Mastering The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild means stepping away from traditional linear game design and learning to read the land itself. When you wake up in the Shrine of Resurrection, the game doesn't hand you a fixed itinerary; it hands you basic tools and lets you loose. Whether you're struggling to survive the cold winds of Mount Hylia or trying to figure out which Divine Beast to tackle first, this walkthrough cuts through the confusion with practical strategies that actually work.
Instead of wandering aimlessly or burning through your weapons on basic bokoblins, you need a structured approach to resource management, shrine progression, and gear collection. Let's break down how to conquer Hyrule efficiently without getting bogged down by trial and error.
Surviving the Great Plateau
The opening area acts as a brutal tutorial designed to teach you the fundamental rules of Hyrule's physics and survival mechanics. If you rush blindly off cliffs or try to fight every enemy head-on, you'll run out of weapons and food within ten minutes.
- Climb for High Ground: As soon as you step outside, look for the nearest tall structure or tower. Scanning the horizon from an elevated vantage point lets you drop custom pins on shrines, enemy camps, and weapon caches using your Sheikah Slate.
- Steal Enemy Gear: Don't waste your durable weapons on low-level bokoblins. Sneak up behind them for sneakstrikes, or use stealth to swipe weapons hanging from camp racks before a fight even starts.
- Master Cooking Early: Raw food provides minimal health restoration. Toss five apples into a cooking pot to create Simmered Fruit, which fills several heart containers. Combine spicy peppers with raw meat for dishes that grant cold resistance, which is essential for the snowy peaks.
You can't leave the plateau until you finish the four mandatory shrines: Oman Au, Ja Baij, Keh Namut, and Timnakon. Each shrine teaches you a core rune—Magnesis, Remote Bombs, Stasis, and Cryonis—which you'll rely on for the rest of your playthrough.
Choosing Your First Divine Beast
Once you get the paraglider from the Old Man and leave the plateau, the map opens up completely. The game subtly steers you toward Kakariko Village to speak with Impa, but many players make the mistake of rushing straight into a Divine Beast unprepared.
Each of the four Divine Beasts is guarded by a specific Blight Ganon and requires distinct gear and preparation:
- Vah Ruta (Zora's Domain - East): Generally considered the most accessible first choice. The path requires shock arrows, and the boss, Waterblight Ganon, relies on predictable spear lunges and ice blocks. Completing this grants Mipha's Grace, giving you a free automatic revival.
- Vah Medoh (Rito Village - Northwest): Easiest traversal due to the aerial approach and bullet-time bow mechanics. Revali's Gale gives you an upward vertical launch, making exploration drastically faster for the rest of the game.
- Vah Rudania (Goron City - Northeast): Requires fire-proofing. You'll need Flamebreaker armor or fire-resistance elixirs just to survive the approach. Daruk's Protection offers a shield against heavy physical blows.
- Vah Naboris (Gerudo Town - Southwest): The hardest beast by a wide margin. Lightning-based attacks deal massive damage, and Thunderblight Ganon moves at blistering speeds. Save this one until you have high defense ratings and plenty of heart containers.
Managing Weapons and Durability
Weapon durability is one of the most polarizing mechanics in the game. Weapons break constantly, which frustrates players who try to hoard rare swords.
Stop hoarding. The game's engine dynamically scales enemy loot based on how many enemies you've defeated. As you progress, common enemies drop stronger variants like soldier's claymores and knight's halberds anyway. Treat standard weapons as disposable tools. Always keep one heavy crushing weapon (like a iron sledgehammer or crusher) specifically for breaking ore deposits and shattering stone-armored Talus enemies.
When a weapon flashes red, it's about to break. If you hit an enemy with the final strike of a breaking weapon, it deals double damage. Use that threshold to squeeze out extra burst damage against tough mini-bosses like Hinoxes.
Essential Exploration Tactics
Hyrule is packed with hidden mechanics that the game rarely explains outright. Mastering these saves you hours of backtracking:
- Stamina Over Hearts: When trading Spirit Orbs at goddess statues, prioritize stamina upgrades early on. Having two full stamina wheels lets you climb massive cliffs and tame wild horses much easier than having extra hearts you can compensate for with cooked food.
- Magnetic Searching: Whenever you're near water, ruined guardian sites, or metal structures, flip on Magnesis. It highlights hidden treasure chests submerged just out of sight.
- Weather Awareness: Lightning strikes metal equipment during thunderstorms. If you hear thunder rumbling, immediately unequip metallic swords, shields, and bows, or switch to wooden gear to avoid getting instantly fried.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do with Korok Seeds?
Take them to Hestu, a large musical korok found near Kakariko Village and later at Korok Forest. He expands your weapon, bow, and shield inventory slots in exchange for seeds. Always prioritize weapon slots first.
How do I get a reliable horse early?
Head south of the Great Plateau to the Riverside Stable or Dueling Peaks Stable. Sneak up behind a wild horse while crouching, mount it, and rapidly tap the soothing button until its temperament calms down. Register it at a stable to keep it permanent.
Where can I find the Master Sword?
The Master Sword rests in the Great Lost Woods north of Hyrule Castle. You don't need a specific quest to claim it, but you do need 13 full heart containers (temporary yellow hearts don't count) to pull it from the stone without dying.
How do I upgrade my armor?
Find the four Great Fairy Fountains hidden across the map (the first is near Kakariko Village inside a giant flower bulb). You'll need to pay rupees to unlock them, then trade monster parts and bugs to upgrade your defensive stats.
