So, you’ve decided to embark on the epic journey that is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Congratulations! This open-world masterpiece from Nintendo is a true testament to the power of the Switch and Wii U platforms. With its vast and stunning landscapes, countless secrets to uncover, and a multitude of challenges to overcome, Breath of the Wild is a game that can easily captivate players for hundreds of hours.
In this comprehensive walkthrough, we’ll guide you through the essential elements of the game, from the early game essentials to the endgame challenges and completionist goals. Whether you’re a seasoned Zelda veteran or a newcomer to the series, this guide will provide you with the information and strategies you need to conquer the kingdom of Hyrule and become the true hero it deserves.
Early Game Essentials
Mastering the Basics: Movement, Exploration, and Survival
When you first start your adventure in Breath of the Wild, it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with the game’s fundamental mechanics. Movement and exploration are the cornerstones of your journey, and understanding how to navigate the vast open world effectively will be key to your success.
Movement and Traversal
- Walking, running, and sprinting: Become comfortable with the different movement speeds and learn when to use each one to conserve stamina.
- Climbing: Master the art of climbing, as it will allow you to access many otherwise inaccessible areas. Understand the impact of environmental factors like rain on your climbing abilities.
- Jumping and gliding: Utilize the paraglider to glide over long distances and navigate treacherous terrain.
Exploration and Survival
- Scanning the environment: Carefully observe your surroundings to identify potential threats, resources, and points of interest.
- Managing resources: Keep a close eye on your health, stamina, and inventory. Learn to forage for food, collect materials, and craft useful items to aid your survival.
- Understanding the day-night cycle: Familiarize yourself with the game’s day-night cycle, as it can impact the availability of certain resources and the behavior of various enemies.
Interacting with the World
- Talking to NPCs: Engage with the diverse cast of characters you’ll meet throughout Hyrule. They can provide valuable information, side quests, and even important story beats.
- Completing basic quests: Take on the early quests and errands that introduce you to the game’s mechanics and the larger narrative.
- Discovering Shrines and Towers: Locating and activating these key landmarks will be crucial for unlocking new abilities and expanding your exploration capabilities.
By mastering these early game essentials, you’ll lay a solid foundation for your journey through Hyrule, setting the stage for your continued growth and success.
Equipping Yourself for Adventure
As you venture forth into the unknown, equipping yourself with the right gear and weapons will be crucial for your survival and success. In the early stages of the game, you’ll need to carefully manage your limited inventory and make strategic choices about the items you carry.
Weapons and Tools
- Obtaining and maintaining weapons: Understand the different weapon types, their strengths, and weaknesses. Learn to effectively swap between them and keep your arsenal in good condition.
- Acquiring and using tools: Familiarize yourself with the various tools at your disposal, such as the Sheikah Slate and its rune abilities, which can greatly enhance your exploration and problem-solving capabilities.
- Upgrading equipment: Seek out opportunities to enhance your weapons, armor, and tools through upgrades and modifications.
Inventory Management
- Organizing your inventory: Develop a system for managing your items, ensuring that you have the right tools and resources at your fingertips when you need them.
- Prioritizing essential items: Determine which items are essential for your current objectives and focus on keeping those items readily available.
- Optimizing gear for various situations: Adapt your equipment loadout to match the challenges you’re facing, whether it’s combat, exploration, or environmental hazards.
Cooking and Crafting
- Mastering the art of cooking: Experiment with different ingredients to create powerful food and elixirs that can provide valuable buffs and restore your health and stamina.
- Crafting and using items: Utilize the game’s crafting system to create valuable consumables, such as bombs and arrows, that can give you an edge in various situations.
By prioritizing the acquisition and management of essential gear, weapons, and resources, you’ll be well-equipped to tackle the challenges that lie ahead in your Breath of the Wild adventure.
