Breath of the Wild Switch Walkthrough - Master Every Quest

Follow our Breath of the Wild Switch Walkthrough for expert advice on quests, puzzles, and hidden treasures.

Breath of the Wild Switch Walkthrough - Master Every Quest
Breath of the Wild Switch Walkthrough

Breath of the Wild Switch Walkthrough - Master Every Quest

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for the Nintendo Switch has captivated players with its vast open world, complex puzzles, and challenging quests. Whether you're a new adventurer or returning for another playthrough, this comprehensive walkthrough will guide you through quests, puzzles, and hidden treasures, ensuring you master every aspect of this game.

Starting Your Journey

Your adventure begins as Link awakens in the Shrine of Resurrection, unfamiliar with the vast world of Hyrule that lies ahead. After obtaining the Sheikah Slate, your first goal is to explore the Great Plateau, the starting area that functions as a tutorial. Here, you’ll gather essential items, learn combat basics, and discover how to manipulate the environment to your advantage.

Key Early Quests

  • The Isolated Plateau: This quest serves as the foundation of your journey, teaching you crucial gameplay mechanics like climbing, gliding, and rune usage. After completing the quest, you'll gain access to the Paraglider, which opens up Hyrule for full exploration.

  • Seek Out Impa: After leaving the Great Plateau, your next main quest will take you to Kakariko Village to meet Impa. This quest sets the stage for the main storyline, and you'll learn more about your ultimate goal: defeating Calamity Ganon.

Shrines: Essential for Progression

Throughout Hyrule, Shrines serve as mini-dungeons, offering puzzles and combat trials that reward you with Spirit Orbs. These orbs are invaluable, as they allow you to exchange them for additional heart containers or stamina upgrades. There are 120 Shrines scattered across the map, and each offers a unique challenge.

Here are a few Shrine tips:

  • Puzzle-solving: Many Shrines rely on using runes (Magnesis, Stasis, Cryonis, and Bombs). Make sure to experiment with each rune’s ability to manipulate your environment.

  • Combat challenges: Some Shrines will test your combat skills with Guardians. Make sure to have a mix of weapons and shields, and practice perfect dodges and parries to counter enemies.

  • Hidden Shrines: Certain Shrines are hidden or require specific quests to access. Be on the lookout for NPCs or environmental clues that hint at their locations.

Open World Exploration

The freedom in Breath of the Wild is one of its greatest strengths. Here’s how to make the most of your exploration:

  1. Towers: Activating Sheikah Towers is crucial. Each Tower unlocks a region of the map, revealing points of interest like Shrines and villages. Make Towers your priority in new regions.

  2. Resource Gathering: Collect everything you can. Items like food, materials, and ore can be cooked or traded. Cooking meals and elixirs provides buffs for combat, defense, and stealth.

  3. Weapon Management: Weapons in Breath of the Wild break after use, so it’s essential to gather as many as possible. Keep a balanced inventory of short swords, long-range spears, bows, and shields to handle different combat situations.

Tackling Divine Beasts

The four Divine Beasts are the main dungeons of Breath of the Wild. Each Beast is located in a different region, and each requires you to complete a series of quests to gain entry. Once inside, you’ll face puzzles that involve controlling the Beast’s movements.

  • Divine Beast Vah Ruta (Zora’s Domain): Focuses on water mechanics and will grant you the ability to control water-based puzzles.
  • Divine Beast Vah Medoh (Rito Village): Requires mastery of aerial movement and manipulation of wind.
  • Divine Beast Vah Rudania (Goron City): Heat resistance is key, and you'll need to manipulate the Beast’s interior to solve its puzzles.
  • Divine Beast Vah Naboris (Gerudo Desert): A challenging quest that demands good preparation, especially for its final boss battle.

Each Divine Beast rewards you with a powerful ability, such as Mipha’s Grace or Urbosa’s Fury, to aid you in your fight against Ganon.

Hidden Treasures and Side Quests

In addition to the main quests, Hyrule is packed with side quests and hidden treasures that make exploration rewarding.

  • Korok Seeds: Find these scattered throughout the world to expand your inventory space, which is crucial as you gather more weapons and shields.
  • Side Quests: NPCs offer numerous side quests that provide useful rewards, such as weapons, rupees, and rare materials.

Final Tips for Success

  • Master the Combat System: Practice dodging, parrying, and using your environment to outsmart enemies. Familiarize yourself with elemental weapons and how they affect certain enemies.
  • Use the Weather: The game’s dynamic weather can work to your advantage. Rain will make climbing difficult but can put out fires, while thunderstorms can be used to electrocute enemies if you throw metal weapons.
  • Upgrade Your Gear: Visit Great Fairy Fountains to upgrade your armor and increase your defense. This becomes especially important for boss battles.

Conclusion

Breath of the Wild offers one of the most dynamic and expansive experiences in modern gaming. With this walkthrough, you’ll be equipped to tackle every challenge, unlock hidden secrets, and master the quests that will lead to Hyrule's salvation.

FAQ: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

1. What is the best order to complete the Divine Beasts?

There’s no required order to complete the Divine Beasts, but many players suggest starting with Divine Beast Vah Ruta in Zora’s Domain due to the ease of obtaining the powerful healing ability, Mipha’s Grace. After that, Rito Village (Vah Medoh), Goron City (Vah Rudania), and Gerudo Desert (Vah Naboris) are common recommendations.

2. How do I increase my inventory space?

You can expand your inventory space by collecting Korok Seeds and trading them with Hestu. You’ll find Hestu in various locations around Hyrule. Each time you give him seeds, he will increase your weapon, shield, or bow inventory slots.

3. What is the best way to get rupees?

You can earn rupees by selling valuable items like gemstones (amber, opal, sapphire, etc.) that you find in the environment or after defeating enemies. Additionally, certain mini-games, like the bowling game in the Hebra Mountains, can provide rupees as a reward.

4. How do I get the Master Sword?

The Master Sword is located in Korok Forest. You need a minimum of 13 heart containers to pull it from the pedestal. Temporary hearts from food won’t count; you must have permanent heart upgrades.

5. What are the benefits of cooking?

Cooking food and elixirs provides beneficial effects such as health regeneration, extra hearts, or boosts to stats like stamina, defense, stealth, or attack power. Experiment with ingredients to discover recipes that fit your needs in combat or exploration.

6. How do I defeat Lynels?

Lynels are one of the toughest enemies in the game. To defeat them:

  • Use perfect dodges to trigger flurry rushes.
  • Equip powerful weapons, preferably ones with elemental effects.
  • Bomb arrows and parrying their attacks with a shield can also be effective.

7. Can I play Breath of the Wild after defeating Ganon?

Yes, after defeating Ganon, you can continue to explore Hyrule. However, the game saves just before the final battle, so Ganon will still be present in the castle if you reload your game.

8. What are amiibo and how do they work in Breath of the Wild?

Amiibo are collectible figurines that can unlock in-game content. By scanning amiibo, you can receive items, weapons, and even exclusive armor sets. Specific Zelda-themed amiibo may unlock special content such as Epona or rare items.

9. Are there any differences between the Switch and Wii U versions of the game?

Both versions are essentially the same in terms of gameplay, but the Nintendo Switch version offers better resolution and performance. The Switch version also allows for portability, while the Wii U version includes off-TV play.

10. How do I upgrade my armor?

To upgrade armor, visit Great Fairy Fountains. You'll need to gather specific materials for each upgrade. As you progress, you'll unlock more Fairy Fountains, which allow for higher levels of upgrades.