The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is just as epic as you’d imagine from a BOTW sequel. From the Sky Islands hiding in the clouds to the massive Depths deep underground, there is almost no end to the locations and secrets players can explore and discover. With such a vast world to explore, it can be easy to get lost without a guiding hand on where to go and what to do first, which is where we come in. This is a handy list of the 10 things you should do first in Tears of the Kingdom.
10 Things You Should Do First in Tears of the Kingdom
Tears of the Kingdom is a massive game featuring the entirety of Hyrule from Breath of the Wild but adding an entire Sky region and underground region to the mix. These locations are chock full of secrets, quests, and some of the best gear in the game. The story is non-linear and won’t give you much guidance on things to do and see, which is where this list comes in handy.
Visit the Temple of Time
When you first wake up on the Great Sky Island, you will be stripped of all your power and gear. The entire island will spill out before you shortly after leaving the opening chamber, offering glimpses and hints of items to seek as far as the eye can see. As tempting as it might be to go on an adventure and scavenge what you can, we suggest taking advice from the friendly spirit guiding you and visiting the Temple of Time. This location starts the story in earnest, and it’s necessary to open up all other game mechanics and stories.
Complete the Great Sky Island Shrines
Once you visit the Temple of Time and kick off the story in earnest, three Shrines will open up, with a fourth one unlocking once you finish the first three. This map pictured above will show you where the Shrines are, and the list below details the order in which you should tackle these Shrines.
- The Ukouh Shrine
- The In-isa Shrine
- The Gutanbac Shrine
- The Nachoyah Shrine
Completing this will grant Link powers, enabling you to reach any destination Hyrule has in store.
Find Some Cold-Weather Gear
Like Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom features distinct regions with weather to match. A handful of the first locations will feature blistering cold weather, so dressing Link up is necessary to withstand arctic conditions. You can find a pair of winter-proof pants on the Great Sky Island called Archaic Warm Greaves. They’re located inside a giant hollow tree near the Gutanbac Shrine. Reference the image below for help. Once you head to Rito Village, you can purchase more cold-weather gear.
Unlock the Paraglider
After you complete the opening quests on the Great Sky Island, you will land somewhere in Hyrule. We suggest heading towards Hyrule Castle, and you will find a small outpost called Lookout Landing. This location acts as a hub of sorts, and it will grow and evolve as you complete dungeons and finish main story quests. Purah is here, and she will explain how to unlock Towers. To help you on this quest, she will grant you a Paraglider. This essential item is almost required if you truly want to explore Hyrule fully.
Explore Hyrule Castle
Hyrule Castle is floating above Hyrule, surrounded by a life-draining force known as Gloom. The castle is home to some deadly enemies but some powerful rewards. If you are crafty, you can earn the Champions Tunic and the Hyrulien Shield (Master Shield) early on and gain a significant advantage in future fights and boss enemies. Just be careful around the Gloom, as it can drain your Hearts and leave you in a weakened state.
Find a Stable
Stables are back to allow you to board and manage your stable of horses. We suggest heading Northwest from Lookout Landing and checking out the New Serenne Stable. It’s the easiest to access, and old friend Impa will be waiting nearby. If you have a save file from Breath of the Wild, any boarded horses you had in a stable can be used again here. Visiting a stable lets you change a horse’s equipment, earn PP points, and provide good investigative rumors.
Explore the Depths
While checking out Hyrule, you may encounter mysterious and ominous Field Chasms. The red matter on the ground and surfaces is called Gloom, and touching it is dangerous. Once you unlock the Paraglider, you can leap into a chasm and begin a long descent into a massive open-world environment known as the Depths. This location is brand new in Tears of the Kingdom, and it’s home to some of the most potent weapons in the game. The Depths are also home to everybody’s favorite banana-hoarding ninja clan, the Yiga. If you can hunt them down, you can unlock the Autobuild ability. This will let you summon a list of any previously built structures or vehicles and construct them from thin air.
Use Skyview Towers to Map Out Hyrule
In Tears of the Kingdom, players don’t have to climb towers; they have to unlock their front doors and use them to catapult high into the sky. Link will then map out the region, and the tower will become a fast-travel location. Hunting down the Skyview Towers should be first on the priority list, as the map will show you caves, region names, and points of interest. You can also use the towers to explore the Sky Islands and glide around Hyrule with relative impunity. Some towers require small puzzles to unlock, but each solution is always near the building.
Jog Down Memory Lane
This new adventure may occur in the same Hyrule, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t many changes to discover. While the general layout is roughly the same, each familiar landmark, town, and settlement has dramatically changed. Rito Village is suffering from a blizzard, Eldin Canyon is dried up, there’s no lava in sight, and a mysterious fog shrouds Great Hyrule Forest. We suggest revisiting some of the locations you frequented in Breath of the Wild and being surprised by all the new things waiting to be discovered.
Create a Vehicle
The new abilities Link will earn during the opening moments will grant you almost endless creative freedom to experiment and build structures and vehicles. Take a piece of wood, strap a fan, or attach four wheels to a sled and see what unfolds. This is Tears of the Kigndom’s biggest innovation, with vast possibilities. Try thinking outside the box, and you will surprise yourself with how much the game will conform to your creative vision. One fun idea is taking a bunch of shields, attaching them to the front of a car, and then driving through rampaging groups of Bokoblins with nary a scratch on yourself.
With this list of 10 things to do first in Tears of the Kingdom, you should have a solid foundation to build on during your adventures in Hyrule. This game rewards a curious mind, so never be afraid to try out an idea or visit an obscure location. In this game, more often than not, you will get rewarded for your troubles.