Shrine Quests and Divine Beasts
Unlocking the Shrines
The Shrines scattered throughout Hyrule are crucial for your progression in Breath of the Wild. These mysterious structures house a variety of puzzles and challenges that, when solved, will reward you with Spirit Orbs – valuable resources that can be exchanged for increased health and stamina.
Locating and Activating Shrines
- Discovering Shrines: Use your in-game map, Sheikah Sensor, and environmental cues to systematically uncover the locations of Shrines across Hyrule.
- Activating Shrines: Approach a Shrine and interact with it to begin the process of unlocking its challenges and rewards.
- Understanding Shrine Types: Familiarize yourself with the different categories of Shrines, such as Blessing Shrines, Treasure Shrines, and Test of Strength Shrines, as they may require different approaches to solve.
Solving Shrine Puzzles
- Analyzing the Challenge: Carefully observe the layout and mechanics of each Shrine puzzle, taking note of any clues or environmental factors that may aid in your solution.
- Leveraging Your Abilities: Utilize the various rune abilities of the Sheikah Slate, as well as your understanding of physics and environmental manipulation, to overcome the puzzles.
- Persistence and Creativity: Don’t be afraid to experiment and try different approaches if a solution eludes you. Persistence and creative problem-solving are key to conquering the Shrines.
Claiming the Rewards
- Obtaining Spirit Orbs: Upon successfully completing a Shrine, you’ll be rewarded with a Spirit Orb, which can be exchanged for increases to your health or stamina.
- Tracking Your Progress: Keep an eye on your Shrine count and the percentage of Hyrule’s Shrines you’ve uncovered, as this will be an important metric for your overall progression.
Mastering the art of Shrine exploration and puzzle-solving will not only reward you with valuable upgrades but also provide a deeper understanding of the game’s mechanics and the mysteries of Hyrule.
Conquering the Divine Beasts
In addition to the individual Shrines, Breath of the Wild features five colossal Divine Beasts – massive, ancient machines that once served as allies to the kingdom of Hyrule. Reclaiming control of these powerful entities is a crucial step in your journey to defeat the game’s primary antagonist, Calamity Ganon.
Locating and Accessing the Divine Beasts
- Discovering the Divine Beasts: Use your map and the information gathered from NPCs to pinpoint the locations of the five Divine Beasts scattered across Hyrule.
- Gaining Entry: Approach each Divine Beast and overcome the challenges that stand in your way, whether it’s defeating powerful enemies or solving intricate puzzles.
Navigating the Divine Beasts
- Exploring the Interior: Once inside a Divine Beast, you’ll need to navigate its complex, maze-like interior, solving environmental puzzles and facing off against formidable foes.
- Utilizing Rune Abilities: Leverage the Sheikah Slate’s rune abilities to manipulate the Divine Beast’s internal systems and progress through the challenges.
- Mastering Movement and Platforming: Adeptly navigate the Divine Beasts’ varied terrain, utilizing your climbing, gliding, and combat skills to overcome obstacles and reach your objectives.
Confronting the Boss Battles
- Identifying Weak Points: Carefully observe the Divine Beasts’ behavior and attack patterns to identify their vulnerable points and devise an effective strategy for defeating them.
- Coordinating Attacks: Time your strikes and abilities to maximize your damage output and minimize the risk of taking heavy hits from the Divine Beasts’ formidable attacks.
- Claiming Victory: Upon successfully defeating a Divine Beast, you’ll free it from Calamity Ganon’s influence, unlocking a powerful new ally in your quest to save Hyrule.
Conquering the Divine Beasts is a significant milestone in your Breath of the Wild journey, not only strengthening your capabilities but also advancing the narrative and drawing you closer to the ultimate showdown with Calamity Ganon.
Korok Seed Hunting and Side Quests
Mastering the Art of Korok Seed Hunting
Scattered throughout the vast expanse of Hyrule are hundreds of Korok Seeds, hidden in all manner of nooks and crannies. Collecting these elusive seeds is a central aspect of Breath of the Wild’s exploration and completionist goals.
