Breath of the Wild Walkthrough - Your Guide to Hyrule

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is an expansive, open-world adventure filled with puzzles, combat, exploration, and hidden secrets. Whether you're new to the series or a seasoned fan, navigating the vast kingdom of Hyrule can feel overwhelming. This detailed walkthrough will help guide you through the game's key mechanics, exploration strategies, and essential tips to complete your adventure successfully.

Beginning Your Adventure: The Great Plateau

Your journey starts in the Shrine of Resurrection, where Link awakens after a hundred-year slumber. From here, the first objective is to complete the Great Plateau. This area serves as a tutorial and introduces you to essential gameplay mechanics like combat, climbing, gliding, and using the Sheikah Slate.

Key Quests on the Great Plateau:

• The Isolated Plateau: Visit four Shrines in the area to unlock Runes (Magnesis, Stasis, Cryonis, and Remote Bombs). Completing these Shrines grants you Spirit Orbs and the Paraglider, which allows you to leave the Plateau.
• Seek Out Impa: After leaving the Plateau, your next major goal is to visit Kakariko Village to meet Impa, where you'll learn more about your mission to defeat Calamity Ganon.

Exploring Hyrule: Key Tips

Once you leave the Great Plateau, Hyrule's vast world opens up. Here's how to make the most of your exploration:

1. Activate Sheikah Towers: These towers reveal the map of each region. Activating them should be a priority when entering new areas, as they show key locations like Shrines and villages.

2. Shrines and Spirit Orbs: Shrines are scattered across the world and serve as mini-dungeons. Completing Shrines gives you Spirit Orbs, which you can exchange for heart containers or stamina upgrades. Make it a habit to visit every Shrine you encounter to increase your survivability.

3. Cooking and Crafting: Resources like food, plants, and monster parts are abundant in Hyrule. Use cooking pots to prepare meals that restore health or grant buffs like increased stamina, attack, or defense. Elixirs, made from monster parts and critters, provide additional stat boosts.

Mastering Combat

Combat in Breath of the Wild is dynamic, requiring quick thinking and precise timing. Here are some combat tips to master:

• Weapon Durability: Weapons in the game break after repeated use, so collect as many weapons as possible and don’t be afraid to use them in battle.
• Dodging and Parrying: Practice perfect dodges to trigger flurry rushes, which allow you to land a series of attacks. Parrying enemy attacks with your shield can also turn the tide of battle, especially against stronger foes.
• Elemental Weaknesses: Certain enemies are weak to elemental attacks. Use fire arrows on ice-based enemies and lightning against water-based foes to deal extra damage.

Tackling the Divine Beasts

The four Divine Beasts serve as the game's major dungeons. Each Divine Beast is located in different regions of Hyrule and provides powerful abilities once completed. Here's a quick guide on the Divine Beasts:

• Divine Beast Vah Ruta (Zora’s Domain): This beast requires you to manipulate water mechanics and grants Mipha’s Grace, a powerful healing ability upon completion.
• Divine Beast Vah Medoh (Rito Village): This beast involves aerial puzzles and grants Revali’s Gale, which allows you to launch into the air for quick traversal.
• Divine Beast Vah Rudania (Goron City): You'll need heat resistance to survive this quest, and completing it gives you Daruk’s Protection, which automatically blocks attacks.
• Divine Beast Vah Naboris (Gerudo Desert): A challenging beast with electric-based puzzles, completing it provides Urbosa’s Fury, a powerful area-of-effect lightning attack.

Hidden Treasures and Side Quests

Hyrule is teeming with hidden treasures, side quests, and collectibles that enhance your experience and provide valuable rewards.

• Korok Seeds: Scattered throughout the land, these seeds allow you to increase your inventory space for weapons, shields, and bows. Be on the lookout for puzzles, rock formations, and hidden spots that signal Korok Seeds.

• Side Quests: NPCs throughout the world offer various side quests, from simple fetch missions to complex puzzles. Completing these quests often rewards you with useful gear, rupees, and crafting materials.

Defeating Calamity Ganon

Once you've activated all the Divine Beasts and upgraded your gear, it's time to face Calamity Ganon at Hyrule Castle. Make sure you're well-prepared with plenty of health-restoring meals, elixirs, and upgraded armor. The combined power of the Divine Beasts will weaken Ganon, giving you a fighting chance in the final battle.

Conclusion

Breath of the Wild offers a sprawling world full of discovery, challenges, and rewards. With this walkthrough, you’re equipped to tackle every quest, solve every puzzle, and ultimately defeat Calamity Ganon. The key to success in this game is exploration—so take your time, experiment with different strategies, and enjoy the rich world of Hyrule.

Breath of the Wild Walkthrough - FAQ

1. How do I unlock the Paraglider?

You unlock the Paraglider after completing the four Shrines on the Great Plateau. Once you've collected four Spirit Orbs and spoken to the Old Man, he will give you the Paraglider, allowing you to leave the Plateau and explore the rest of Hyrule.

2. What are Shrines, and why are they important?

Shrines are mini-dungeons scattered throughout Hyrule. Completing Shrines earns you Spirit Orbs, which can be traded for additional hearts or stamina. Shrines also serve as fast travel points, making exploration easier.

3. How do I upgrade my health and stamina?

After collecting four Spirit Orbs from Shrines, you can visit Goddess Statues (located in most major towns) to exchange them for heart containers or stamina vessels.

4. Where can I find Korok Seeds, and what do they do?

Korok Seeds are hidden throughout the game and are usually obtained by completing small environmental puzzles. They are traded to Hestu, who can be found near Kakariko Village and in other locations. Korok Seeds are used to increase your inventory space for weapons, shields, and bows.

5. What’s the best way to defeat Guardians?

Guardians are powerful enemies with devastating laser attacks. To defeat them:

• Use Ancient Arrows for an instant kill.
• Parry their laser attack with a shield to reflect the beam back at them.
• Aim for their legs to disable their mobility before attacking their core.

6. How do I get better armor?

You can purchase armor from shops in major villages or find armor sets in chests scattered throughout the game. To upgrade armor, visit Great Fairy Fountains and trade specific materials to enhance armor stats.

7. How do I obtain the Master Sword?

The Master Sword is located in Korok Forest, which is found in the Great Hyrule Forest. You need a minimum of 13 heart containers to pull the sword from the pedestal.

8. What are the Divine Beasts, and do I need to complete them?

The Divine Beasts are large mechanical dungeons located in four regions of Hyrule. Completing the Divine Beasts weakens Calamity Ganon in the final battle and grants you powerful abilities from the Champions. While not mandatory, completing them makes the game easier.

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

Yes, after defeating Ganon, you can continue exploring Hyrule. However, the game will reload from a point just before the final battle, allowing you to finish any remaining quests or Shrines.

10. Are there any differences between the Wii U and Nintendo Switch versions?

Both versions have the same content, but the Nintendo Switch version runs at a higher resolution and offers the flexibility of playing in handheld mode. The performance and frame rates are slightly better on the Switch as well.