers myriad opportunities to master your abilities and understand game mechanics.

  • Experiment with combat strategies against local enemies, such as the airborne Wizzrobes or the agile Sky Octoroks.
  • This firsthand experience will give you an edge in future encounters.
  • The island also harbors a range of topographical features, from steep cliffs to sudden chasms, ideal for practicing movement techniques like gliding or climbing.

The island’s many puzzles and hidden secrets provide a chance to familiarize yourself with puzzle-solving skills, crucial for navigating the game’s dungeons. Moreover, the Great Sky Island’s serene environment makes it a great place to learn cooking and crafting without constant enemy interruptions. Invest time here before venturing into the harsher, more perilous regions of the Kingdom.

13. Unlock First Skyview Tower & Your Paraglider Early

First Skyview Tower & Your Paraglider

The first Skyview Tower and obtaining the paraglider is a crucial early goal in Tears of the Kingdom:

  1. Progress Through the Narrative: Advance through the initial stages of the game’s storyline, completing tasks and solving puzzles along the way.
  2. Unlock Skyview Tower: Once achieved, the Skyview Tower becomes a pivotal landmark, illuminating sections of the map and serving as waypoints to mark progress.
  3. Gain the Paraglider: Upon unlocking the Skyview Tower, you’ll be rewarded with the paraglider. This invaluable tool allows Link to glide across vast distances, access hidden areas, and evade ground-level threats.

14. Pick Up Materials & Resources You Find

  • Explore Environment: Gather materials like plants, minerals, and insects found in the environment.
  • Crafting and Cooking: These resources are essential for crafting, cooking, and upgrading equipment.
  • Value of Mundane Items: Even seemingly mundane items like acorns or flint have important uses.
  • Quest Progression: Some resources are needed to progress through quests or interact with characters.
  • Thorough Exploration: Leave no stone unturned to gather materials, as they are valuable for various purposes in the game.

15. Engage In Combat For Potential Rewards

Combat for rewards

Facing your foes head-on is more than a means to survive; it’s a strategy that rewards courage. Engaging in combat is not just about defending yourself from threats; it’s also a wellspring of potential rewards.

  • Treasure Troves: Skull-marked enemy encampments often safeguard valuable loot.
  • Enhanced Gear: Overcoming challenges grants access to enhanced gear and rare resources.
  • Unique Materials: Some enemies drop unique materials essential for upgrades and crafting.
  • Watch for Variants: Silver and golden enemies offer tougher fights but more valuable rewards.
  • Use Strategy: Approach each encounter strategically; study enemy movements and utilize your arsenal effectively.

16. Utilize New Powers Creatively

As Link, you’re gifted with a variety of abilities that can change the tide in battle and help solve intricate puzzles. Your Sheikah Slate, a magical tablet, houses these powers, including staples like Cryonis, Magnesis, and Stasis, each holding a unique potential beyond their obvious uses.

  • Think outside the box: use Cryonis to create stepping stones in bodies of water or Magnesis to manipulate metallic objects.
  • Stasis, a power that freezes objects in time, can be combined with your weapon’s force to launch items (or enemies) sky-high.
  • This ability can be a tool for clever puzzle-solving or for gaining the upper hand in battles.

These abilities aren’t just tools, and they’re catalysts for creative thinking. Embrace them, experiment, and find new ways to interact with the richly detailed world of Tears of the Kingdom.

17. Activate Shrines For Fast Travel Points

Shrines For Fast Travel

Shrines serve as your lifeline, activate Shrines for Fast Travel:

  1. Teleportation Points: Shrines serve as fast travel points across the kingdom. Activate them by placing your Sheikah Slate on the pedestal at their glowing entrances.
  2. Health Restoration: Activating a Shrine not only unlocks fast travel but also fully restores Link’s health.
  3. Trial Rewards: Inside Shrines, complete trials to earn Spirit Orbs, which can be used to increase Link’s health and stamina.

18. Discover Skyview Towers To Uncover Map

Exploration is paramount, and uncovering the game’s detailed map is a crucial part of your journey. Skyview Towers, towering structures scattered throughout the kingdom, play a significant role in this task.

  • Climb and Interface: Climb to the top of a Skyview Tower and use your Sheikah Slate to interface with its control panel.
  • Reveal Map: Activating the tower reveals a significant portion of the map, unveiling new areas and points of interest.
  • Challenges: Some towers may be guarded or surrounded by hazards, requiring problem-solving or combat skills to reach the top.

19. Find & View Geoglyphs For Story Insights

The story unfolds through various mechanisms, one of which is the discovery of Geoglyphs. These large rock formations, etched with ancient illustrations, serve as rich sources of lore and narrative cues.

  • Story Clues: Geoglyphs are ancient rock formations with illustrations, scattered across the kingdom, providing backstory and quest hints.
  • Narrative Puzzle: Examining these carvings enhances understanding of the game’s lore and non-linear storytelling.
  • Exploration Rewards: Discovering hidden or remote Geoglyphs rewards players with deeper story insights and enriches the gaming experience.

20. Construct A New Home In Tarrey Town

One of the most rewarding aspects is the opportunity to create a sanctuary of your own in Tarrey Town. Building a home isn’t just a cosmetic perk; it offers tangible benefits too. You can store excess weapons, shields, and bows here, freeing up your inventory while ensuring you have backups for intense battles.

  • Construction Process: Collect specific materials like wood and stone found throughout the kingdom.
  • Collaborate with Bolson: Work with Bolson and his team to bring your dream home to life.
  • Upgrades: Over time, upgrade your Tarrey Town residence for extra storage and customization options.
  • Sense of Belonging: Building a home provides a sense of permanence and belonging within the game world.

Final Remarks

As I wrap up my Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Beginners guide, remember that becoming proficient at the game is a journey, not a sprint. The outlined tips and tricks are your compass, guiding you through the game’s intricate tapestry. As a beginner, leverage these insights to enhance your gameplay, conquer challenges and unravel the beauty of this vast kingdom. 

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Moiz Banoori is the brains behind eXputer. Having worked at various Video Game sites, with 8 years of Content Writing Experience and a Journalism Degree at hand, he presently monitors teams, creates strategies, and publishes qualified pieces through his aptitude at eXputer. Feel free to get in touch with him through his gaming profile on Steam and PSN.

Experience: 8+ Years || Manages Teams, Creates Strategies, and Publishes Guides on eXputer || Education: Bachelors in Journalism.

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