Locating Korok Seed Locations
- Utilizing the Korok Mask: This invaluable item, obtained through a side quest, will help you detect the presence of nearby Korok Seeds, making the hunt much more efficient.
- Observing Environmental Clues: Keep an eye out for any unusual or out-of-place elements in the landscape, as they may indicate the presence of a hidden Korok Seed.
- Exploring Thoroughly: Meticulously comb through every corner of Hyrule, as Korok Seeds can be concealed in the most unexpected places, from the tops of mountains to the depths of caves.
Solving Korok Seed Puzzles
- Identifying the Challenge: Korok Seeds are often hidden behind environmental puzzles, ranging from simple target practice to more complex challenges involving physics and spatial awareness.
- Experimenting with Solutions: Don’t be afraid to try different approaches to solve the puzzles. The key is to think creatively and be willing to experiment until you find the right solution.
- Keeping Track of Progress: Maintain a running tally of the Korok Seeds you’ve collected, as this will help you gauge your overall progress and identify any gaps in your exploration.
Claiming the Rewards
- Expanding Your Inventory: For every 100 Korok Seeds you collect, you’ll be rewarded with an increase to your overall inventory capacity, allowing you to carry more weapons, items, and resources.
- Unlocking Cosmetic Rewards: In addition to the practical benefits, collecting Korok Seeds can also unlock various cosmetic rewards, such as unique outfits and accessories for Link.
Mastering the art of Korok Seed hunting not only contributes to your overall completion goals but also encourages you to thoroughly explore every nook and cranny of Hyrule, ensuring that you uncover all of its hidden wonders.
Embracing the Side Quests
While the main quest of Breath of the Wild drives the overarching narrative, the game’s rich tapestry of side quests offers a wealth of additional content and rewards that can greatly enhance your experience.
Identifying and Accepting Side Quests
- Engaging with NPCs: Talking to the diverse cast of characters you encounter throughout Hyrule can often lead to the discovery of side quests and additional opportunities for exploration.
- Consulting the Quest Log: Keep track of the side quests you’ve accepted and monitor your progress through the in-game quest log.
- Prioritizing Side Quests: Determine which side quests best align with your current goals and objectives, and tackle them accordingly.
Completing Side Quests
- Understanding the Objectives: Carefully read the details of each side quest to ensure you fully comprehend the tasks and requirements needed to complete them.
- Employing Creativity and Resourcefulness: Many side quests will test your problem-solving skills and encourage you to think outside the box to overcome the challenges.
- Engaging with the Narrative: Side quests often provide additional context and depth to the game’s world, so be sure to pay attention to the storytelling elements.
Reaping the Rewards
- Obtaining Unique Items and Equipment: Successful completion of side quests can grant you access to powerful weapons, valuable resources, and even exclusive gear and outfits.
- Earning Experience and Rupees: Side quests can also provide you with valuable experience points and rupees, which can be used to enhance your capabilities and support your overall progression.
- Unlocking Additional Content: Some side quests may lead to the discovery of new areas, characters, or even the opening of new main quest storylines.
Embracing the side quests of Breath of the Wild can not only enhance your overall experience but also provide you with a deeper understanding of the game’s world and its inhabitants, as well as a wealth of practical and narrative-driven rewards.
Combat Strategies and Weapon Upgrades
Mastering Combat Mechanics
While exploration and puzzle-solving are central to the Breath of the Wild experience, the game’s combat system is a crucial aspect that can mean the difference between success and failure. Developing effective combat strategies and mastering the various mechanics will be key to your survival and progression.
Understanding Weapon Types and Movesets
- Familiarizing Yourself with Weapon Archetypes: Become acquainted with the different weapon types, such as swords, axes, spears, and clubs, and their unique strengths, weaknesses, and attack patterns.
- Mastering Weapon Combos: Learn to seamlessly chain together various weapon attacks to maximize your damage output and crowd control capabilities.
