Zelda: Breath of the Wild Walkthrough for Switch

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on the Nintendo Switch offers one of the most expansive, immersive, and breathtaking open-world experiences ever created. As Link, players are tasked with exploring the vast lands of Hyrule, completing challenging puzzles, battling enemies, and uncovering secrets. This walkthrough will focus on key strategies, tips, and must-know details to guide you through the game, whether you're a newcomer or a seasoned adventurer.

Starting Out: The Great Plateau

Your journey begins in the Shrine of Resurrection, where Link awakens after a century-long slumber. The initial area, the Great Plateau, serves as a tutorial zone to familiarize you with the game's core mechanics, such as movement, combat, and environmental interaction.

To progress, you’ll need to complete four Shrines:

• Oman Au Shrine (Magnesis Rune)
• Ja Baij Shrine (Bombs Rune)
• Owa Daim Shrine (Stasis Rune)
• Keh Namut Shrine (Cryonis Rune)

Each Shrine introduces a key ability that will become essential as you venture further into Hyrule. Once completed, you’ll obtain Spirit Orbs, which are traded for health or stamina upgrades later. After completing all four Shrines, you’ll receive the Paraglider, enabling you to leave the Great Plateau and access the wider world.

Key Tip:

Explore the Great Plateau thoroughly before leaving. Collect items like wood, weapons, and food to help in later stages. Additionally, use the cooking pot near the Temple of Time to cook meals that restore health or provide buffs such as cold resistance.

Exploring Hyrule: Towers and Shrines

After leaving the Great Plateau, you’ll find yourself in the vast open world of Hyrule. Your first goal should be to unlock more of the map by climbing Sheikah Towers and activating them. These towers serve as fast-travel points and reveal key locations such as Shrines and villages.

Shrines: Your Key to Power

There are over 100 Shrines scattered across the land, each providing unique puzzles or combat challenges. Completing them rewards you with Spirit Orbs, and collecting four allows you to upgrade either your health or stamina. Since Breath of the Wild is non-linear, you can tackle Shrines in any order, but it’s wise to prioritize those near key regions, as they often provide fast-travel points.

Shrines aren’t just for puzzles; they are crucial for powering up Link. As you progress, you'll need to decide whether to invest in hearts (health) or stamina. Early in the game, it’s recommended to prioritize stamina for easier exploration, especially when climbing cliffs or gliding over large distances.

Sheikah Towers: Mapping the World

Unlocking Sheikah Towers is essential for revealing the landscape and identifying points of interest. Once activated, they serve as fast-travel points, saving time when navigating the huge map. Be prepared to climb these towers, as some may be guarded by enemies or have environmental hazards.

Combat and Gear Upgrades

Breath of the Wild’s combat is dynamic, allowing for various strategies based on the weapons, shields, and bows you collect. However, all weapons in the game degrade with use and eventually break, so managing your arsenal is important.

Essential Combat Tips:

• Flurry Rush: Time your dodges just before an enemy’s attack lands to initiate a Flurry Rush, where you can unleash multiple strikes in slow motion.
• Use Runes: Abilities like Stasis can freeze enemies, giving you time to deal damage. Experiment with Magnesis and Bombs in combat to turn the environment against foes.
• Elemental Weapons: Certain enemies are weak to elemental attacks. Use fire weapons in cold areas or against ice-based foes and lightning weapons to shock metal-armored enemies.

Surviving Harsh Environments

As you explore different regions, such as the snowy Hebra Mountains or the volcanic Death Mountain, you’ll encounter environmental challenges. Cold and heat will damage Link unless he’s equipped with appropriate gear or meals.

• Cooking: Gather ingredients to cook meals that can provide bonuses such as cold resistance, extra hearts, or increased attack power. Combine spicy peppers with meat to create meals that keep you warm in cold environments.
• Armor: Certain armors, like the Flamebreaker Armor found in Goron City, offer environmental protection. Upgrading your armor at Great Fairy Fountains is also important for defense.

Divine Beasts and the Path to Ganon

After exploring and preparing, your next major goal is to free the four Divine Beasts: Vah Ruta, Vah Medoh, Vah Rudania, and Vah Naboris. Each Divine Beast is a massive, dungeon-like creature that you must liberate from Ganon’s control. Completing these gives you special abilities that are extremely helpful, such as Mipha’s Grace, which revives Link upon death.

Conclusion

Breath of the Wild is a rich and vast experience that offers unparalleled freedom. Whether you’re tackling Shrines, fighting Lynels, or discovering secrets hidden in every corner, our Switch-specific walkthrough will guide you through every major quest and help you uncover the mysteries of Hyrule. Embrace exploration, master combat, and enjoy the journey!