- Adapting to Environmental Factors: Consider how the terrain and environmental conditions can impact your combat effectiveness, and adjust your strategies accordingly.
Perfecting Your Defensive Techniques
- Timing Your Blocks and Parries: Carefully observe enemy attack patterns and master the timing of your shield blocks and parries to counterattack effectively.
- Employing Evasive Maneuvers: Enhance your mobility and reactive capabilities through techniques like dodging, backflipping, and using the environment to your advantage.
- Utilizing Stamina Management: Carefully monitor your stamina and learn to balance your offensive and defensive actions to ensure you don’t become overly exhausted in the heat of battle.
Leveraging Rune Abilities and Elemental Effects
- Integrating Rune Abilities into Combat: Creatively use the Sheikah Slate’s rune abilities, such as Stasis and Cryonis, to gain the upper hand against your foes.
- Exploiting Elemental Vulnerabilities: Understand how different enemy types react to various elemental effects, and use this knowledge to your advantage in combat.
Adapting to Enemy Archetypes
- Recognizing Enemy Patterns: Closely observe the attack patterns and behaviors of different enemy types, and develop tailored strategies to counter them effectively.
- Prioritizing Threats: Learn to identify and neutralize the most dangerous enemies first, while managing the less threatening foes around you.
- Utilizing the Environment: Leverage the environment to your advantage, such as using elevated positions, choke points, or environmental hazards to gain an edge in combat.
By mastering the combat mechanics of Breath of the Wild, you’ll be better equipped to handle the increasingly challenging encounters you’ll face throughout your journey, ensuring your survival and progress in the game.
Upgrading Your Weapons and Equipment
As you delve deeper into Breath of the Wild, you’ll come across opportunities to enhance your weapons and equipment, granting you an edge in combat and exploration.
Weapon Modifications and Upgrades
- Discovering Weapon Modifiers: Seek out blacksmiths, merchants, and other NPCs who can modify your existing weapons, imbuing them with special attributes and abilities.
- Enhancing Weapon Strength: Locate and acquire high-level weapons that can be further strengthened through the game’s upgrade systems, such as reinforcing their attack power or durability.
- Managing Weapon Durability: Understand the importance of maintaining your weapons in good condition and developing strategies to prolong their lifespan.
Armor and Clothing Upgrades
- Obtaining Specialized Armor Sets: Collect and equip armor sets that provide unique bonuses and abilities, tailored to specific play styles or environmental conditions.
- Improving Armor Stats: Seek out opportunities to upgrade and enhance your armor, increasing its defensive capabilities and unlocking additional benefits.
- Utilizing Clothing Perks: Experiment with different clothing combinations to take advantage of the game’s diverse set of environmental and combat-related perks.
Enhancing Rune Abilities
- Unlocking and Upgrading Rune Abilities: As you progress, unlock new rune abilities and enhance their effectiveness through upgrades obtained from Shrines and other sources.
- Synergizing Rune Abilities: Discover ways to combine your rune abilities in creative and powerful ways to overcome the game’s challenges.
- Adapting Rune Usage to Situations: Learn to strategically deploy your rune abilities based on the specific requirements of each encounter or obstacle you face.
By continually upgrading and optimizing your weapons, armor, and rune abilities, you’ll become an increasingly formidableforce in Hyrule, capable of tackling even the most daunting challenges that lie ahead.
Endgame Challenges and Completionist Goals
Conquering Tough Enemies and Bosses
As you progress through Breath of the Wild, you’ll encounter increasingly powerful enemies and formidable bosses that will test your skills to the limit. Overcoming these challenges is essential for achieving full completion of the game and proving yourself as a true master of Hyrule.
Mastering Lynel Encounters
- Understanding Lynel Behavior: Lynels are among the toughest enemies in the game, requiring careful observation of their attack patterns and abilities to effectively counter them.
- Perfecting Lynel Combat Tactics: Develop strategies for dodging their devastating attacks, parrying their blows, and exploiting their weaknesses to emerge victorious in battle.
- Collecting Rare Weapons and Materials: Defeating Lynels rewards you with powerful weapons and valuable materials that can aid you in future encounters and upgrades.
Challenging Ganon and the Blights
- Preparation for Final Confrontation: Before facing Calamity Ganon, you must defeat the Divine Beast Blights scattered across Hyrule, honing your combat skills and gathering resources.
- Overcoming Blight Boss Fights: Each Blight presents a unique challenge with distinct abilities and attack patterns, requiring you to adapt your strategies and utilize your arsenal effectively.
- The Ultimate Showdown: After overcoming the Blights, you’ll face off against Calamity Ganon himself in a climactic battle that will determine the fate of Hyrule.
Exploring Hidden Shrines and Challenges
- Uncovering Secret Shrines: Search every nook and cranny of the vast world map to discover hidden shrines that offer unique puzzles and combat trials for you to overcome.
- Completing Shrine Quests: Solve intricate puzzles, navigate treacherous terrain, and defeat powerful enemies to earn Spirit Orbs and unlock additional health or stamina upgrades.
- Mastering Shrine Trials: Put your skills and knowledge to the test in the Shrine trials, which range from simple tests of strength to complex puzzles that require innovative solutions.
Pursuing Completionist Objectives
For dedicated players seeking to fully immerse themselves in the world of Breath of the Wild, there are numerous completionist goals to pursue that will provide hours of engaging gameplay and satisfaction.
Korok Seed Collection
- Exploring Every Nook and Cranny: Embark on a quest to find all 900 Korok seeds hidden throughout Hyrule, requiring keen observation and creative problem-solving to locate them.
- Trading Korok Seeds for Upgrades: Exchange Korok seeds with Hestu, the Korok musician, to expand your weapon stash, bow capacity, and shield slots, enhancing your inventory management.
- The Ultimate Korok Challenge: Completing the Korok seed collection is a monumental feat that will test your perseverance and thoroughness in exploring every corner of the map.
Side Quests and Shrine Quests
- Immersing Yourself in Side Stories: Engage with the diverse cast of characters across Hyrule by undertaking side quests that delve into their backgrounds, motivations, and personal journeys.
- Unlocking Lore and Rewards: Each completed side quest offers unique insights into the game’s lore, along with valuable rewards such as rare items, rupees, and equipment.
- Tracking Progress and Achievements: Keep track of your completion of side quests and shrine quests through the Adventure Log, ensuring you don’t miss any opportunities for exploration and discovery.
Collectibles and Treasures
- Hunting for Rare Materials: Seek out elusive materials and resources scattered across Hyrule, including dragon parts, gemstones, and other valuable items that can be used for crafting and upgrades.
- Discovering Hidden Treasures: Explore remote locations, solve environmental puzzles, and defeat challenging enemies to uncover hidden chests filled with unique and powerful gear.
- Building a Comprehensive Arsenal: Compile a diverse collection of weapons, bows, shields, armor sets, and outfits to cater to different play styles and combat situations.
In pursuing endgame challenges and completionist goals, you’ll not only push yourself to new heights of skill and accomplishment but also gain a deeper appreciation for the rich tapestry of experiences that Breath of the Wild has to offer.
Conclusion
Breath of the Wild stands as a testament to the boundless creativity and innovation of the gaming industry, offering players a vast and immersive world to explore, conquer, and cherish. From the early game essentials of shrine quests and divine beasts to the endgame challenges and completionist objectives that await the most dedicated adventurers, the game presents a comprehensive and rewarding experience for players of all skill levels and inclinations.
By mastering combat strategies, upgrading your weapons and equipment, conquering tough enemies and bosses, and pursuing completionist goals, you’ll embark on a journey of self-discovery and triumph in the land of Hyrule. So grab your Master Sword, don your Champion’s Tunic, and prepare to embark on an epic adventure that will test your courage, wit, and resolve like never before. Hyrule beckons, hero – will you answer the call?
